Hitting New York, Gossip Girl Style

NEW YORK— The phenomenal high school drama Gossip Girl has captured audiences way past their teenage years. With incredible plot twists, gorgeous actors and fabulous frocks, even working girls (like me) find themselves glued to this TV series every week.

What makes Gossip Girl more intriguing is that the story unfolds along familiar sites throughout New York. Special thanks to Christine Abu-Dychiao who accompanied me on this great opportunity to check out the places featured in the series.

The Upper East Side. The most coveted address for New York royalty. This exclusive enclave has rows of 19th and 20th-century townhouses passed on to generations of WASPs and purchased by up-and-coming investment bankers and technology executives. Only the crème de la crème of NY society can afford this zip code and send their children to the best schools, much like the girls and boys of Constance Billard and St. Jude.

The Constance-Billard School for Girls and the St. Jude School for boys. The fictional location of Gossip Girl’s Upper East Side private school is located on 75 East 93rd St. This scenic brick compound is a real-life Russian Orthodox Seminary. Beautiful and quaint in a quiet area between Park and Madison Avenues.

Central Park. Where Nate runs off to do some thinking and where Blair and Serena doppelgangers accosted Dan and Serena. Central Park is the green oasis for all New Yorkers. This Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park is where New Yorkers refresh, rejuvenate and revive their life batteries.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the glorious museums of the grand old city, the Met is where Roman Art, European classic masters and modern American art heroes like Jeff Koons display masterpieces. It is also where Blair and the popular girls of Constance Billard have their daily yogurt and fruit breakfast along with occasional bitching sessions.

Tiffany and Co. The site of the memorable opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Blair’s numerous dream sequences. This New York landmark remains one of the most romantic locations for marriage proposals.

Henri Bendel’s department store. One of the most prominent shopping destinations along 5th Avenue. Eleanor Waldorf’s designs are touted to be sold at Bendel’s. In real life, Henri Bendel’s is a thriving department store with a treasure trove of the best beauty finds and small designer brands. Upper Eastside princesses are often seen raiding the store.

The New York Palace Hotel. On Gossip Girl, real estate tycoon Bart Bass owns this NYC hotel. Chuck Bass, GG’s resident playboy, holds court within its gilded walls while the Van Der Woodsens spend some time in the hotel’s grand penthouse while their UES apartment is being renovated.

Gilt. The kitchen where an inebriated Serena is craving for the infamous truffle oil grilled cheese while being seduced by the oh-so-sexy Chuck Bass. In real life, Gilt is the former site of the renowned Le Cirque 2000, where current chef Paul Liebrandt serves avant-garde cuisine to well-heeled New Yorkers.

Grand Central Station. The old New York train station was once the biggest train terminal in the world measured by the number of platforms descending upon this landmark. This was the site of Serena’s return to the city after a much-talked about hiatus from the UES party scene. Currently, Grand Central Station serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York state, Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.

Campbell Apartments. This classy lounge located in one of the Grand Central Station’s wings was once the office of American financier J. Campbell. On the show, this is where Serena and Nate do the unthinkable, forcing Serena to make a quick exit to a boarding school in Connecticut. The Campbell Apartments maintain the original 1930s office atmosphere accompanied by ‘20s and ‘30s themed drinks to provide a tempered and vintage atmosphere.