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Ready to put on your best Blair Waldorf headband and channel your inner Serena van der Woodsen? If you’re a die-hard Gossip Girl fan, then you’re going to want to check out the iconic film locations in New York City, the setting of this sizzling TV drama.
There are many tours that take you to the set of each scandalous episode, but if you’d rather save your money and take your time reenacting scenes, then you can opt for a self-guided Gossip Girl tour of New York City instead.
My teen daughter, Kalyra (an avid Gossip Girl fan) and I recently visited NYC for a long weekend, and a self-guided Gossip Girl tour was on her list of things to do. I’ve watched the show before and enjoyed it. While not as big a fan as here, I enjoyed scouting out the filming locations, with the highlight being our Lotte Palace Hotel surprise!
From Serena’s residence to the haunting grounds of the high society elite, there are plenty of places in New York City where you can see where the drama of the Upper East Side happened.
NYC at a glance 🔍
- Accommodation options: NYC has a lot of accommodation options, though it’s famously expensive, and rooms are small. The most budget-friendly hostels, boutique hotels, and vacation rentals go for a minimum of $100 USD per night, and luxurious hotels for a minimum of $300 USD per night.
- Getting around: NYC is well serviced by the metro. The Subway connects most attractions and neighborhoods.
- Unmissable sights: The steps outside The Met, the Synod of Bishops Russian Orthodox Church, and Lotte Palace Hotel.
- Money saving tip: You can save money on attractions in NYC by getting yourself a NYC Explorer Pass. This can give you discounts to many of NYC’s top attractions, restaurants, and entertainment options.
Looking to reserve an apartment in NYC? Click here to browse.
About This Self-Guided Tour of Gossip Girl Film Locations
We’ve visited NYC so many times, we’ve ticked off the main attractions and are always looking for more unique experiences to do. That’s why on our last visit to the Big Apple, Kalyra and I decided to hit off the Gossip Girl film locations on a self-guided basis.
There are many tours of Gossip Girl’s locations in NYC, but since we’re huge fans of the show and have seen every episode, we didn’t feel there was much to gain from a tour and decided to do it ourselves. Plus, we wanted to have more time to take photos and enjoy the experience.
So, we’ve put together this itinerary of Gossip Girl’s locations so you can do a self-guided tour without forking out for a guide. Below I’ve listed several of the most iconic locations, in order of proximity, making it easy for you to navigate around the city.
Most of these locations are within walking distance of each other, with only two stops we’d recommend taking the subway between. If you walk to each stop, in total you will be doing roughly 8.5 miles (13.6 km) of walking, so it’s best to wear comfortable shoes and stop for breaks.
I would say this itinerary would take a full day to complete, as there are lots of places to check out.
If it’s your first trip to NYC, then you’ll be pleased to know many of these locations are also iconic attractions, such as Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building, and Central Park, so you don’t have to cut your NYC itinerary short to do this tour.
At the end of this guide, I’ve included a map that details each stop and the route to the next place.
Read more: Engaging Things to Do in NYC with Teens and A Long Weekend in NYC with Teens: Broadway, Shopping, Gossip Girl & Tasty Treats and things to do in the Upper East Side of NYC.
Gossip Girl Film Locations
Museum of the City of New York
We’ll begin at the Museum of the City of New York, which marks the iconic entrance to Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude School for Boys.
The steps outside the museum are instantly recognizable, as they were often used as “establishing shots” in the first few seasons.
It was on these steps that Nate, Chuck, and the gang would meet and scheme in the first few seasons of Gossip Girl, giving us keen viewers a glimpse into prep school life.
The rest of the museum was not used in the show, however, so if you want to see more prep school locations, you’ll want to walk on to our next stop…
Synod Of Bishops Russian Orthodox Church
- Distance from previous stop: 0.7 miles (1.12 km)
- Time to walk: 15 minutes
The Synod of Bishops Russian Orthodox Church is where most of the prep school scenes were shot. The interior of the church is instantly recognizable as the interior of St Judes.
In season one, there were several scenes of the gang hanging out on the exterior steps of the school, which were also filmed on the steps of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It was just the steps that were used, however. If you are hoping to find that iconic courtyard, this was filmed at Silvercup Studios. It was closed when we visited, but I was able to snap a photo of the church’s courtyard, which looked similar to the real Gossip Girl thing to me!
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
- Distance from previous stop: 0.3 miles (0.48 km)
- Time to walk: 6 minutes
Wondering where the gorgeous setting where Lily and Bart exchanged vows was shot? Head to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Head to the former Andrew Carnegie Mansion to witness where the dramatic ending to Season 1 was filmed.
The Met Steps
- Distance from previous stop: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Time to walk: 11 minutes
The steps outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art are the very same steps that Blair and the “Queen Bs” gathered in many episodes of Gossip Girl and are instantly recognizable.
While you’re there, you should take time to check out The Met, it’s one of the best museums in the city!
Need a break? Right near the MET is Bluestone Lane, which is one of the best Australian owned cafes in NYC. They also have delicious food, outstanding service here, and the best part, it’s located inside an old church!
Nate Archibald Townhouse
- Distance from previous stop: 0.4 miles (0.6 km)
- Time to walk: 9 minutes
Located on 4 East 74th Street, you’ll recognize the outside of the gorgeous townhouse where Nate Archibald lived, which was shown many times on the show. Of course, this is a residential building, so you cannot go inside, but you can still snap photos from the outside.
St James’ Church
- Distance from previous stop: 0.2 miles (0.3 km)
- Time to walk: 5 minutes
St James’ Church was used as the setting for Blair Waldorf’s wedding to Prince Louis on the show’s milestone 100th episode!
Central Park (Bethesda Terrace and Fountain)
- Distance from previous stop: 0.4 miles (0.6 km)
- Time to walk: 10 minutes
No Gossip Girl tour would be complete without visiting the site where (spoiler alert!) Blair and Chuck get married in the very last episode! The big wedding takes place in front of Bethesda Fountain in Central Park South.
The fountain is synonymous with the season 6 wedding, but it was also featured several times throughout the show, including when Serena and Blair made up after the fight where Blair tried to embarrass Serena in front of the Ivy League reps by getting rejected from Yale.
Empire Hotel
- Distance from previous stop: 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
- Time to walk: 19 minutes
Moving on to the later seasons of Gossip Girl, the four-star Empire Hotel was used as the set of Chuck’s home and business venture, and was used in many scenes and dramatic moments in the show. Most notably, it’s where Chuck surprises Blair with her favorite things from Paris!
The hotel has truly leaned into its Gossip Girl fame and serves a lineup of Gossip Girl–themed cocktails at the bar. Some fun cocktails on the menu include the “Lonely Boy” and “Jenny’s Tartlet.”
You may want to stop for a coffee break here as it’s a bit of a walk to the next stop. If you are a Super Fan, you may want to consider staying at the Empire Hotel on your NYC trip.
Pulitzer Fountain @ The Plaza
- Distance from previous stop: 0.8 miles (1.2 km)
- Time to walk: 17 minutes
After refueling, head to the spot where Serena and Blair stole outfits from her mother’s photoshoot and had their own outside Central Park.
The Pulitzer Fountain is where the frenemies flaunt backless dresses with the help of a stranger passing by. The fountain was under construction and closed off when we did our Gossip Girl location tour. We have visited before, though, as it’s right in front of the Plaza, which is where Home Alone was filmed!
You’re also on Fifth Avenue now, the place where you know Serena and Blair would just love to shop! So take some time and browse in the fancy window displays of some of the biggest high-end brand names in the world.
Lotte Palace Hotel
- Distance from previous stop: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Time to walk: 12 minutes
The Lotte Palace Hotel was used as the set of the Van Der Woodsen’s residence.
There are various locations in the hotel used in the show, including the lavish NYC bar, Gilt, where Serena and Blair drink at the bar in the pilot episode of the show.
It was also the spot of many of Serena’s fancy brunches, and where Serena stands on the balcony looking at her date, Dan Humphrey, wearing that dazzling gold dress.
We had the best experience at this hotel, walking in just to have a look at the foyer. We were approached by Maurice the security guard who could tell we were Gossip Girl hunters. “Come with me,” he said.
He shared that while he has never watched an episode of the show, he was working during all the filming, and now he has become Tick Tok famous for taking people like us to the different filming locations in the hotel – none of which we would have been able to find, or know, without him.
He explained what happened with every scene and took a photo of Kalyra at each one! Maurice was a hoot, and he made this our favorite experience on our NYC trip (apart from Hadestown on Broadway).
The Lotte Palace Hotel is all Gossip Girl glam and sophistication. Devout fans may even want to stay at this hotel – but be warned, luxury like this comes at a price. XOXO.
Butter
- Distance from previous stop: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Time to walk: 12 minutes
Butter in Midtown was the restaurant used as the hallowed ground for Blair and her prep school elite minions to meet in the early seasons. It’s the iconic restaurant where Blair dined solo, much to her chagrin.
Butter is a real restaurant in NYC, and you can dine here. It does get busy, so you may have to wait a while for a table, but you should absolutely make it your lunch stop on this self-guided tour if you’re a fan of the show.
Grand Central Station
- Distance from previous stop: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Time to walk: 12 minutes
Grand Central Station features on the show many times, most notably when we are first introduced to Serena Van Der Woodsen in the pilot episode, hinting at her official return to NYC and setting up the story for the first season of Gossip Girl. This scene is considered one of the most iconic in the entire show.
The Campbell Apartment
- Distance from previous stop: 300 feet
- Time to walk: 2 minutes
Hidden inside Grand Central Station is the setting of the Campbell Apartment, located on 15 Vanderbilt Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Street.
This cocktail lounge is noted for its decorative architecture, and you’ll instantly recognize the wood paneling and framed windows, which are featured in the scene where Nate and Serene get steamy for the first time. It makes our list of best bars in NYC.
The New York Public Library (Main Branch)
- Distance from previous stop: 0.3 miles (0.4 km)
- Time to walk: 7 minutes
The “main branch” of The New York Public Library, also known as the Beaux-Arts landmark building or Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, is a stunning building featured in several episodes of Gossip Girl.
The most notable is the memorable wedding scene in Season 3 where Dorota asks Blair and Chuck to walk her down the aisle.
Empire State Building
- Distance from previous stop: 0.4 miles (0.6 km)
- Time to walk: 8 minutes
The Empire State Building is one of the most iconic landmarks in NYC and the place to go for skyline views, so of course it features in the Gossip Girl saga.
The most notable scene shot here is when Blair tries to meet Chuck there, but Dorota’s water breaks forcing her to rush Dorota to the hospital. When she finally arrives, Chuck has already left. A heartbreaking moment for fans of the show.
Veselka (Dan Humphreys Restaurant)
- Distance from previous stop: 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
- Time to walk: 35 minutes walk
- Time on the metro: 20 minutes, take Line N from 8 St-NYU to 34 St-Herald Sq
Another go-to haunt for the Upper East Side elite, this time for Dan Humphreys, is Veselka. This Ukrainian restaurant was used multiple times in Gossip Girl, including in Season 4 when Dan follows Blair and Prince Louis on a date, and in Season 6 when Dan and Serena brunch.
It’s also a great place to stop for comfort food and their famous pierogies.
Barrio Chino
- Distance from previous stop: 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
- Time to walk: 21 minutes walk
- Time on the metro: 10 minutes, take Line M15 from 2 Avenue & 9 Street to Allen St/Delancey St
Finally, we finish at the Thanksgiving setting where Serena sought solace amid her family dramas and drank her sorrows away. That restaurant was Barrio Chino, a Mexican restaurant on Broome Street.
Also, outside the restaurant is the spot where Dan sacrificed his family pie to save Serena from being hit by a taxi.
What a Thanksgiving to remember, huh!?
Map of this Self-Guided Gossip Girl Tour
Don’t forget if you’d rather relax, take a tour, and learn more behind the scenes stories from informed guide, you can join a Gossip Girl tour here. But be sure to reserve in advance. XOXO.
