Tour Highlights:
- Check out the hotel that is home to the Bass and Van der Woodsen families
- Get "spotted" by at Constance Billard & St. Jude's
- See the Upper East Side mansion that was the site of Lily & Bart's wedding
- See the lavish Fifth Avenue building that Blair Waldorf calls home
- Hold court at the Met Steps while you stop for a photo op
- Shop at Henri Bendel where Blair and Serena shop
- Sample a treat from the Humphrey’s favorite bakery
Details:
When: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 12 noon
Where: 51st St and Madison Ave (exact location given upon purchase)
Cost: $40 + $2 ticket fee
Duration: Approximately 3.5 hours
What You’ll See On Tour
Hop on the On Location Tours' Gossip Girl Sites Tour to see great locations from America’s most popular teen drama, Gossip Girl, based on the famous series written by Cecily Von Ziegesar. Take a look at the spots where hot young actors like Blake Lively (who plays Serena Van der Woodson) and Chace Crawford (who plays Nate Archibald) take on the roles of socialite teenagers. Take a look at New York’s Upper East Side elite society of sex, drugs, jealousy, and the pressures of the prestigious academic institutions they attend.
Elite Upper Manhattan and Midtown
The Gossip Girl Tour begins by exploring the Upper East Side, a very exclusive Manhattan neighborhood. “Hello, Upper East Siders!” is Gossip Girl’s opening line to every episode and on the Gossip Girl Tour you’ll feel like she’s talking directly to you! Experience a day in the life as one of Manhattan’s elite.
What’s morning like in the Bass household? Begin the tour in the courtyard at the luxurious New York Palace Hotel, owned by Bass Industries on the show, where Chuck Bass and his “adopted” family, the Van der Woodsens, wake up every morning to a fully catered breakfast from the Palace’s unparalleled service professionals. Ranked as one of the top 100 hotels in the world and celebrated for its luxurious accommodations, the New York Palace is an icon of Manhattan splendor.
Inside the Palace is not only the home of two of Gossip Girl’s elite families, but also the location of many a Gossip Girl intrigue. Gilt, the fine dining restaurant on the ground floor of the Palace, is where the Bass brunch took place, was the site of the first “reunion” of Serena and Blair after Serena’s mysterious disappearance and where Dan picks up Serena’s dropped cell phone, as well as where the lascivious Chuck tried to win Serena’s affection with a special-ordered grilled cheese sandwich with truffle oil.
Next, head up to the Constance Billard School for Girls and the St. Jude School for Boys just like our favorite students. Both are located on the Upper East Side, though on the show they are located at a fictional address in the middle of the East River! On the tour, you'll recognize The Synod of Bishops Russian Church and the Museum of the City of New York as the exteriors of your favorite private school.
Continue down Fifth Avenue towards Blair Waldorf’s apartment building. Located in the Carnegie Hill section of the Upper East Side, this handsome “pre-war” apartment house built in 1925 with private elevator landings in each apartment is considered one of Carnegie Hill’s finest. Apartments are listed here from $4million to $7million.
Several blocks away is the real inspiration behind The Constance Billard School for Girls, The Nightingale-Bamford School. An elite Upper East Side school for girls, Nightingale is where Cecily von Ziegesar, the author of the Gossip Girl books on which the TV show is based, attended until her high school graduation (tuition at The Nightingale-Bamford School runs around $35,000/year).
And only one more block away is the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, located in the former Andrew Carnegie Mansion, the site of the Bass/van der Woodsen wedding. Further down Museum Mile you will find the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the steps of which sit many a “Queen B” lunch crew. In real life, these steps are often frequented by the girls from the Marymount School, another elite UpperEast Side school for girls.
Lower East Side
The tour then makes its way down to New York’s Lower East Side. Historically a haven for immigrants, the Lower East Side now hosts a new generation of artists and merchants, creating a trendy getaway great for shopping and dining. Get a taste of this trendy area on both our Gossip Girl Sites Tour and the New York TV & Movie Tour.
Check out the secret nightclub, The Box, also known as Chuck Bass’s burlesque club, Victrola. Beautifully sexy booths draped in velvet with heavy curtains and barely dressed performers make this one of the sexiest spots in the city. Be forewarned: these shows are definitely more Chuck Bass than Rufus Humphrey, if you catch our drift.
Get an eyeful of the basketball court at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park, where the Gossip Guys shoot hoops, often in rather questionable outfits (purple velour jumpsuit, anyone?).
Finally, you will get a chance to see movie theatre that is the site of Dan and Serena’s failed second date, Sunshine Cinemas.
All of these great locations, and so many more, can be seen on this fun guided tour through New York City. Your sightseeing won’t be complete without going On Location.
