Your Guide to the Upper East Side: 10 Places to Visit with your BFF

Nov 12

Long live the Gossip Girl days where you dreamt of wanting to be Blair Waldorf (tbh, don't we all still kinda sorta), finding a Chuck Bass, shopping on 5th Avenue with bags in hand, or scheming on the steps of the Met...

So fast forward to ahem, reality where you can not only relive your own Gossip Girl fantasies, but you can also create new ones when you decide to spend a day on the Upper East Side.

One of my best friends from college visited me this past week. And with a 'go with the flow' mentality, we decided to spend our days relaxing, exploring bits and pieces of the City, and just hanging out together for the most part. As a residential Upper East Sider, I thought it would be a great idea to share a list of places to visit with your bestie on the UES.

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art -- aka the Met.

Relive your Gossip Girl days and take some photos at the same location where Blair, Serena and her minions spent their days gossiping, eating yogurt, and having heart to hearts.

2. Sarabeth's -- near Plaza Hotel

Amazing brunch spot. Also another Gossip Girl location where the Van der Woodsens' dined for brunch.

3. The Plaza Hotel

Step in for high tea and check out the beautiful interior.

4. Central Park

Visit the famous Gapstow Bridge, overlook the Pond, walk around the Bethesda Fountain, or go for a boat ride at the Loeb Boathouse.

5. The Penrose

A great bar and restaurant -- try their ginger mule. SO GOOD.

6. Alice's Tea Cup

A cozy, high tea is in order.

7. The Frick Collection

Take a peek into the 5th Avenue Mansion that belonged to one of NYC's wealthiest, Henry Clay Frick.

8. Serendipity III

Anyone up for frozen hot chocolate?

9. Bergdorf's, Bendel's, and Barney's... and Blooomingdale's

The three B's (according to Blair Waldorf) -- luxury department stores if you're up for splurging or window shopping. Bloomingdale's has an amazing frozen yogurt shop called 40 Carrots.

10. Walk down Park Avenue

All shopping and eating aside, I like to go for a morning run or stroll along Park Avenue. There's always beautiful flowers and residential apartments lined up in the area, and it's a great place to just explore and check out the beautiful buildings the UES has to offer.