Gossip Girl debuted in 2007 and instantly became a global phenomenon. Set in Manhattan’s elite Upper East Side, the show was full of incredibly affluent characters that rode to school in limousines, only wore designer clothes, and summered in Europe every year.
They lived in gorgeous penthouses or the biggest hotel suites and attended high society events every week. However, their lives also often mingled with the scholarship students, who came from Brooklyn and definitely did not have the same significance in society. What was the ultimate social hierarchy of the Upper East Side?
Vanessa Abrams
Vanessa was a complete outsider to the elite New York world. She grew up in Vermont where she was homeschooled all her life until she moved to Brooklyn to live with her sister.
Much like other Brooklyn residents on the show, Vanessa does not have a great social standing in Manhattan’s crème de la crème community. In fact, apart from two brief relationships she has with Chuck and Nate, she is barely ever talked about by the elite on the show and remains almost invisible in society.
Jenny Humphrey
Jenny Humphrey may have dreamt of having a high standing in New York’s society all her life, but for the most part, remained to be quite unimportant. Her rift with Blair in the first few seasons only diminished her chances of ever making it big in Manhattan.
However, unlike Vanessa, at least New Yorkers knew who she was for the brief time her father was married to Lily Van Der Woodsen, the queen of New York’s society. Moreover, her brother ends up marrying Serena, one of New York’s most ired residents.
Rufus Humphrey
Unlike the rich residents of the Upper East Side who all went to Ivy Leagues and dabbled in the business world, Rufus Humphrey ed on going to college and tried his luck in the music realm. However, even his music career didn’t bring him any fame or respect in society.
He did marry Lily Van Der Woodsen for a brief period of time and garnered some attention in society. However, even then he was known as a doormat husband and never gained any real respect among the people of Manhattan.
Ivy Dickens
Ivy Dickens may have only entered the show in season 5, but quickly became one of the main characters on the series. She came from low means and a broken home, but under false pretenses, swiftly became a well-respected member of New York’s affluent society.
After taking care of an ailing Cece Rhodes, Ivy inherited the entire Rhodes estate, making her incredibly rich. However, ultimately, her true identity came out and she lost any respect she had garnered in society.
Dan Humphrey
The ultimate outsider, Dan Humphrey literally created Gossip Girl to write himself into New York’s elite society. This did help him gain New York’s it girl, Serena’s attention, but never any real respect by the others.
However, unlike the rest of his family and friends from Brooklyn, Dan does officially make it into affluent society by finally marrying Serena in the finale. He may have gotten a lot of hate for being Gossip Girl, but at least ended up with one of the most popular girls in New York.
Chuck Bass
Chuck Bass may belong to one of the richest and most popular families in New York, but he is mostly known for his notoriety in society. A reckless party boy, Chuck is often entangled in all things wrong and takes a while to fully understand his responsibilities.
For the most part, he was known to be one of the richest guys in Manhattan, but not respected or ired much in society. In the finale, he was even arrested as a suspect in his father’s murder, only to be released later due to spousal privilege.
Blair Waldorf
Blair may have been born into society with a famous last name and a luxurious penthouse to grow up in, but she still strived to gain her own identity among New York’s elite. Her insecurity and impulsive behavior tarnished her image at times, however, no one but Serena could overshadow queen B in Manhattan.
Unlike the rest of her friends, she doesn’t get into an Ivy League college, but she literally marries a Prince for a period of time. She walks around in the best gowns on the show and ensures that everyone who is anyone knows her in society.
Serena Van Der Woodsen
Serena Van Der Woodsen belongs to one of the most renowned families in New York’s society. She may have been a party girl growing up and disappeared from New York multiple times, but she was still one of the most beloved of Manhattan’s upper-class society.
In fact, her social standing was so strong that even without relentlessly trying to be on top like Blair, she was considered to be the most popular girl in school, even when she decided to date outsider Dan, whose social standing was definitely not on the same level.
Nate Archibald
Nate Archibald’s father went to prison for embezzlement and ruined the family name. However, Nate's maternal side, the Van Der Bilts, had such a stronghold in society, that he still remained to be one of the most important names in Manhattan.
Furthermore, by the culmination of the series, Nate was not only running one of New York’s most popular newspapers, The Spectator but he was also well on his way to building his political career. In fact, in the finale, he was even seen to be running for Mayor.
Lily Van Der Woodsen
The queen of New York’s elite society, Lily, was one of the most popular and respected people in Manhattan. She was known for always being politically correct to remain significant, even when it was not in the best interest of her children.
She was seen at every society gala and was always one of the best dressed at each event. She may not have been the best mother at times but she definitely had the best social status among the main cast of Gossip Girl.