Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Prom Night for the Privileged


By

Jen Carlson

Published Jun 3, 2008

Modified Jun 3, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Carlson

Published Jun 3, 2008

Modified Jun 3, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

17032017-17032021-large.jpgLife imitates Gossip Girl tonight as the teens from six of the city's most elite private schools join together for a prom in the Waldorf's Starlight Roof (the Waldorf ballroom is where public high school Stuyvesant's prom will be this Friday -- ground floor for the plebes!).

The NY Sun reports on the gala event, which will bring together a privileged pack from Collegiate, Browning, Brearley, Hewitt, Spence, and Nightingale-Bamford schools. Dinner, dancing and silver-plated service will all prequel the main event: the after parties.

People at the Upper East Side school Dalton are planning such a party, complete with a legal waiver parents must sign promising not to sue the hosts should something happen to their children. The after-party is so popular that it has a waiting list, filled with the names of about half the members of the senior class, a source said.

Apparently, the exclusive no-fee parties are a far cry from other teens will be doing after their big dances; "prom experts" (really!) report that teens "particularly those in boroughs other than Manhattan" usually end their special night paying to get into a club, heading to the NJ shore or having breakfast at a diner. What about the rich kids whose parents are crying poor, though?

Fear not, Brooklyn: The Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn hosts prom-goers from Brooklyn Heights' Packer-Collegiate School with red carpets. But whether you're Blair Waldorf or what's-her-name from the wrong side of the bridge, you'll probably have your night soundtracked by Taylor Swift.

Tagged

elite

gossip girl

private school

prom

Starlight Roof

waldorf


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff

We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."

By

James Ramsay

Published Oct 22, 2026 at 11:18 a.m. ET


A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings

Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.

By

Hannah Frishberg

Arts & Entertainment

A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings

Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.

By

Hannah Frishberg


A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history

By

Sonia Rao

The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.

By

Sonia Rao

Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.

By

Sonia Rao


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .