A typical day for Keeva Leddy, a 16-year-old Manhattanite, is a whirlwind of activity.
Her morning begins with donning her private high school uniform—a classic polo and a light blue pleated skirt—before catching the bus from the Upper East Side. A quick stop at Blank Street Coffee for an iced oat milk latte fuels her through a morning of classes. For lunch, she and her friends often visit Butterfield Market, which she playfully dubs “the Erewhon of New York City,” to grab some sushi. Afternoons involve returning for more lessons, then heading home (via Uber or subway) to unwind, or exploring SoHo for the latest fashion finds at Brandy Melville and Garage.
Keeva, who recently started her junior year, chronicles these experiences and more on her TikTok account, KeevaGRWM. Launched earlier this year as part of the popular “get ready with me” trend, her videos offer a fascinating peek into what it’s like to grow up in New York City, attracting a substantial audience.
With over 41,000 followers, many of whom are teenagers from other parts of the country, Keeva’s account provides a compelling insight into the exclusive world of Manhattan’s affluent youth.
@keevagrwm9 come to school with me as a 16 year old living in NYC! 💙💙💙 #nyc #newyorkcity #school #routine #bus #subway #parke #uniform #gossipgirl #loveit #vlog #viral #fyp #foryoupage #relateable #manhattan #soho #uppereastside #blankstreet #latte #tastetest #yellowcab #taxi @Blank Street @Parke @MZ Wallace ♬ original sound – nicole
“I get a lot of comments saying, ‘This is my dream life,’” Ms. Leddy recently shared in an interview. “And other people are saying, ‘This is the life that I want to give my kids.’ I think that’s so beautiful, because I was just sharing my life, and my mom has worked really hard to give me this kind of lifestyle.”
Trip Gorman, a 16-year-old student at the Loyola School, decided to launch his own TikTok account after noticing a lack of “day in the life” videos from boys his age. Despite initial concerns about how his content would be received, he has amassed an audience of 22,000 followers since starting in April. His most recent video, documenting his first day of senior year, has garnered over three million views.
Mr. Gorman, who was born in Taiwan and adopted by Irish American parents, has spent most of his life in New York. He believes the city itself is a major factor in his content’s widespread appeal.
“Everyone loves New York City,” Mr. Gorman stated. “There are so many videos on TikTok that go viral just by showcasing the New York City landscape or a specific restaurant or store here.”
Ms. Leddy echoed this sentiment about New York’s broad appeal. She revealed that her content struggled to gain traction for months until a video featuring her and friends shopping in SoHo finally took off.
“I started thinking, what made this video go viral instead of my other ones?” she pondered. “New York City. New York City was a huge thing that everyone—every teen—wanted to know about. Everybody wants to see what New York City life is like.”
“I attend an all-girls school, so initially, when my views were low, some people questioned what I was doing,” she added. “But now that I’m gaining views and more followers, everyone wants to be in my TikToks.”
@user3506007004360 spend the first day of senior year with me as a student in NYC @Butterfield Market #nyc #diml #highschool #newyorkcity ♬ original sound – nicole
Allegra Pinkowitz, a 17-year-old high school student who works at Brandy Melville, stands out as the most recognized among these young influencers. With almost 150,000 followers, Ms. Pinkowitz gained fame by posting videos of herself posing in front of the subway on her way to school. She now has a manager at Digital Brand Architects, and New York magazine has hailed her as “the most popular girl in SoHo.”
Both Mr. Gorman and Ms. Leddy attribute much of the interest in their content to the enduring popularity of “Gossip Girl,” the early-2000s teen drama that chronicled the lives of Manhattan’s young, rich, and beautiful private school students. Despite first airing in 2007, the show’s availability on streaming platforms has sparked a significant resurgence among Gen Z.
“It’s still the ‘it’ girl show,” Ms. Leddy noted. “Everyone’s still watching that, and then they’re seeing me go to the Met and these other places, and they’re like, ‘This is where ‘Gossip Girl’ goes.’”
Mr. Gorman and Ms. Leddy both aspire to leverage their newfound social media success into future careers. Mr. Gorman plans to study marketing at New York University and hopes to collaborate with fashion houses for branded content. Ms. Leddy is committed to a future in the world of social media influencing.
“It’s my passion,” she affirmed. “I truly love being on camera, engaging with people, and sharing my life.”