I talked to fans hoping to see stars heading to the Met Gala. It rained on our parade.

For many years, it’s been an open secret that the best place to get a glimpse of a glammed-up celebrity before they enter the prestigious Met Gala is outside their New York City hotel — the Mark Hotel or the Carlyle, usually. As of 2025, for reasons police officers weren’t willing to share with a poncho-clad woman holding up the voice notes app on her dangerously wet iPhone, things changed.

The closest that I, my fellow fans and anyone with a whiff of enthusiasm could get to the Mark in the pouring rain on Monday night was down the block, where police cars and officers blocked off an opening in a makeshift metal gate where a black sprinter van would enter or exit every 15 to 30 minutes.

When I arrived on 77th Street and Park Avenue at 3:30 p.m., the Mark was within my view. Gathering around to spectate was strictly banned at this particular entrance, according to the police officer who kept repeating herself as I calibrated Google Maps.

Craig, a 25-year-old who is visiting from the U.K., told me that he was currently texting Miley Cyrus’s team to get inside the hotel. He said that anyone who has a wristband can come out, get someone from the other side of the barrier and bring them in. I was doubtful, but then again, I didn’t have Cyrus’s team’s phone number.

Along Park Avenue, fans in raincoats and employees with coats draped over their designer gowns tried to cross over to the other side of the street. Occasionally, one of the various smartly dressed brunette women carrying clipboards would approach the metal crowd control barrier and hand someone a wristband.

It was just drizzling and nearing 4 p.m. when I decided to take a lap around the metal barrier and see what kind of crowds and sight lines had begun to form. The air was heavy with pollen and humidity, the bright green reflections of trees shining from the puddles and dips in cobblestones as I neared Central Park.

On the other side of the closed-off street, I approached a group of three friends. They were visiting from Spain, but not for the Met — they just saw a big crowd and decided to join.

“I have no idea who’s here, but, you know,” one shrugged.

I slipped closer to the barricade, past three layers of people. There, I met Jessica, a 31-year-old who drove a couple of hours from southern New Jersey for a chance to see S.Coups, a member of the Korean boy band Seventeen.

“There aren’t usually a lot of Korean idols at the Met Gala,” she told me. One group, Stray Kids, became the first K-Pop group to attend last year, she explained. “Then, rumor has it, Rosé and Jennie [from Blackpink] could be here.”

Just ahead of her was 25-year-old Matthew, who moved to New York a year ago. Tonight, he’s hoping for a glimpse of Sharkira or Omar Apollo.

“To be honest, I just saw people gathering here,” he told me.

Ellie, an 18-year-old, chimed in. She’s on the lookout for Sabrina Carpenter, who she knows is here because she’s been spotted in photos in the area.

“My boss always goes to the Mark — she knows that’s where celebrities stay. She told me that I should go,” she said. “I went yesterday and saw Cynthia Erivo.”

I crossed 77th Street around 4:30 p.m. to see if there was a better angle. Fans lined up at the barricade were eager to have their photos taken, though the rain was starting to pick up.

Rosemary, a 70-year-old visiting New York to “see some theater” with her husband from Washington, D.C., told me she was excited to spot “anybody and everybody” on their way to the red carpet.

“The whole concept is so wonderful,” she said of the Met Gala. “We’re going to see the exhibit tomorrow … we love the fashion shows.”

It started to rain harder, and umbrellas began to spring up around us, bunching us closer together.

“I feel like a cocker spaniel,” Rosemary joked, fluffing her hair. Aaron, an 18-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., told me he didn’t even feel the rain at this point. He’s just hoping to see Nicki Minaj or Rihanna.

“Are you guys here together?” I asked the pair.

“No, but he’ll be my best friend by the end of tonight,” Rosemary laughed.

I took a step back to let eager fans get a closer look, standing with 30-year-old Bianey, who told me she was more focused on the experience than getting videos for social media. She traveled from Chicago to get as close as she could to the Met. She had a long list of celebrities she’d love to see: Lewis Hamilton, Jennie, Lisa, anyone from Seventeen or Stray Kids, Rihanna, Zendaya and Law Roach.

“It’s amazing, not just seeing celebs, but seeing them in these gowns and art pieces,” she said. “I love fashion.”

I pulled out my umbrella and put my phone in my pocket, fearing that it would soon enter the saturation danger zone. I saw men and women in blazers and lanyards rolling carts filled with flowers down the barricaded street. The crowd began filling 5th Avenue, despite a barrage of honks from cars, which prompted a police officer with a megaphone to assert that anyone on the street would be “taken to prison.” That didn’t faze anyone, but his motioning for people to step back did, revealing a possible language barrier. I heard Spanish and French responses.

The harder it rained, the more umbrellas popped out — most of which lingered dangerously close to eye level, which was more concerning to my anatomy than my ability to see. I’d lost hope on the latter. I decided to take a lap when I saw a tall young man darting into the bushes near me.

Around the corner, I ran into a group I’d seen earlier — a gaggle of Manhattan teenagers who have stood outside the Mark for the last four years. Roman, an 18-year-old, said he sees Kendall Jenner every year. He was hoping to see Cyrus, Lady Gaga or Charli XCX to take some photos for Instagram, but he’s disappointed about how far he is from “arrivals” this year than in years past.

I overheard a woman with a Southern accent telling a group of Pratt University students that Wicked was the “best thing that ever happened” to her, so she was hoping to see Ariana Grande.

“Cynthia Erivo got Dunkin’ around here earlier,” one of the students said.

I spotted a group of young people who had balanced an umbrella on a light pole and were standing under it. I was struck by their nonchalance despite the miserable and competitive atmosphere. I asked if the rain was going to make them abandon their post any time soon.

“The rain doesn’t bother me. It’s basically like being in the shower,” 20-year-old Joshua told me. This was his third time standing outside the Mark for the Met Gala, though this is by far the furthest away they’ve made him stand.

He brought two of his friends, Tiana and Matthew, 20-year-old first-timers. Tiana was dying to see Doechii, and Joshua wanted to see Grande, Erivo and Carpenter. Joshua turned on X post notifications for Pop Crave and Pop Base so he would be alerted when the pop culture news accounts posted about celebrities showing up. It was only about 6 p.m., so the “real A-listers — no shade” weren’t there yet, he said.

Realizing I did not have the same stamina as 20-year-old superfans — and that my high-heeled Crocs were begging to warp into a bizarre new blister-inducing shape around my feet — I knew my journey would be ending soon. I crossed the street and stood feet away from Central Park behind a gaggle of K-Pop fans on stools.

As I faced the Mark, there was a pro-Palestine protest to my left and Hotel Trade Council union members protesting firings at the Surrey to my right. Their chants — ”Shame! Shame! Shame!” — made it difficult for me to effectively eavesdrop.

Crowds everywhere were starting to disperse as photos of Colman Domingo and Teyana Taylor hit social media timelines. The people in front of me weren’t getting any shorter.

“Have you guys seen anyone?” I asked a group of women who were discussing their exit strategy. “Not a soul,” one said with sadness. Another added, “Unless someone rolls down their window, we’re doomed. And why would they? It’s wet!”

“We’re the ones that made them who they are, though, right?” an older woman leaning against a tree rasped. She announced she wasn’t moving. I left to look at pictures of celebrities on my computer.