Pippa Middleton Paints the Town (and Her Outfit) Red, Celebrates 29th Birthday in NYC

Kate Middleton's sis does it up right, getting joined by a galpal for lunch at Soho House

By Gina Serpe Sep 06, 2012 7:59 PMTags
Pippa MiddletonJB Nicholas/Splash News

As the past few weeks have proven (hi, Prince Harry!), the royal family doesn't exactly need an occasion to go full-throttle on their celebrations. But they've got one, anyway.

Pippa Middleton turned 29 years old today, and if there's one member of the albeit extended Windsor clan from whom we can expect a classy soiree, it's Kate Middleton's little sis, right? After all, she did quite literally write the book on party planning. In fact, said book is the reason for her whirlwind trip to New York in the first place.

So how did she celebrate her birthday?

While Pippa was clearly not lacking for company earlier this week, generating headlines for her high-profile hangouts with hotelier Andre Balazs and hunky junior tennis ace Spencer Vegosen, it's unclear who she chose to ring in the last year of her twenties with, though it doesn't appear that she was joined by any member of the Middleton family.

Instead, she was spotted making her way into the meatpacking district's Soho House this afternoon (sadly, she arrived via yellow cab and not horse-drawn carriage) with a gal pal. For the occasion she donned a short, flirty dress in her trademark red (with gold button detailing on the shoulders), red ballet flats and a summery straw handbag.

It's unknown how long Pippa plans to stay in New York, as she arrived in town earlier this week to attend meetings for the presumptive U.S. launch of her book. Yesterday, she was spotted out around town with a friend, which quickly morphed into reports of the royal sis doing some prospective househunting.

A Middleton takes Manhattan? Now that'd be something to celebrate. Happy birthday, Pips.