NYC residents uneasy about planned 'Friends' couch on their sidewalk
As part of its 25th anniversary Friends celebration, Warner Bros. plans to place a photo-ready replica of the Central Perk couch outside NYC's actual Friends apartment.
There's just one problem: Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Rachel do not actually reside there -- and some of the folks who do are not happy about their block being overrun with fans.
During the show's run, the building at 90 Bedford St. in the West Village served as the apartment's on-camera exterior, making it a popular tourist attraction already. According to the New York Post, locals fear that adding the iconic orange couch to the mix would draw more people than the block can handle.
“We have at least 400 tourists a day coming to look at that building. They take pictures all day and all night. I come outside and there’s 20 people hanging out on my stoop or taking a pee around the corner,” said one resident, per The Post. “To close off the street or a section of the sidewalk would make it crazy.”
Residents are also upset that Warner Bros., despite filing an application for a sidewalk closure, did not attend a community board meeting to discuss the activation. Warner Bros. says it was not aware of the meeting.
Still, there are some couch defenders on the block. One resident told a local ABC affiliate that, although she did anticipate big crowds, she'd probably take a picture on the couch with her dog.
"If it's something that's fun for tourists in New York and brings people to our city and shows them what we're all about ... then why not?" she said.
Ah, yes, New York: where the couches are outside and the building facades are vaguely recognizable.
The installation is scheduled to begin September 21.
Chloe was the shopping editor at Mashable. She was also previously a culture reporter. You can follow her on Twitter at @chloebryan.
