Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

The Bench is the Hot Seat in Town


By

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 16, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 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 Aug 16, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 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

2007_08_arts_jay.jpgThe Observer people watches the people watchers this week with a piece on The Bench. Almost too ridiculous to report on, the Lower East Side American Apparel happens to have a hot spot outside of its windows which has become the "epicenter of perhaps the hottest 'anti-scene' scene on Saturday nights." Exactly the kind of thing you'd expect to be forged outside of an American Apparel, it even has founders - including DJ Big Black Matt Goias, and a MySpace profile.

Quickly becoming the seat to be seen, this all sounds a little too much like the "cool table" in high school, leading us to believe that hipsters are in fact the new jocks (seriously, check out this video). Either way, with "nothing" as the theme it's become the Seinfeld of nightlife, complete with cameos (including Jay McCarroll who was there last weekend drinking to-go margaritas)! Alife has teamed up with The Bench for an event (Abench) this weekend, find out how to get busy doing nothing with them here.

Of all the benches in all the world, how did this one become The Bench? After sending out a fake press release Rolling Stone called it a “nightlife revolution” and The New York Times described the scene as a “classically handsome quartet of New York City hipster royalty has changed the way we will think of nightlife fabulousness (and park benches) forever.” We have no comment, but we're sure you do...

Tagged

american apparel

city

dj

drinking

east side

high school

hipster

hipsters

Jay McCarroll

Lower East

Lower East Side

myspace

new york

new york city

new york times

nightlife

Partying and Posturing

people

rolling stone

seinfeld

The New York

the new york times

the observer

this week

video


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

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

Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Oct 16, 2026


Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay


How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years

By

Hannah Frishberg

A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

By

Sonia Rao

The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace


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 .