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Check Out All The Sweet Stuff NYC College Kids Throw Away
By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 15, 2016
Modified Dec 15, 2016
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By
John Del Signore
Published Dec 15, 2016
Modified Dec 15, 2016
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When NYC college kids rotate out of their dormitories at the end of the school year, many of them leave behind a rich wake of discarded possessions that surface in big dumpsters out on the street. This is a very special time of year for New Yorkers who love hunting for free stuff—according to filmmaker Jeff Seal, some scavengers call it "Punk Christmas." Here's his deep dive into the world of collegiate detritus.
"I shot this back in May when NYU and The New School were getting out for the summer," Seal recalls. "I'd heard for years that you can find a ton of good stuff being thrown out at this time but I missed it every year for one reason or another. It's crazy how much stuff is thrown out—they have to rent those huge dumpsters out front to hold everything."
Seal, a seasoned dumpster diver, would like to state for the record that he "didn't take anything from the donation rooms." Check out more of his videos here.
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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