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'WeWork Street' Brings Coworking To Unused Phone Booths
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 13, 2018
Modified Nov 13, 2018
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Arin Sang-urai / Improv Everywhere
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 13, 2018
Modified Nov 13, 2018
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The most terrifying prank is the one that could be real. Is this WeWork Street thing legit? No. But could it be? I'd be willing to bet at least half of you thought it was when you saw that headline. For now, our dirty old phone booths are safe from the clutches of Big Coworking, but couldn't you just picture it?
Improv Everywhere could, and in an unauthorized project (mastermind Charlie Todd assures us: "WeWork is not involved with this") they set out to the streets to refurbish a phone booth and transform it into an al fresco workspace. The succulents were a nice touch.
This booth was on 6th Avenue and 24th Street, and "was disgusting; it was literally covered in vomit." Nothing a little makeover can't fix. They cleaned up, fit it with desks, added some corkboards and plants, and voila! While some intrigued passerby listened to the hard sell ("Research shows millennials don't like stairs or elevators"!), they ultimately did not get anyone to sign up for their introductory plan at $300/month (that comes with fruit water and fresh NYC air!).
Read more on the project from the IE team (who for some reason really hate our beloved old phone booths) right here. The booths have now been returned to their normal look, which is kind of unfortunate.
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improv everywhere
prank
wework street
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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