New York residents fight plan to put replica of couch from Friends on Greenwich Village block

New York residents fight ‘crazy’ Warner Bros. plan to put replica of famous orange couch from Friends on Greenwich Village block to celebrate hit show’s 25th anniversary

  • Warner Bros. Television is planning 25th anniversary celebrations for Friends
  • Producer wants to put replica of famous ‘Central Perk’ orange couch on New York’s Bedford Street 
  • The couch would be placed near 90 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, whose exterior was frequently featured on the hit sitcom 
  • The building was used to depict the apartment where Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler lived, but in actuality the show was filmed in Los Angeles 
  • Residents of the area said that there are too many tourists as it is, and putting a couch while closing off the sidewalk would bring a massive influx of people 
  • A community board rejected the Warner Bros. plan, though the company could still apply for a permit with a separate agency 

The famous orange couch from the hit sitcom Friends is making enemies of Manhattan residents who are fighting a reported plan to put a replica of the sofa on their block as a tourist attraction.

Warner Bros. Television is reportedly planning to put a replica of the couch on the sidewalk near the building at 90 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations beginning on September 21.

The couch, which was located inside the fictional coffee shop Central Perk, was where the Friends characters often congregated to chat.

The exterior of 90 Bedford Street, the building that was home to Monica, Rachel, Joey, and Chandler, was often featured on the show, though the actual filming of the sitcom was done in Los Angeles.

Residents of Bedford Street in the Greenwich Village section of New York City are opposed to a plan by Warner Bros. Television to seal off the sidewalk and put a replica of a couch seen on the sitcom Friends. The image above shows the building at 90 Bedford, which was featured on the show and has become a tourist attraction

The plan is to have a replica of the orange couch (above) on the sidewalk so tourists can sit in it and take photographs with the building at 90 Bedford Street in the background

The plan is to have a replica of the orange couch (above) on the sidewalk so tourists can sit in it and take photographs with the building at 90 Bedford Street in the background

Warner Bros. has asked the city for permits to close off the sidewalk of Bedford between Barrow and Grove Streets, but locals voiced their displeasure at a community board meeting earlier this month.

Residents told the New York Post that they are fiercely opposed to the couch’s placement near the corner of Bedford and Grove, which on normal days is inundated by tourists and Friends enthusiasts eager to snap pictures of the area.

‘That block [at the corner of Bedford and Grove] already gets too many tourists and it’s not capable of containing large crowds,’ Joe Gallagher, a Greenwich Village resident, told the Post.

Joey Campanaro, who owns The Little Owl restaurant which is located at the address, told the Post: ‘From what I understand, Warner Bros. wants to put a couch in front of 90 Bedford so fans can sit on the couch and take a picture with the building in the background.’

Although the show's plotline was set in New York, the actual filming took place in Los Angeles. The couch is seen above in the fictional coffee shop Central Perk during an episode which aired in 2004. Seen from left to right: Stars Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Anna Faris, Matthew Perry, and Courteney Cox

Although the show’s plotline was set in New York, the actual filming took place in Los Angeles. The couch is seen above in the fictional coffee shop Central Perk during an episode which aired in 2004. Seen from left to right: Stars Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Anna Faris, Matthew Perry, and Courteney Cox

Rezar Skoda, who lives on Bedford, also slammed the idea.

‘We have at least 400 tourists a day coming to look at that building,’ Skoda said.

‘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.

‘To close off the street or a section of the sidewalk would make it crazy.’

Campanaro said that Warner Bros. representatives didn’t even bother to show up to the community board meeting.

The board unanimously adopted a resolution denying Warner Bros. a permit, though the company could apply to the Street Activity Permit office.

Warner Bros. told the Post: ‘We are excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Friends” in New York City next month.

‘We were not aware of the community board meeting… or we would have absolutely been there to discuss the proposed event.

Friends fans who want to sit in the actual couch would need to fly to Australia this month, where it is part of a tour to promote the Stan streaming service. The image above shows Roxy Jacekno, a public relations executive, with two lifeguards sitting on the Friends couch at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Wednesday

Friends fans who want to sit in the actual couch would need to fly to Australia this month, where it is part of a tour to promote the Stan streaming service. The image above shows Roxy Jacekno, a public relations executive, with two lifeguards sitting on the Friends couch at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Wednesday

‘We are hopeful we can still move forward with the permit and create a unique experience for fans.’ 

Fans looking to sit on the actual couch that was used on the set of Friends would need to hop a flight to Australia this month.

The real-life orange sofa is touring Down Under as part of a promotional series supporting the Stan streaming service.

Stan is the exclusive streaming home of Friends in Australia. 

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