A Bench To-Do List

 I have a running list of benches and NYC attractions to visit and the anticipation is making me itch to go back. Without the opportunity to visit, I have turned to planning my next trips. I usually don’t like to recommend a bench without first vetting it myself, but alas, this is quarantine, and adaption is key. 

Though it will be a while before we can squish our butts on these flat resting points, we can certainly continue planning and daydreaming about our next adbenchure. While you are thinking, I suggest these spots I have been wanting to visit. 

Central Park is possibly the gem of NYC. Though I frequent the grounds quite often, I have yet to visit these Hobbit-esque benches in the Shakespeare Garden. I think the natural wood details make these perfect spots for pictures and creativity inspiration. And even better, with 3 benches right next to each other, all of your 20 closest friends can meet up at these benches after quarantine. 

“The Rolling Bench” at Riverside Park is over 400 feet long, making it both landscaping and seating (a unique bench feat). This public artwork is a 1972 colorful mosaic. Somewhat oddly juxtaposed, the bench is adjacent to President Grant’s tomb.

I find these metal structures to a bit barren and industrial, but that doesn’t render them invaluable. I am eager to test their comfort level but more importantly I am excited to visit the Peter Minuit Plaza which these benches call home. I don’t make it all the way to Manhattan south a lot but this seems like a pretty good reason.

This cute collection of red benches can be found at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. I know thats kinda far but look! how! fun! These benches constitute “Please Touch the Art” and were sculpted by Jeppe Hein.

Skinny Park, Big Benches

New York City has a nice balance of nature interwoven among the concrete streets. In many ways, that is my favorite part about the city. Its just as easy to stumble into a businessman with a bluetooth headset situationally unaware as it is to turn right and find an outdoor seating area.  

This is how I stumbled upon the Highline back when I was in High School. About 1.5 miles long, the Highline is an elevated walkway/park in Chelsea. [Yes I realize it may may now be “mainstream,” but to me that doesn’t impact its functionality.]

The Highline is a little oasis that I love most as a walking path. Elevated above street level, it has views pleasant enough to entertain me while walking yet is isolated enough that I don’t accidentally make awkward eye contact with a stranger while gazing around. 

The pathway is varied with distinct scenery, successful architectural embellishments, occasional cart shops, and of course, benches. 

If you strategically avoid lunch time or the weekends when it can get extremely crowded you can grab a seat and relax. Overhanging shade makes the Highline a great place to read, work, eat, or simply ~vibe~. Note: I once saw a woman sunbathing in a swimsuit and I aspire to have her confidence.

I am a small muscle-less female whose defensive combat abilities are lacking, and I think the highline is a great place for a nap. There is consistent foot traffic and nearby vendors who I boldly assume would call 911 if there was an emergency, but there is also an ambiance of calm. 

Periodic entrances and exits allow easy access to the Highland from the street and there are a variety of unconventional bench designs along the pathway to enjoy. My favorite benches are pictured above. They are wide enough to you and your belongings or a friend.

The Highline can stimulate your brain if you’re bored or distract from your worries if you’re stressed and is definitely a site which deserves the hype. I offer these benches to you not to worsen feelings of isolation, but to remind you that there is a 1.5 mile long path at the end of this quarantine tunnel that’s waiting to be (re-)explored. 

The Big Bad Bench(es)

I frequently write about the best benches I have found, so this is hard for me to admit, but I admit there are plenty of bad benches. Benches are kinda like people, sizes, lengths, and quality. 

So this week I would like to take you on a global vacation to the world’s worst benches. Though travel is limited right now, with just a dash of imagination we can visit the world via its bad benches. Sometimes I think a bad bench is better than sitting inside.

Horribly uncomfortable. Where is the back support? After 30 minutes of sitting on the bench hunched over to balance on the cylindrical sin my body would simply prefer standing. 

Now I can’t really be mad about this bench because it is quirky and certainly show-stopping. Though the artistic risk paid off, functionality did not. Anyone over 5 feet would certainly be bothered by the teeth poking into the back of their head.

I just find this one funny. Clearly broken, a see-saw was not the intended result, but I wish it was. A see-saw bench would be so fun!

I imagine this was an attempt at anti-homeless architecture that has failed miserably. This doesn’t help anyone. A wall is just as useful.

Whether you are religious or not, I think most people would agree church pew benches ARE NOT COMFORTABLE. If I am supposed to sit here for 1 hour, it would be nice to be thinking about religious stuff rather than bad-bench-induced back pain.

I have no idea what is going on here. 

Though we are now sheltered from the outside world and these bad benches, there may be a time in the near future you too find a bad bench. In such a time, may you remain calm, take a picture, send it to me, and immediately find a better bench.

Indoor-benching

One of the best parts about a bench is that it is outdoors. Benches not just supply a place to ~vibe~ in nature for extended time (which is a necessity for all humans), but they also invite you too. However, at this point in my life, I find I am spending more time on indoor benches than the outdoor variety. 

The indoor bench, like the micro-bench, is more of a bench-cousin and is most frequently found in the form of a couch. Though the couch has entirely different energy than a traditional park bench, I have recently started to appreciate the bench couch more than I have ever noticed before. 

I happen to have a few couch benches, but my favorite is the one in my family room. 

With inches of soft cushion comfort, deep seat width, and well-designed back support, the couch bench is inarguably the most comfortable type of bench. As a result, the couch bench is somewhat of a luxury. With thick cushions and the convenience of indoor climate control, I could easily sit on my couch for hours. Even better, there are infinite ways to sit and redistribute body weight allowing long periods of sitting with minimal discomfort. 

While outdoor benches can connect people, the couch is more intimate – it serves as a familial bonding point. Now that I am back living with my family and am limited by government quarantine, I am spending more time on this bench.   

Once a week we have been watching movies on this couch. I didn’t even like watching movies until quarantine. My mom and I have also taken up watching NCIS and Psych re-runs, both TV shows that remind me of the feeling of I-have-too-much-time-and-no-responsibilities-what-should-I-do-now, a feeling I haven’t felt since entering High School.

On my couch, there is also room to spread out. On one side, I like to curl up and scroll through the intellectually stimulating realm twitter while on the other my mom reads a book like the proudly literate human she is. It’s a simple symbiosis in which we have the comfort of company and the indepence of entertainment sources.

The couch is especially great because it’s body type is unconducive to school work. When I am on my couch, there is no room for the stress of school. Though I miss my pure-bred outdoor benches, I must admit that my couch bench has become a sanctuary and a bridge to my family. 

Digital Travel, Brought to You Via TikTok

Last week I mentioned my love of TikTok as an unconventional bench activity. And though the content creation app helps me fulfill social needs, I do not think my last article properly explained how important TikTok’s platform is as a unique tool of connection.

As a brief recap, TikTok’s impressive success can be attributed to its unique “For You” page (FYP). Borrowing the infinite scroll function of Instagram’s “Explore” page and the short video format of Vine, the “For You” page provides users with an endless feed of short videos.  Over time, the algorithm evaluates users’ demonstrated engagement (rewatching, liking, sharing, commenting, etc.) to better cater the FYP. 

For those more inclined to the spotlight of content creation, the “For You” page is an alluring tool of unpredictable and intermittent fame. Easy-to-use in-app editing features empower individuals with all levels of digital prowess to create content. The algorithm then takes this content and promotes it on various users’ FYPs. Based on how users respond, the algorithm will boost the post to a broader audience.

Most internet sensations are subject to a similar, more organic form of digital natural selection, but the FYP facilitates this process of evaluation and retransmission, therefore increasing the accessibility of fame. This catalyzed success is what allows a group of super-hype teens with no previous celebrity status to now film dance TikToks worth millions of likes (@thehypehouse). Because video promotion is handled by the FYP algorithm, creators do not need to have a following of millions to produce TikToks with millions of likes.

Though the app has received scrutiny over privacy concerns and its role in reinforcing toxic behaviors, I personally think TikTok is a unique and engaging form of digital media. I think it can be frequently misunderstood, so I would like to take some time to explain the app I love.

In my opinion, the most important function of TikTok is how its low barriers to access and success have had a profound impact on groups traditionally less represented in media who have been able take control of their public images and reach diverse audiences on TikTok. 

Zahra and Lama (@muslimthicc, @lama_mama_) are two positive comedy queens who also happen to wear hijabs. Laetitia (@laetiky96) is a black model from Cote d’Ivoire who celebrates her natural beauty by sculpting her natural hair into art sculptures. Brad’s hip flexibility (@bradosterhoutt) instills envy each time he throws it back with such power. Michael Carthy (@michaelcarthy) is a wheelchair-bound comedy king. Increased representation controlled by content creators allows users to see other lifestyles, values, and appearances, thus bridging the gap between people.

I live a fairly homogenous life, and TikTok allows me to see more perspectives and expand my cultural vocabulary.  In this time of quarantine when I feel even more isolated, I embrace this opportunity to digitally travel. Though TikTok may not be for everyone, it is certainly important to me. 

So you may see me sitting on a bench scrolling through my phone with earbuds in. And I will most likely occasionally laugh to myself. And that’s okay. I am more than happy to sit on a bench as the outdoor environment awakens my soul and TikTok awakens my brain.

(@laetiky96)

TikTok: An Unconventional Bench Activity

When I sit on benches now, I am usually alone. For the first 20ish minutes I am eagerly embracing the opportunity to be outside. At some point, however, I find I spend the rest of my time scrolling through my phone. I am not mad about this. In fact my phone is a great connection to society and antidote to boredom. 

One of my favorite phone activities to accomplish those goals is using TikTok. TikTok first launched in the United States in 2017. Since then, it has amassed a user base of over 1 billion diverse TikTokers. In the competitive world of digital media platforms, TikTok’s impressive success can be attributed to its unique “For You” page (FYP). Borrowing the infinite scroll function of Instagram’s “Explore” page and the short video format of Vine, the “For You” page provides users with an endless feed of short videos. 

Ranging from wholesome snail jokes by Tim Pearce (@carnegiemnh) to the avant-garde comedy of Ian Smith (@ianisuglyyy), content on the FYP is dynamic and represents a range of creators, popularity, topics, and style.

TikTok certainly supplies users with memes, dance moves, and distraction, but engagement in the TikTok community also unites users in a shared human experience and expands how they interpret the world. With a short attention span and large appetite for laughter, I love TikTok. Since I moved back home from college, I also find that I am using it more than usual to feel connected to the outside world. 

Frequently people (admittedly myself at times) are quick to judge instances of digital disruption in nature. It can seem almost counterintuitive to invite technology into natural environments in which the space itself is deserving enough of attention, but lately I have been thinking differently. 

Without sidewalks, it is sometimes hard to find a reason to go outside, and just sitting is not always inviting. So for me, bringing TikTok, an app I was already going to use inside, has helped me see the sun more. 

Using TikTok outside has given me the best of both worlds: Being outside in the sun helps with my mood and appetite for nature while TikTok provides entertainment and a sense of social engagement.

My Generation’s 9/11

Near my house there is a church. 

At this church there is a memorial for victims of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. The memorial lists all their names and includes a piece of one of towers that has been repurposed into a bell tower. I can hear the bells from my house every day, but I never thought about them much. 

At this memorial is a bench. It was warm today, and I decided to walk to this bench for the first time in many years. 

As I sat on this bench, for the first time in my life I understood a glimpse of the unified America that I am told came together after 9/11. 

For me, the rallying impetus of the September 11th terrorist attacks is just a tale I was too young to experience. I am told that despite the horror, the American community was strengthened with compassion, support, and unity. Though this event may be significant to millenials’ and boomers’ perception of America, I was too young to experience it. The only America I know is one of increasing polarization. 

This America reflects a capacity for sympathy and solidarity, but the America I know is not unified by it. Instead, my memory is clouded with the polarizing presidential election of 2016, the #MeToo movement, and gun violence in schools. I have seen national problems treated with convenient ignorance and solutions impeded by red tape and apathy. To me, the unified America of post 9/11 is an experience I struggle to imagine. Like many, I feel disillusioned by America’s failures to act. For my generation which has only ever experienced this idling frustration, it is hard to trust that America even has the capacity to improve.

However, as I contemplated the world of 2001 and the world I am living in now, my fundamental understanding of America changed. 

In many ways COVID-19 is my generation’s 9/11. Currently, the battle against COVID-19 has turned out to be a struggle of collective support vs selfish apathy with the outcome ultimately resting on the country’s ability to effectively mobilize. 

Sure there are anomalies which hint at human selfishness and failure to act, but overwhelmingly, people have sacrificed for the greater good. Though I will never know how it felt to collectively grieve and rebuild after 9/11, I now know what it is like to grieve COVID-19’s impact and will soon find out how a nation comes together to rebuild. To the greatest extent my generation has ever experienced, I have seen millions of Americans change their lives and governments meaningfully organize with a common goal, just as I am told happened almost 20 years ago. 

A Food Adbenchure

5 Best Picnic Spots in Southwest Missouri

There are many ingredients that combine to make a great bench. Materials, location, size, height, color, and vibe all spice up a bench in unique ways. 

One of my favorite activities is sitting on a bench. My second favorite activity is eating (sometimes 1 and 2 switch places, but this is not one of those times). My third favorite is doing math (I am majoring in math and this is a lie I will tell myself until it is true). Thus we have

Benches + Eating = Happiness. 

Bench culinary extravaganzas allow diners to enjoy three of the best parts of life: nature, food, and friends. I have previously explored the bench part of bench picnicking, but I think it is necessary to further unpack the picnicking part.

For the above equation to be true, there is one condition: eating must be easy. For happiness to be obtained, potability is key. Bench meals require mobility, minimal stickiness, and container security. With that in mind, most foods can be prepared in a way that is particularly happiness-inducing.

Though it may be some time before you can bench picnic yourself, I offer some recipes that are perfect and easy (and also good quarantine meals). There are seemingly infinite picnic food options available to explore (please let me know your suggestions!), so I will leave just these four: 

Fruit Salad:

  • Combine whatever fruit you have on hand 
  • Transport in individual travel cups with sealable lids and bring forks for easy consumption

Loaded Hummus: 

  • Hummus is a healthy option with a lot of nutritional value
  • Sabra or store brand hummus works great too, but I like this recipe a lot
  • Bring chips and napkins

Salad: 

  • I personally love salad for picnics, it just feels so fresh and nature-y
  • Prepare your preferred salad (I recommend this one) in sealable containers and mix in dressing right before you leave for the park

Lemonade/Ice Tea/Water

  • The night before, pour desired drinks into reusable bottles and store in the fridge so they stay nice and chilled
    • note: must be reusable because we love the Earth!
  • Bonus: My mom’s secret lemonade recipe is 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, 1L of water in a pitcher, don’t tell her I told you

While wasting away during quarantine, now is a great time to practice your culinary skills in anticipation of the next adbenchure.

Elevated Picnicking

Though bench accessibility is somewhat limited at the moment, thinking about the next adbenchure is certainly an approvable social distancing practice.

There are many ingredients that combine to make a great bench, including material, function, location, and style. One such classic bench genre is the park bench. There are many ways to utilize these park benches, but one of the best ways is through a park picnic. 

Bench picnicking is the superior type of picnic in my opinion. Managing body position, food, plates, and bugs on a 4 by 4 blanket has its charms, but so does leisurely resting with comfortable weight distribution on a tool specifically designed for sitting.  

For purposes of graphic diversification and my own personal enjoyment: here are 3 unnecessary diagrams

Option 1: Traditional Ground Picnic

  • More traditional 
  • 1 or more people
  • Flexible seating arrangements allow you to focus on friends or nature
  • Sitting on the ground can be uncomfortable and cause legs to fall asleep
  • Ground can be uneven (food likely to fall)

Option 2:  Bench Picnic with Friend

  • Benches are specifically designed for sitting (more comfortable)
  • Elevated and stable surface to balance food
  • Maximum occupancy is 2 
  • Participants face away from each other (Note: can be a benefit if your goal is to focus on the environment or enjoy casual companionship)

Option 3: Bench Picnic Alone

  • Comfortable peace, quiet, and eating
  • Great for mid-workday lunch break
  • You can enjoy nature or scroll on your phone, but either way, it is nice to be outside
  • *probably quarantine-approved
  • May seem like you have no friends

As the weather gets warmer, there is no better way to enjoy the sun than a picnic at the park. For personally curated picnic food ideas, check out next weeks blog post!

COVID-19 has Shadowbanned Benches

COVID-19 has confined millions of Americans to their homes. As I grapple with this new reality of isolation, I desperately want one thing: to not be in isolation. The community is fractured, and, as i have come to know, being connected only through virtual relationships pales in comparison to interpersonal interaction. 

As the government tells citizens to stay indoors, I have to wonder what will happen to my beloved benches. Will I decay a little more each day as the monotony and suppressed feelings of loneliness grow stronger? More importantly, how can I write a blog when I am not allowed to visit any benches? I could potentially write about my daily adbenchure in which I leave my bed and migrate to my couch (which is technically a cushioned bench), but that is both boring and a slightly embarrassing ritual. 

Unfortunately, benches are not exempt from quarantine. If you are in an area that permits outdoor activity, benches could offer an outdoor reprieve to indoor solitude. In general, it is best practice to avoid parks and public places, but if you feel drawn to any benches, make sure to spread out. Most benches fall short of the 6ft mark, making them incompatible with CDC guidelines. It also important to be conscious of the surfaces and armholders that you may have touched. 

At the moment, my adbenchures will have to stop. However, my blog and love of benches will not. Just because bench access is limited does not mean there are not benches to meet. 

Through the next few weeks, I will continue to offer a variety of content such as pre-visited bench reviews, bench etiquette, thoughts from the bench, and more. Though it will be a few more weeks until you can visit a bench, I hope my blog posts take you on digital adventures that supply enough virtual engagement to supplement a real adbenchure.

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