lets go on an ad•bench•ure

The Bench Community

New York City is an intricate blend of modified dreams, financial risk, star studded stages, and tourist frenzy. But below that, NYC is driven by a subtle community of 8 million people connected by the shared experience of being human.

Despite NYC’s population density, vertical size, and lateral limitations, it has one of the lowest crime rates and an allure that’s difficult to ignore. In many ways, it is NYC’s large bench population that contributes to a perception of safety and atypical community. Urbanist studies of bench behavior confirm my frequent praises of the public commodity, and NYC offers itself as proof.

The city’s size and chaos can make it feel isolating at times. However, the large presence of benches actually combats this isolation. As social creatures, human interaction is a necessity, but as New Yorkers, overt friendliness can seem foreign. Scattered benches allow people to exist in the same space without existing together. Benches allow strangers to experience a sense of community without the burden of engaging in intentional interaction.

Moreover, benches encourage people to exist in public spaces. They bring in traffic and attention, thus stimulating a public space and creating a sense of movement and energy. Whereas a stagnant space can be intimidating, commotion is inviting and allows individuals to seamlessly slip into public spaces.

In terms of safety, the presence of benches increases public perceptions of safety. By inviting a variety of people to gather and move about public spaces, individuals feel more comfortable. A large presence of people creates a form of informal surveillance in which people can monitor other people for safety, but the pressure of other people also encourages self-policing.

New York City is a loosely connected constellation of benches that create an unexpected sense of community. The stereotypical New Yorker has a reputation for being mean, but people engaged in the New York community know that the adjectives focused, intentional, or mildly abrasive are more apt. If you can’t picture what I am describing, find a bench in the city and sit and observe. Allow yourself to find this thriving pulse of human connection created in the public spaces of New York.

Micro-benching

Every time the temperature rises above 50º in the early spring, Fordham students slither out of their dorms and venture to the grass oasis of Edward’s Parade where they lay out to absorb as much solar energy as possible. To the immediate south of this iconic lawn is Freeman Hall.

Though this hall is most intimately known by science students, the building is open to all. For STEM students who are strong enough to venture to Freeman in their free time or the liberal arts students who are brave enough to wander near a science building, the balcony on the front of the building is a great place to enjoy the warm weather with greater comfort than sitting on the ground.

Overlooking Eddy’s, the balcony offers a comforting view of nature that positively affirms every New Yorker’s desperate hope for spring. Most importantly, elevated above the ground, Freeman dwellers aren’t plagued by the inconveniences of dirt. Relaxing on Eddy’s requires special accommodations (either a lawn blanket or the emotional resilience to survive grass stains). But on Freeman, there are multiple bench options.

*DISCLAIMER: Technically, the balcony has chairs. But if you think about it, benches are just elongated chair furnishings. Or chairs are just benches on a diet. Or baby benches. Or micro benches. The difference is unimportant.

Most importantly, Freeman has what Eddy’s never could: tables. This luxury adds an additional horizontal space that makes studying infinitely more likely to happen. The space is also quasi-sheltered by overhead trees, therefore protecting laptops from the crippling glare of the sun. Whereas Eddy’s is the land of inconveniently attempting to study on the ground for a few minutes before giving up and talking with friends, Freeman is an environment conducive to productivity.

Photosynthesizing on Eddy’s is an annual rite of passage which I highly encourage. However, if you’re looking for a less naturalistic vibe with relatively more productivity and functionality, consider enjoying the weather in the sitting area on the Freeman Balcony. The location and amenities of Freeman’s balcony make these micro benches an equally nature-immersed place to enjoy the warm weather.

Walsh Hall Bonus

Walsh Hall is one of Fordham’s on-campus housing options for upperclassmen. Residency in this building marks a substantial upgrade to an apartment kitchen from Aramark’s cuisine. Other perks include its central location, living room spaces, proximity to campus gate, and great views of campus from the top floors. Most importantly, there is a bench 20ft away from the front door.

This Walsh-adjacent bench is valuable not for its whimsical view of Bros Hill’s side profile, but for its odd location. Located in the triangle formed by Walsh, Walsh campus gate, and the path around Walsh, the Walsh bench exists in an area of heavy pedestrian traffic. Benches can fulfill many necessary cultural roles, and this one provides a stationary balance to the motion of foot transportation.

There are many ways to take advantage of this bench. For non Walsh-dwellers, I suggest using it as a place to convene with and wait for your Walsh-dwelling friend. As you wait, use this quasi-vertical space to consider if your friend’s tardiness is because they didn’t actually leave their dorm when they texted you that they did or because the Walsh elevator is actually that slow.

If you happen to be that Walsh-dwelling friend, use the bench as a waiting space. For example, the next time you come back to class at peak time only to first notice a large mass of people waiting in the lobby, secondly realize one of the elevator panels is blinking, thirdly consider walking up 12 flights of stairs, and fourthly resign to cursing Fordham’s outdated electrical structure while joining the elevator queue, I instead encourage you to wait on the Walsh bench instead. The lighting and energy is much more optimistic. While you sit on the bench, both the elevator line and your discontent will fade, at which point you can take the elevator in peace, sans line.

Ultimately, the bench outside of Walsh is inherently a waiting bench. It is a necessary accessory to Walsh Hall and can be utilized as a way to cope with Walsh’s quirky inconveniences. With no waiting places in the entrance, this bench offers an external lobby for a variety of uses.

Bryant Park

Manhattan is a fast paced city made for walking and public transportation. But when not moving, New York offers also supplies thousands of benches to rest.

These benches are not only free (a rarity in NYC), but they also offer great vantage points to experience some of the best NYC attractions. Some of my favorite benches can be found at Bryant Park, located at 40th St and 5th Ave.

Each season at Bryant Park feels unique and enjoyable, but I find that Winter in particular creates a memorable experience. I’ll admit Winter = cold and cold = indoor weather, but I’d also like to point out that park are less crowded in Winter.

If you can, visit Bryant Park in November or December. Skip the Rockefeller Center (over-hyped, the same every year) and instead experience Bryant Park’s sparkling Winter Village. Most importantly, the park is heavily bench saturated, meaning each region of the Winter Village can be experienced via bench.

The first decoration to appreciate is the glowing Christmas Tree adorned in colored string lights and marked with a prominent star. If you’re a casual sentimentalist with ample free time, consider attending the annual tree lighting ceremony. This event can be crowded, so make sure to arrive early and claim your bench. Pros: You can stand on your bench to get a better vantage point. Cons: You may look like a jerk.

Bryant Park also installs a large ice skating rink that is free to use. As someone with chronic imbalance but appreciation for the grace of blades on ice, I usually find a bench and watch. (Confession: One time I sat for 45 minutes just watching the zamboni smooth the ice.)

If you find you can no longer sense feeling in your toes, venture into the popup buildings. On the second floor, you can view all of winter wonderland without actually feeling the Winter part.

Most importantly, find a bench and just sit on and embrace the festive atmosphere. Listen to the youthful glee as children flee from their parents and find solace in the music playing from the speakers. Feel the cool wind on your face and anticipate chapped lips. This is winter. It is nice.

George

Rose Hill is a brief oasis punctuating the concrete grit of New York City. There are many ways to enjoy the 85 acres of campus, but the best way is through its benches. As the mid-range option between standing (awkward and uncomfortable, easy target for judgement) or sitting on the ground (dirty, possibility of pants stains, bugs), benches are the best way to tastefully pause in public.

My favorite bench at Fordham is tucked away in the triangle formed by Thebaud, Murray Weigel, and Finlay at the 9/11 Memorial Garden. Let’s call this bench George.

George is a good bench. Many benches on Fordham’s campus open to large green spaces, but George’s home is a smaller, cozier section almost on the edge of campus. making him is a perfect companion for introspection or solitude.

The nearest attraction to George is a flower arrangement (most vibrant in Sping) which accompanies a stone memorial to the victims of the September 11th, Terrorist attacks. Rather than instilling pensive gloom, the scarcity of this memorial instead creates a space of pensive reflection.

During the day, George’s spot is intermittently disturbed, for better or for worse, by students passing by on their way to class. For this reason, the best time to visit George is the morning. As you share the sunlight with your wooden friend, take the time to just exist. Meditate. Knit. Panic about the impending climate change crisis. Draw. Tie your shoes. Leave. Congratulations, you have just existed.

If you are like me and know the moon more intimately than the sunrise, visit George at midnight to experience the chaotic energy that encompasses bench living at night. One block away from Best Deli, George is the perfect third wheel for 3:04 AM everything-bagel-with-cream-cheese dates. Or, on weekends, George is a secluded checkpoint after Barnyard to rest, regain mental stability, or regret your choices.

Whatever your needs may be, George is there for you. No matter what time, he is there to offer his withered dark brown wood and metallic embroidered frame to any dwellers who find themselves on his brick path and is always seeking new friends.