From today's Metropolitan Diary

I love this...from today's Times,

DEAR DIARY:

To make room for a new sofa, my roommate and I dragged our old couch to the sidewalk one evening in hopes that an intrepid seeker of street furniture would pick it up. Since it was a nice night and the couch looked more comfortable than our stoop, we decided to sit on it for a bit to watch the world go by.

Drivers honked and passengers yelled, “Great idea!” Doormen from across the street waved, while kids giggled at the sight. We chatted with nearly every person who walked by, and many decided to join us. We brought out folding chairs to accommodate them, and soon the Upper West Side Couch Party was born.

One joiner was a lawyer from the Midwest who was on her way to a bar, but was easily swayed. Neighbors from our brownstone whom we’d never met stopped by. Two guys from down the block brought over a MacBook and a small set of speakers to provide music.

We ended up with donations of grapes, cherries, assorted snacks, beer, wine, Champagne and a stuffed dog.

Soon, our new friends decided to become recruiters themselves and called out to people passing by: “It’s the couch’s last night out!”

The impromptu couch party lasted until 2 a.m., and we managed not to get a single noise complaint.

By the next afternoon, the couch had been picked up. At least we know it had an incredible last night out.

Carly Blatt