Argh, me hearties, there’s treasure to be found in the unlikeliest of places and it’s not just doubloons I’m talking about. You have to keep your one good pirate eye out and, before you know it, you’ll be bringing home useful, gorgeous, and exciting things that friendly strangers left lying for you on the sidewalk.
If you’re lucky enough to live in New York City or if you’ve ever visited the Big Apple as a tourist, then you probably know all about stooping—people leaving behind things they no longer need on the sidewalk in front of their homes for others to ‘adopt’ and enjoy. It’s a proud tradition that the ‘Stooping NYC’ Instagram account documents.
"Stooping is so popular in NYC because it really is an activity that’s built into the culture of being a New Yorker. Unlike other cities, New York is transient and that means that people are always moving. No one apartment is quite like another, and so this activity of putting items that no longer fit/serve a need is something that has long existed," the couple told Bored Panda. Be sure to read on for our interview with the couple behind the wildly popular 'Stooping NYC' account. They told Bored Panda all about the ever-growing account, their passion project, and their wonderful community that they're building each day.
After you’re done scrolling through this list and upvoting your fave photos, you can enjoy our previous post about the ‘Stooping NYC’ account right over here.
#1 And We’re Equal Parts Speechless And Jealous
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#2 Oh Wow!!! 193 Moffat St. Bk.
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#3 Therapy, But Make It Chic. 254 Gates Avenue
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The 'Stooping NYC' account is changing people's attitudes towards giving new life to discarded furniture. The couple is getting rid of the stigma one great post at a time. "We’ve tried to 'game-ify' the activity, making it feel like a scavenger hunt. And I think because of this, we have seen it become popular and trendy with an entirely younger audience (75% of our followers are 18-35 years old)," they shared.
The founders have to deal with such a massive number of submissions, my jaw literally dropped when they mentioned it to me. "On a typical weekday, we get hundreds if not one thousand submissions. On the weekend (especially at the end of the month), we get thousands of DM submissions," they revealed how much awesome content their fans send them every single day.
#4 The Plant Mother Load
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#5 Check Out This Plant Angel Stooper! She Does This Every Week! 600 10th Ave In Hell’s Kitchen
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#6 *Immediately Googles How To Decorate My House*
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However, by now, the couple has developed an eye for the kind of stooping pictures and objects that they know their community will gush over: "Anything high value, super colorful, unique and weird. That means that we end up prioritizing everything from beautiful velvet couches, neon-colored swivel chairs, copper claw-foot tubs, beanie baby collections, a pastel pink SMEG fridge and... as of this week...a collection of '90s erotica on VHS."
'Stooping NYC' is much more than a passion project for the founders. It's a way to let loose their creativity and even get closer as partners. "We both really love the creative outlet this gives us, as a couple we love the fact that we have this together (we end each day with a 'stoop review'), and more than anything we love the community we have built. So we definitely feel an obligation to that community to keep up with everything coming in, knowing that we have the privilege of giving people so much joy through what we post," they told Bored Panda.
Looking off into the future, the couple hopes to hire someone to help them deal with the vast flow of incoming submissions if they ever make any money from their mega-passion project.
#7 Guys. Good News And Bad News. Good News. This Is Amazing. Bad News. The Stoopers Told Us They Saw It Yesterday And Don’t Know If It’s Still There. Someone Has To Go Check! Jackson St. Between Cherry And Madison
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#8 What A Heavy Gem! 23rd Btwn Broadway And 6th
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#9 Well Damn. Is It Weird I’m Half Expectating To Open This And Have It Be A Magical Portal? Corner Of 6th Ave And 12th St In Park Slope!
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I was also curious to find out what the most interesting thing they've decided to 'adopt' was. "Early on, we found a beautiful antique typewriter on the stoop that we brought home for a friend. But aside from that, we really stick to the 'Stoop Laws' we have created: we never go get something before it’s been posted, we only post what’s already out on the stoop and we never hold items for specific stoopers."
They continued: "On a daily basis though, there are items we post that we absolutely would love to be lucky enough to get (if we ever had a place large enough to fit it all)."
The couple feels "extremely lucky" and privileged to be able to reach so many people and give them the opportunity to introduce new pieces of furniture and objects into their lives. It's a way to give folks the opportunity to build new memories around new-old items.
#10 Your Parents Were Lying When They Said Nothing Good Happens After Dark. Stooping Success From Last Night!
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#11 *Googles What Decor Items Go Best In An Oversized Bird Cage* North Henry And Richardson
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#12 Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy Holy. Lafayette In Between Marcus Garvey And Lewis
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“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!” the ‘Stooping NYC’ account declares. And however cliched it might sound, it’s really true. Somebody might not need that oversized plant taking up their entire living room, but others will go out of their way to give it a new forever home.
The same goes for vintage couches, beautiful SMEG fridges (oh how I wish I could have one of those…), and quirky furniture. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit jealous. There are unique items getting stooped every single day that would look great in your apartment, right next to your coffee table.
Just because you’re tired of something and need to freshen up your home doesn’t mean that it won’t be welcomed by someone else. New Yorkers understand that perfectly. Hence, stooping.
#13 Long Time Stooper. First Time Success!
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#14 Jaw Drop. Classon Ave And Quincy Street
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#15 Hot Damn. Hustle!!! Meserole & Lorimer
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The way the ‘Stooping NYC’ account works is simple. Whenever somebody spots something stooped (or has something they plan on stooping), they send the couple running the account a photo and a location. People are also encouraged to brag about their jaw-dropping, envy-inducing finds under the #stoopingsuccess hashtag.
Within the last half-a-year alone, the ‘Stooping NYC’ account has grown from 80k+ followers to over 143k treasure hunters on Instagram. Half of the appeal is looking at the weird and beautiful things that others have found. Who doesn’t enjoy looking at pretty pics?
However, the other half is that ‘Stooping NYC’ an active community: you’re encouraged to participate, to go outside, hunt, photograph, smile, and share. And during the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, we all badly need something to keep us busy during our downtime.
#16 It’s Like If An Accordion Met A Keyboard
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#17 Sfarrellnyc Snagged An Absolute Beauty! Congrats On Your Stooping Success
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#18 Tell Me You’re A New Yorker, Without Telling Me You’re A New Yorker... Jcportuondo Knows How To Make The Mta Regal Af!
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"People are craving for things to do, and it’s become a social activity and community when socializing hasn’t really been a thing,” the couple, who prefer to remain anonymous, told Will Gleason from ‘Time Out.’
In a phone interview with Gleason, the couple told him that the number of submissions they’re getting has been rising as the pandemic continues. They can hardly keep up with the number of submissions they get each and every day.
#19 Drafting Table On Washington Ave Between Atlantic And Fulton
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#20 NYC... You Never Cease To Amaze Us! 101st St Just Off Columbus
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#21 Red Alert!!! This Is Outside Getting Snowed On. Go Get It! Gorgeous And Great Condition. Sterling Place And Flatbush Ave
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One misconception that some of the community members have is that they believe there’s a vast team running the account. There isn’t. It’s just a loving couple working full-time jobs and taking care of their son. So some social media users are naturally disappointed that their stooping pics didn’t get featured without realizing that the founders are human beings with limited time and energy, just like them.
The couple started the project around a year and a half ago, in 2019. That’s right, just before the pandemic that changed everything! Back then, they focused on sharing their own finds on New York’s sidewalks. However, when the lockdowns hit full-force in 2020, they stopped posting because they were concerned about the health and safety protocols.
#22 It Does Say Not Heavy... Armoire In Front Of 567 Bainbridge St. In Brooklyn! Cute Pup Not Included
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#23 Now There’s No Excuse To Stop Those Piano Lessons! This Little Guy Will Fit Nicely In Your Studio! Baby Piano On 3rd And 72nd!
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#24 These Two Beauties Are Officially Off The Market!
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In the summer of 2020, however, they started up posting again. Lots of New Yorkers were moving out of the city and giving away plenty of things they couldn’t take with them or didn’t want to. “We saw full apartments on the stoop in summer and fall, what was clearly people leaving the city. We had a lot of that and now that’s normalized a bit.”
“Now we’re kind of back to the gamification of it, and honestly it makes me feel even more responsible on weekends because I know there are people who think it’s a ‘stooping day.’ I think people are craving for things to do, and it’s become a social activity and community when socializing hasn’t really been a thing,” the couple told ‘Time Out.’
#25 Just Plop On Down And Get To Work! Park Ave S And 31st
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#26 Run To These!!! Clear Chairs! St Marks And 6th Ave Park Slope!
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#27 Start The Carrrrrrrrr!!! This Beauty Is On Warren St Between B’way And Church St!
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There’s an issue with stooping, though. As the account gets ever more popular, the chances that you can race to the curb and grab what you like keep decreasing: you’re competing against people with similar tastes who might be closer to the object of your desire.
The couple had some advice for those who keep striking out and arriving too late at what (they believe) should rightfully be theirs. “Knowing the garbage days in boroughs helps a lot. Sundays in Brooklyn are always amazing because Monday is a garbage day. The Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Soho, and Ridgewood are also good places to head outside of Brooklyn. So turn your alerts on to get away from the Instagram algorithm showing you a post too late, plan to go to the best areas and wait in those areas.”
#28 Listen, We Don’t Ask For Much... But We Have An Ask. Before Picking This Beautiful Piano Up, Can We Hear A Song Or Two? We’ll Play Them Here! Carlton Ave Between Myrtle And Willoughby!
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#29 Guys... Holy S**t! Fidi - Beaver And S. William!
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#30 Guys... Get Ready. Today Is Going To Be A Great Stooping Day! Here. We. Go. 2nd Between 57th And 58th
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Which photos did you like the most? Were there any items that you’d love to have at home, dear Readers? If you live in NYC, do you partake in the ancient tradition of stooping? Did the SMEG fridge steal your heart just like it did mine? Let us know below—we can’t wait to hear what you have to tell us.
#31 Jaw Drop! Across From 389 Lincoln Pl In Prospect Heights!
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#32 Make Looking At Yourself Fancy Af. In Front Of 234 Skillman Ave
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#33 Now These Are Some Stoopers In The Wild
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#34 Omg! Say What? Empire And Rogers!
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#35 Guys... We Have To Do A Caption Contest Here!!! Go! 20th And 6th In Chelsea
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#ThingsLeftBehindOnSidewalk #Stooping #Weird #GorgeousSofas #OneMan'sTrash
