Tourists are flocking to the ‘Joker’ staircase in the Bronx
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Another day, another tourist attraction in New York City.
Tourists and locals alike are coming out in droves to take pictures on a staircase in the Bronx, inspired by a scene in the recently-released “Joker” film. Many of them arrive decked-out in costume, ready to reenact Joaquin Phoenix’s iconic scene dancing down the steps. The stairs themselves are located between two buildings on Shakespeare Avenue.
Cathyrine Spencer, a resident of the surrounding area, told NBC New York, “We live in the neighborhood, it’s taking up all of our time, we’re all being inconvenienced. Every day when I come down the stairs, I have to go through a barrage of people.”
On Twitter, a local politician urged visitors to at least visit the local shops and restaurants in the Bronx, saying, “Our borough has more to offer than just stairs, I promise.”
If you’re gonna visit the Bronx to take a picture of the Joker stairs, please be respectful to residents — and stick around to check out our shops and restaurants! Our borough has more to offer than just stairs, I promise. https://t.co/2j6zUG6tzF
— Eric Dinowitz (@EricDinowitz) October 27, 2019
This unassuming staircase isn’t the only weird tourist attraction we’ve seen pop up overnight. This summer, people traveled to a chemical dump in Siberia to take photos for Instagram. They’ve also converged at a toxic pit in Montana and paid $30 to sit in boxes the size of bathroom stalls at LaGuardia (LGA).
While taking photos on a staircase pales in comparison to, say, posing in front of a manmade lake filled with waste from a power plant, tourists around the world seem increasingly drawn to the mundane and even poisonous photo opportunities.
If you’re visiting New York City soon but are going to pass on a trip to the stairs, there are — of course — plenty of other things that will amuse and entertain you in the Big Apple. We put together a guide of our favorite New York City spots where you can avoid the tourists, as well as some of our favorite points hotels. That way, you can spend all that extra money on more important things, like pizza and bagels.
Please, whatever you do, though, don’t get scammed at the Statue of Liberty.
Featured image courtesy of Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images.
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