Social distancing has been tough for all of us. Not being able to go about your daily routine, seeing your friends and family and going to stores, hanging out at the local park, etc. has been a serious bummer. That’s why one New York City woman decided to take matters into her own hands and throw “pandemic parties” on the city’s streets in personalized, fully accessorized pods.
"Smythe tricked each tent out with amenities, including a director’s chair, folding table, water dispenser, LED lights, a fan, portable radio and a garbage can, and lined the floor with a grass tarp."https://t.co/wmqQZtTMZA
— HaveCaster (@RussHaven1) June 13, 2020
- Theresa Smythe knows how to have fun. A resident of Manhattan’s Hamilton Heights neighborhood, Smythe grew tired of not being able to see her friends but wanted to ensure she was following the city’s rules on social distancing. Her way of resolving the issue? Using individual plastic tents out on the sidewalk.
- Thanks to internet ads, Smythe’s pandemic parties started in no time. “I was talking with my husband about how I wanted to build something outside so my friends and I could all sit together, but still be socially distant,” the 49-year-old told the New York Post. “It was almost like Google heard me, because a few minutes later, this pod from Dick’s Sporting Goods popped onto my laptop screen. I was like, ‘Bingo! I’m going to re-create my living room in the pods.’ I initially ordered three of them for $99 each and put them out on my block.”
- The plastic pods aren’t empty — Smythe has loaded them with accessories. Each of the tents has everything you’d want or need to have a good time, including a director’s chair and folding table, a water dispenser, LED lights, a fan, portable radio, and a garbage can. Even the floors of the pods are lined with a grass tarp!
- Smythe has really thought of everything. Her guests don’t just sit and chat during the pandemic party. She even has fun activities planned! “I invited my Âco-workers for some girl time, and we watched music videos and movies on the side of a building from a projector I brought,” she recalled. “We loved it so much. It was so nice to just laugh with everyone again.”
- Now there’s even food involved in the party! “I lined seven pods on each side of the block so my family and friends could all talk to each other. The popcorn and ice machine were also set up in their own separate pods,” Smythe said. Now she even has a wearable pod herself to deliver different food to the other pods including jerk chicken, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, lemonade, and cheesecake. “I could serve people food through the windows without passing germs. You can hear each other real clear even when they’re zipped up, or you can zip the windows down and wear masks to talk.”
Sounds like an amazing time!
