A Real Central Perk Is Opening in New York City

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Central Perk is coming to Manhattan, and this time it’s not just a pop-up or limited fan event.

The famous coffee shop from the TV show *Friends* is opening a permanent brick-and-mortar location in New York City.

A new coffee shop inspired by Central Perk from the TV show *Friends* is opening in Times Square. It will offer a comfortable, updated space where fans and visitors can relax and take photos on a replica of the iconic orange couch.

A new café is opening at the corner of 7th Avenue and 47th Street, offering food and drinks inspired by the TV show *Friends*. The menu was created by Tom Colicchio, a judge on *Top Chef*.

Plans for the coffee shop include a copy of the iconic orange sofa from the show, plus a “The One With…” neon sign – both designed for customers to take pictures and share on social media.

The shop will also sell take-home coffee blends and special Friends and Central Perk merchandise.

Central Perk, the famous coffee shop from the TV show *Friends*, is becoming a real-life experience in Times Square. According to Peter van Roden, a Warner Bros. Discovery executive, the success of a similar pop-up in Boston makes Times Square the perfect location – it feels like bringing it home.

We’re creating an immersive experience right in the heart of Manhattan, where the show originally took place, allowing fans worldwide to feel like they’re stepping into a familiar but updated version of the world they love. According to van Roden, New York City is the perfect location to honor the lasting impact of *Friends* and strengthen the connection fans have with Central Perk.

This new shop will be the second permanent Central Perk Coffee Co. location, following the successful opening of their Boston store in 2023.

Central Perk New York City is scheduled to open in Times Square sometime in the fall.

10 TV Shows People Love to Hate-Watch

1. And Just Like That…

As a longtime fan, I have to admit *Sex and the City* truly changed the television landscape. It was so groundbreaking when it premiered in 1998, fearlessly exploring romance, sex, careers, and the bonds of female friendship. But the recent revival, *And Just Like That*… well, it just doesn’t hit the same way. Honestly, the biggest issue for me is the absence of Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones – she *was* the best character, and I’m willing to argue that with anyone! Beyond that, the revival just keeps making missteps. They’ve really done a disservice to some of the characters I loved, like Miranda, and others feel completely unrecognizable. The fashion, once so iconic, now feels like a parody, and the dialogue is just…cringey, filled with tired tropes that even Carrie Bradshaw’s latest book couldn’t save. And yet, despite all of this, I find myself hopelessly drawn back in, clinging to the nostalgia of the original. I can’t help but keep watching!

2. American Horror Story

The early seasons of *American Horror Story*, from *Murder House* to *Freak Show*, were exceptionally scary and delightfully campy, boasting impressive casts. However, the show’s quality began to decline. While there have been occasional strong performances, like Lady Gaga in *Hotel*, and a few standout scenes, the series increasingly prioritized shocking moments and obvious social messages over well-developed stories. What started as a genuinely immersive horror experience has unfortunately become something more akin to a low-budget haunted house – filled with unresolved plots, predictable characters, and confusing writing. Some fans continue to watch, hoping the show will recapture its former brilliance.

3. Riverdale

How did a simple murder mystery, inspired by a classic 1940s comic, become so incredibly strange and supernatural? The storylines in *Riverdale* are wild and unrealistic – definitely not for viewers who prefer their plots grounded in reality.

What started as a teen drama about friends investigating a local murder quickly turned into something completely different over seven seasons. Each season became increasingly bizarre and complicated, filled with cheesy dialogue and unbelievable events. We’re talking organ-harvesting cults, alien abductions, witchcraft, superpowers, and even time travel! It’s easy to forget this show began as an adaptation of the *Archie* comic books. While *Riverdale* has a loyal fanbase, many of us keep watching simply to see how far it will go.

4. Emily in Paris

There’s a strange fascination with characters you shouldn’t like, and Emily from the Netflix series *Emily in Paris* is a perfect example. She’s not malicious, and is actually quite likable, but it’s frustrating to watch someone so unskilled succeed so easily – it’s like seeing an unqualified coworker get a promotion. Despite receiving constant praise and opportunities, Emily is bad at her PR job in Paris. She doesn’t bother learning French or truly adapting to the culture, and constantly interferes in the lives of others, making questionable decisions along the way. This makes her a somewhat frustrating character to watch. As for the show itself, it’s over-the-top, the fashion is garish, and the writing is wonderfully cheesy – making it the perfect guilty pleasure for lighthearted escapism.

5. Grey’s Anatomy

Despite being a hugely popular show, *Grey’s Anatomy* isn’t without its flaws. After 21 seasons, many fans find themselves watching it out of habit, even though the show’s quality has dipped and storylines often feel recycled with unlikeable characters. Some viewers enjoy playfully criticizing the show’s improbable medical scenarios, while others find a strange enjoyment in the over-the-top drama, awkward writing, and frustratingly flawed characters who should probably have learned their lessons by now. Ultimately, it remains a harmless guilty pleasure for a lot of people.

6. The Idol

Few things kill a TV show faster than being called boring, and that’s exactly what happened to Sam Levinson’s series, *The Idol*. The HBO show, which lasted only five episodes before being canceled in 2023, tells the story of a pop star struggling with trauma who gets involved with a manipulative nightclub owner who leads a cult. The owner, played by co-creator The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), was so unlikeable it caused a lot of discussion – and drew viewers in.

Instead of being groundbreaking, the show felt forced and unpleasant. Most people weren’t tuning in for a smart or well-made story; they wanted to watch something shocking and over-the-top, like a train wreck they could talk about online.

7. Invasion

Despite being called unoriginal, poorly acted, and filled with pointless storylines, the Apple TV+ sci-fi series *Invasion* still has a dedicated fanbase. Some viewers are simply invested after watching for so long and want to see how it ends. Others enjoy playfully criticizing the show online with fellow fans. And many are just happy to have a new alien invasion series, as the genre hasn’t had much representation on TV recently. Whatever their reasons, people keep watching *Invasion*, which is probably why it’s been renewed for another season.

8. The Walking Dead

Overall, *The Walking Dead* is a decent TV show, but it definitely has its weaknesses. The horror-drama, which ran for 11 seasons and spawned a large franchise with several spin-offs, centers on a group of people trying to survive after a zombie apocalypse. However, some fans feel the show lost its way over its 12-year run, becoming slow and predictable as the storytelling quality declined in later seasons.

Many viewers on social media point to Season 7 – specifically the shocking and violent death of a fan-favorite character, Glenn, at the hands of Negan – as a turning point for the worse. They cite repeating plotlines, less interesting characters, overly depressing storylines, and an overreliance on violence as reasons for their disappointment. Despite this, many continued watching, likely falling into the trap of feeling they’d invested too much time to quit, even if they weren’t enjoying it anymore.

9. Dawson’s Creek

As a total cinema and TV devotee, I remember *Dawson’s Creek* being *the* teen drama of the early 2000s. It was all about teenage drama, sweet romance, and that classic New England vibe, with a cast of seriously good-looking actors. Honestly, a lot of people my age watched it originally for the nostalgia, but I’ve noticed a new wave of viewers who tune in just to playfully mock it! It’s become a bit of a guilty pleasure to cringe at the love triangle between Joey, Dawson, and Pacey, and let’s be real, some of the storylines haven’t aged well. A lot of us find Dawson himself to be pretty self-absorbed and irritating, and the show sometimes handles difficult topics in a clumsy way. It’s one of those shows where people genuinely *enjoy* finding things to complain about – but that’s part of the fun, right?

10. Girls

Lena Dunham’s show *Girls* perfectly captures the anxieties of millennials in the 2010s. Its honest and often funny writing creates scenes that are both uncomfortable and completely captivating, as the show follows a group of twenty-somethings in Brooklyn dealing with friendship, love, uncertainty about their futures, and the challenges of starting a career. While critically praised when it debuted on HBO in 2012, *Girls* has always sparked a complicated reaction from viewers. Many appreciate its unflinching honesty and the flawed, often frustrating characters. Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna are far from perfect friends, making questionable choices as they try to figure out their 20s, but that’s what makes them so interesting to watch. From Marnie’s embarrassing attempts at a music career to Hannah’s self-centeredness and romantic mishaps, the series asks viewers to really try and understand its characters, and over six seasons, audiences found themselves both cheering for and frustrated with these flawed, relatable protagonists.

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2025-09-16 21:27