Days after Matthew Perrys death, theFriendsapartment corner transforms into a site of mourning.
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The first thing I notice is how quiet it is.
The neighborhoods damp, leafy cobblestones offer the only sign of the days earlier rain.
Looking at that famous building.
Lingering at a makeshift lamppost memorial, which is festooned with bouquets of flowers and personalized notes and poems.
Since news ofPerrys deathbroke Saturday night, tributes to thecomedic talentfromcollaboratorsand admirers alike flooded the internet.
But for grief-stricken viewers who made the trip, their motivations were personal.
Im about to cry, Marjolein, a 56-year-old vacationing from Amsterdam, tells me.
Ive been a fan since the beginning.
Me and my friends already planned to come here, but now it has a double feeling.
Yes, the show is over, but now its actually ended since one of the Friends is missing.
People have been busy with it, he says.
Two New York University undergraduate students stick a few Post-it notes with their favorite Chandler quotes to the lamppost.
Its for our own closure.
Every time I used to get a headache, Id watchFriendsand Id be fine, one tells me.
The other notes, I havent seen theFriendsbuilding before, so this was the right time.
I grew up watchingFriendsbecause it was a bonding thing for my mom and two aunts.
We actually named our first family cat Chandler Bing, she says.
He was a special character for us.
The corner has been busy for the past 48 hours, she adds.
Its never been like this before.
The flowers started appearing on Sunday.
Theres always been people here taking pictures of the apartment, but this escalated quickly after the news.
Ive been watching since I was a teenager, Trinity explains.
Every two scrolls on TikTok was either a video of this corner or a fan edit.
I like all the hugging compilations of Chandler and Joey.
Another couple made the subway journey from an outer borough to check out the scene after work.
It hurts so much more because of everything he was dealing with.
Cecilia, 32, found herself heartbroken over Perrys death.
When I was younger, I used to watch the show every day, she says.
It was an escape from the world.
I feel a hole right now.
I actually felt like I knew him.
Its been a somber and reflective mood, one Little Owl employee tells me.
Its crowded, but the vibe is very respectful.
Weve gotten traffic from it, but we always get a lot of traffic because ofFriends.
I find it really odd.
Could they go to Los Angeles?
He lived in L.A., she says while rummaging for her keys.
Im not a fan of the show.
Its sad, its horrible, but he never lived here.
They just shot the outside of a building.
The apartment is not as big as it was on the show.
Its fake, you guys.
Theres a war going on.
What dumb news was that?
He takes a beat and we watch yet another person write a message of gratitude on the white cardboard.
The whole world seems so moved.
Everybody lovesFriends, Klopp says.
Its meaningful to come down here.
Im kind of getting chills talking about it.
