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Jerry Seinfeld's Apartment: Then and Now

9.16.9 seinfeld 3.jpgJerry Seinfeld's apartment was never a hub for progressive or cutting edge design. Rather, it was an "everyday" apartment in New York city. An upcoming "Seinfeld Reunion" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm gives us a peek at what that apartment would look like today, 11 years later...

 
 

9.16.9 seinfeld 1.jpgJoy Hog! gives us a sneak peek at the episode as a whole, but we love the idea that Jerry has updated his kitchen and replaced his frumpy teal sofa! Take a look at the video clip that talks about the upgrades and the cast's reaction to the changed sets! We'd love to see what some of our other favorite TV sets from the past would look like if they were updated...Full House, anyone?

9.16.9 seinfeld 2.jpg

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Living Room, Kitchen, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Jerry Seinfeld

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Comments (24)

:/

I liked it better before.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic.

bridget

posted by gidgey on September 16th 2009 at 5:19pm
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The thing I liked about the set was how little it changed. Jerry's apartment was the most realistic thing about the show.

posted by slowdown on September 16th 2009 at 5:41pm
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The TV set I liked the most was the one Frasier. Classy and even today it would look great and modern.

Seinfeld... Hm great show, but terrible appartment.

posted by AlexHoogeveen on September 16th 2009 at 5:58pm
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Can't wait for the new CYE season, and this Seinfeld reunion will make it even better. Most people would paint or replace a piece of furniture in the time it's been since the show ended, this is realistic.

posted by quinnley on September 16th 2009 at 6:01pm
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I doubt a single man who's (probably) renting would bother to get all new kitchen cabinets, even after 11 years.

posted by heatherdazy on September 16th 2009 at 6:07pm
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AlexHoogeveen, but it looked like an apartment a guy like that would have, which was brilliant. I'm tired of fancy schmancy sitcom sets that the characters in them would never put together themselves (and likely wouldn't even be able to afford). That of course, does not include Frasier. He's was spot on for his character.

posted by ridge_van_winkle on September 16th 2009 at 6:09pm
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Er ... that should be "His", not "He's". I wish we had an edit feature. ;-)

posted by ridge_van_winkle on September 16th 2009 at 6:10pm
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Where's the Mac?

There was a Mac on Jerry's desk during the entire run of the series. The last episodes had a Twentieth Anniversary Mac on his desk. Cool stuff.

posted by CygnusX1 on September 16th 2009 at 6:10pm
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Jerry's taste is still terrible.

posted by lm925 on September 17th 2009 at 12:10am
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All those '60's show families would be smirking today if their mid-Century-modern furnishings were still in great shape!

posted by Elizabeth II on September 17th 2009 at 12:14am
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Jerry's furniture is still so un-Farbmanlike. :)

posted by Julie on September 17th 2009 at 5:59am
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"I doubt a single man who's (probably) renting would bother to get all new kitchen cabinets, even after 11 years."
posted by heatherdazy on September 16th 2009 at 6:07pm


Jerry DID replace the cabinets on the show, or at least attempted to. Remember the guy he hired was asking him about every little detail? Jerry got frustrated & told him to make all the decisions? He didn't like them & ended up getting him to put them back the way they were.

posted by SuperGrrl on September 17th 2009 at 8:13am
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Assisting a professor in researching a book, I was given the task of arduously listing the various changes in Seinfeld's apartment over the course of the show. And there were many. The only ones I can remember now relate to changes in colour palette, a wainscot disappearing, wall sconces getting changed and the kitchen cabinets.

posted by Michelle of Montreal on September 17th 2009 at 9:30am
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He got a new sofa at least once in the series. I forget exactly what happened, but he gave the old one to Elaine and I think she went on a date with the delivery guy, and wacky hijinks ensued.

posted by Grr on September 17th 2009 at 9:57am
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Oh, please. There is nothing realistic about the "new" Seinfeld apartment. For one thing, it was a rent-stabilized rental. So it seems rather implausible that he would put in all-new cabinets, countertops and wide-plank hardwood floors. Secondly, that apartment is enormous for a one bedroom apartment.

On an unrelated note, am I the only one irked by the fact that everybody on this show drove a car to get around? I never saw anyone take the subway.

posted by hejiranyc on September 17th 2009 at 10:28am
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I think for a set his apartment was fairly realistic. The size is determined by the needs of shooting. But his furnishings and the style of the apt were pretty average. As far as the cabinets - well I live in a rent stabilized apt and want to swap out my cabinets for a small apt the cost isn't that prohibitive. Plus, his character is a TV Producer - he could afford it.

They were shown on the subway. I remember one episode with Al Roker and a sandwich.

posted by alexis on September 17th 2009 at 12:46pm
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I didn't see the show much but it seems to me I have seen at least some of the characters ride a subway in a scene or two.

posted by ciddyguy on September 17th 2009 at 2:29pm
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I think I'm nostalgic too because the new apartment looks pretencious to me. Are there any Seinfeld episodes ya'll weren't too fond of? I found this list and I have to say, I agree with most... Worst Episodes from TV Shows I Love

posted by Gent45 on September 17th 2009 at 5:01pm
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There was the infamous "The Label Maker" episode where Kramer got into it with a Ukranian while playing a game of RISK onboard the subway.

"Oh, it's Risk, it's a game of world domination being played by two guys who can barely run their own lives."

I wonder if Jerry upgraded to a MacBook Pro and thus its absence from his desk in the back of the room.

posted by gregory on September 18th 2009 at 3:44am
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@SuperGrrl

Haha, thanks! I was about to also recount how Jerry did, in fact, replace his cabinets only to hate them and have them returned to their original condition.

posted by akay on September 18th 2009 at 4:56pm
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As many New Yorkers, I see Seinfeld at least twice a day since it's on at least 5 or 6 times on various syndication channels. Needless to say, I've seen them all at least 10 times. ;-) They only took the subway on a few episodes, and I too, thought that was weird that they all had cars. I only know four people total who have cars and they all live in Brooklyn or Queens where there are reasonable places to park and where you can't get around everywhere on the subway.

The episode with the new kitchen cabinets was pretty fantastic. That was the same one where George wanted to be able to nap under his desk at work.

As for more about the new set, if you have HBO on demand, watch the Curbed Making Of special about it. It's pretty cool to see how much of the old set they were able to get back. Most of it is there with the exception of the wall with the Jerry's front door. He took that home when the show initially wrapped.

Also, from what I read, the Seinfeld reunion arch is apparently a part of 5 Curbed episodes, not just one.

posted by ridge_van_winkle on September 18th 2009 at 9:15pm
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He tried to get a new couch but then Poppy peed on it so he got his old couch back. I think.

I don't think Elaine ever had a car, though she was a bad driver, mostly they borrowed Jerry's. Except when George had John Voigt's Labarren for a while there. I'm not sure if Kramer had his own car either or if he just borrowed. They definitely took the subway sometimes though. On the way to the lesbian wedding, in between getting gyros, that time Jerry was sitting across from a naked guy.

The apartment from his first few episodes is different from the usual one. I think the couch is different and a few other little things like that.

posted by tarsengreen on September 20th 2009 at 7:57am
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and a new fridge? hardly likely.

posted by colibri on September 21st 2009 at 5:22pm
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Am I the only renter who's ever gotten new appliances (paid for by the building's owners, but still new)? I think it's entirely plausible that there are different appliances, especially given how long his character lived in the place. If I were spending anytime over a year in one place, I'd change things.

In fact, how many times have we seen pics from AT readers who are also renters? It's entirely not unheard of, I don't think.

And my favorite part of the apartment has always been his Cereal Shelf - which deserves to be capitalized!

posted by RLB on September 27th 2009 at 5:46pm
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