BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Feeding our need to connect, and doing it in epic fashion, The Longest Table is a globally observed celebration of cuisine and community, whose humble origin story is rooted in our not-too-distant, post-pandemic past. Originally conceived as a way to foster socialization among West Chelsea residents no longer required to maintain a six-foot distance from one another, 2022’s very first Longest Table gave its 500+ participants permission to lean into that request to pass the salt.

“In the pandemic, we were all [sheltering] in one place much longer than we’d ever been before,” noted Longest Table co-creator Maryam Banikarim, in our October 24, 2022 report. During her COVID-compelled down time, Banikarim “had this dream, when I saw the street [West 21st St.], to have dinner together.” Banikarim shared her idea on the neighborhood news/info app Nextdoor after seeing “a photo where people had done this in Cairo.” A core group grew out of that interaction, giving rise to the 2022 debut of The Longest Table.

Fast forward to October 4, 2026, when this year’s Chelsea edition filled the 400 block of West 21st Street with over 2,000 friends, neighbors, and newly minted acquaintances. New neighbor Vanderbilt University NYC—whose Chelsea campus occupies one side of the Table’s West 21st Street block—had an easy commute to their first participation in a NYC Table. (There was also a simultaneously observed Table held on Vanderbilt’s Nashville, TN-based campus.)

Writing in this week’s edition of The Longest Table Enewsletter, Banikarim recalled last month’s local event, noting, “Here in New York, we got rained on. In Chelsea, people moved their tables under the scaffolding and stayed. On the Upper West Side it poured, and neighbors still showed up in galoshes and sang New York, New York together. If that isn’t proof we all want community, I don’t know what is.”

Those wanting further proof need only follow the numbers. Banikarim told Chelsea Community News that the “total number of Tables since inception is 210” and that by year’s end, “More than 80k neighbors will have sat at a Table… We’re now in 113 cities across 31 states and Puerto Rico. Most of them were set by hosts we’ve only met virtually. And the movement has gone international, with tables in the Bahamas and Buenos Aires this weekend.” 

As for the future, the sky’s the limit—or is it? The promise of space tourism says otherwise. For now, though, we’ll stick to the surly bonds of earth and ground the remainder of this report on the patch of land particular to this website’s namesake. Following are excerpts from conversations with those who participated in October 4’s Chelsea version of The Longest Table…

JESSICA BACHANSINGH, VOLUNTEER

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): Was this the first year you volunteered? Had you been a sit-down participant before?

Jessica Bachansingh (Jessica): I started volunteering last fall, and have since volunteered at 5+ tables  across NYC. I’ve also been a sit-down participant at an additional 2-3 tables. I love playing both roles, and the concept of the Longest Table. 

CCNews: How did you end up volunteering? What were your tasks/duties?

Jessica: I saw a lot on social media and then purposefully reached out to the Longest Table team, and asked how to get involved. The first year, I helped a lot with the check-in table. I’ve also helped in organizing the Upper East Side Table (my neighborhood), and this year I served as the Chelsea Volunteer Shift coordinator.

CCNews: When do volunteers and event organizers actually eat?

Jessica: Usually at the beginning of the day, and occasionally throughout the day between shifts.  

CCNews: What advice would you give to next year’s first-time participants, in terms of how to come prepared?

Jessica: My recommendation would be to bring a dish that’s highly shareable and then offer it to many people at your table or nearby. Openness to meeting neighbors and not allowing lunch table dynamics to cause anxiety is key. Realizing that everyone who showed up is trying to be authentically themselves, and might feel embarrassed too, is helpful in letting loose. 

CCNews: Did you see any food/drink items or cuisine or table settings that made you think, “I’ve got to try that?”

Jessica: There were some incredible lemon squares this year. I tried an asian fusion salad with ramen noodle pieces that were super good.  

 MISSY ADAMS (speaking in her capacity as a Chelsea Garden Club member)

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): How did the Garden Club come to be involved in the very first Longest Table? Were there any first-timers this year?

Missy Adams (Missy): I know Maryam and her husband Andy, and I offered [the first year] to be a table captain. It seemed like a nice way for the members of the Chelsea Garden Club to connect. At first, I just invited most of my neighbors and that included the gardeners. But now it’s mostly the gardeners. The club has about 50 gardeners, and this [Longest Table] year, I believe we had more than 20, between the gardeners and their plus ones. As for first-timers: Baby Jude was the star of our two tables. He is the son of Tory, who gardens at 23rd Street & 7th Avenue, and her partner Kamala. 

CCNews: How does the event function in ways similar, or different than, the Garden Club, in terms of bringing people together for a common purpose?

Missy: We all look forward to being able to spend some time together. Our gardening is done mostly in isolation, so it’s great when we can share, whether it’s complaints, compliments, or cake.

CCNews: What advice would you give to next year’s first-time participants, in terms of how to come prepared?

Missy: Maryam and Andy really have the event beautifully organized, so participants just have to sign up, decide what they will bring, and show up! Of course there are also many ways to help, including getting a group together, volunteering to help set up tables and chairs, break them down, or captain a table.

CCNews: Did you see any food/drink items that made you think, “I’ve got to try that?”

Missy: What to bring is always a struggle, as our guests often don’t like to commit until the last minute. Like herding cats. I have noticed some tables that have a beautifully coordinated meal and I envy them! Last year, one had candelabras. Someone else had gotten a long hero from Faicco’s on Bleeker Street. Still, our gardeners have a good time and enjoy the food, so that’s our success, I think.

JASON LOSSER (Chelsea Garden Club member)

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): Was this your first time attending? What was it like?

Jason Losser (Jason): It was my second Longest Table… It’s a community mixer where NYC neighbors let their street guard down. And my chance to catch up with fellow Chelsea Garden Club pals—an eclectic group of hardcore, middle-of-the-street gardeners who are as excited to talk about sunflower height as I am, and who can help me pronounce astilbe (uh-STIL-bee).

With a little bit of politics at The Table, in a welcome way. In 2025, then-Council Member Erik Bottcher serenaded our table with a guitar. This year, State Senator Bottcher showed up with Council Member Carl Wilson—who came unprepared for the drizzle. I had a chance to chit-chat and share my umbrella with the two. Erik mentioned he’d “been spending a lot of time upstate”…to which I stupidly replied, “Like Hudson? The Adirondacks?” He’s like, “No, Albany.” Which, duh, I obviously knew—I voted for both of them—but we had a haha moment.

Later, former State Senator Tom Duane stopped by to catch up with Chelsea Garden Club founder Missy Adams. The two go back 15 years, when Tom helped the club gain recognition from the city and secure “official” permission to turn those neighborhood dirt pits into gardens. It was really lovely to see that, years later, the recognition, support, and appreciation were still there. For our little group of neighborhood gardeners, that means something.

CCNews: In terms of maximizing their enjoyment of the event, what advice would you give to next year’s first-time participants?

Jason: Come as you are and don’t overthink what you bring to the table.

CCNews: Have you brought food to this or previous years and, if so, what was it?

Jason: I brought homemade jumbo chocolate chip cookies, from that morning, made with chunks of Tony’s Chocalonely bars.

MARYAN BANIKARIM, CO-CREATOR OF THE LONGEST TABLE

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): Was this the first year there was anything other than clear skies? How did the event adjust itself accordingly?

Maryam Banikarim (Maryam): Yes, this was our first year with rain, and somehow it made the day even more magical, umbrellas and all. The Upper West Side table this past weekend got rained on too, and they kept going. Community is what it’s all about.

CCNews: When, and where, do event organizers eat?

Maryam: We set up a volunteer table so the people working the event have a place to sit down and take a beat. Some volunteers also host their own tables.

CCNews: Observations on this year’s Chelsea event?

Maryam: It’s become a neighborhood ritual, something we all look forward to. This year we had three tables of Vanderbilt students and faculty join us. They’re our new neighbors.

CCNews: What’s inspired you about the tables Chelsea has sparked?

Maryam: Every table grows out of its own neighborhood. They all share the same bones: a long table where neighbors sit together and break bread. But each one has its own local flavor. Park Slope had a salsa band. Harlem had double Dutch and line dancing. In Greenpoint, a neighbor rolled out his BBQ pit. Strangers sit down together and get up as neighbors and friends.

CCNews: Advice for first-timers?

Maryam: Find a volunteer when you arrive. Sometimes you walk up and it looks like everyone’s already seated, which can feel overwhelming. Our volunteers are there to help you find a spot and make sure the table stays open to everyone. And bring your favorite dish, with enough to share.

CCNews: Food you’ve enjoyed?

Maryam: There are so many dishes it’s hard to pick one. Gumbo was new to me this year. And not a dish, but something we’re proud of: along with One Love Community Fridge redistributing the leftovers, this year we added composting with Citibin. We get a little better every time.

CCNews: Anything else?

Maryam: This year there will be 150 Longest Tables across the country, and even a few internationally. All of that growth has been organic. Turns out a lot of people are hungry for the same thing: to know their neighbors.

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UPCOMING:

Nov. 14 | Phoenix, AZ; New Port Richey, FL; Lakeland, FL; Nassau, Bahamas

Nov. 15 | Buenos Aires, ARG; Tarpon Springs, FL

Nov. 29 | San Jose, CA

Dec. 12 | Orange Park, FL

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Launched on April 23, 2019, ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent online newspaper serving Manhattan’s Chelsea community and adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad & Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen). Our free editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here to donate). To subscribe to our free ENewsletter, click here. ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our work is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. Honors at NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, 2021-2025, include 3 wins for Coverage of the Arts, and 2 wins for Best News or Feature Series.

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Questions? Comments? Email Founder/Editor Scott Stiffler at scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.