The Longest Table, Chelsea, New York City‼️
✨ In the heart of Chelsea, NYC, one long table has become a global symbol of connection. #TheLongestTable, started by Maryam Banikarim @mbanikarim and Andy Lerner @andrewmlerner in 2022, began as a simple idea during COVID: gather neighbors for a giant potluck, right in the street.
What started with a single block and 500 people is now a beloved annual tradition that’s grown to over 1,000 guests, and it’s spreading worldwide. The idea? Close off a street, set up one long table, bring a dish, and share stories. Strangers become neighbors, and neighbors become friends. ❤️
From Chelsea to Kansas City to Paris, The Longest Table proves how powerful one meal, and one idea, can be.
@zohrankmamdani
We’re excited to share this beautiful video, created by Parker Foster, capturing the joy of the Longest Table in Chelsea last month. A huge thank you to Parker for volunteering his time to make this happen, as well as to Pablo Barrera for the stunning drone footage.
When we come together, something truly magical happens—creating a sense of belonging and shared humanity. The momentum for the Longest Table continues to grow, and we are so grateful for the incredible response we’ve received from around the world: 13 countries, 29 states, and nearly 100 cities.
So far, 18 Longest Tables have been hosted, with 14 more in the works! If you know anyone who would like to host or attend a Longest Table, please send them to longesttablenyc.com
For those who are interested in donating, NYCNext.org is the nonprofit that supports the logistical costs (permits, tables, chairs, etc.) to make these events possible. Everything else is done by neighbors, for neighbors.
Thank you for staying connected and for being part of this incredible movement. We’ll keep you posted on our plans for 2025!
With gratitude,
The Longest Table Team
"It's known as The Longest Table, a free community event bringing people together...for great food and human connection."
It started in Chelsea, but the idea has spread far and wide.
Watch us on Good Morning America and hear the story of the Longest Table.
#thelongesttable #longesttablecommunity #community #potluck #neighbors #neighborhood
These middle schoolers didn’t just host their own Longest Table—they brought their community together through food and stories.
Last year, students at Clinton Central School discovered the power of connection through a shared meal. Then, they created a cookbook to capture and celebrate the flavors, memories, and family traditions that make their community unique. Here’s a selection of some of the delicious dishes they compiled, each one carrying a story from their homes, families, and cultures. Their collection shows how food can weave through generations to bring people together at any age.
💬 Tell us about a dish that means something special in your family or neighborhood!
#thelongesttable #communitygathering #foodandstories #recipeshare #communitycookbook
WE❤️BIG DREAMS.
Who wants to make this happen?
Tag the mayor (@nycmayor ) and let him know we need his help, because WE can make anything happen, can't we?
Brooklyn Bridge Longest Table here we come.
Thanks to @pix11news for having me on to talk about all the tables happening in NYC and beyond.
Building community, one table, one neighborhood at a time.
🌟 Desde las calles de Nueva York hasta las bibliotecas de pueblos pequeños y las escuelas secundarias de todo U.S., The Longest Table reconstruye la confianza, una comida compartida a la vez. Este video capta a los vecinos estrechando lazos, las risas fluyendo y las comunidades prosperando en todas partes.
Un enorme GRACIAS a nuestros increíbles anfitriones, que encienden la magia; a los incansables voluntarios que hicieron esto posible; y al brillante equipo detrás de la cámara. ¡Ustedes son el latido de la conexión de costa a costa!
¿Quién organizará la próxima mesa en tu ciudad? Etiquétalos y sigamos construyendo. ❤️ ��#LongestTable #ConfianzaATravésDeLasMesas #ComunidadEnTodasPartes #conexionesreales
What if the problem isn’t people, it’s the table?
We’ve designed so many spaces for independence, efficiency, and privacy, but not for connection. And then we wonder why we’re missing that sense of belonging.
Long tables can change that.
They create spontaneous moments for eye contact, passing plates, and unexpected conversations. All small interactions that turn into something a whole lot bigger.
Community doesn’t need to be forced. It just needs the right conditions.
At The Longest Table, we’re building those conditions, one seat at a time.
👉 Tag someone you’d sit next to. #thelongesttable #communitybuilding #thelongtabletheory #cometogether #belonging
Since 2022, @longesttablecommunity has been bringing strangers together. This weekend, nearly 1,000 people are expected to gather near the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for the second annual event there.
We spoke with Lara Birnback and Kim Glickman from the @brooklynheightsassociation , along with Longest Table founder Maryam Banikarim, about why events like this matter right now—and why so many people are craving ways to connect offline again. Comment "table" for the full story! #f52community
📸: @monique.carboni@betweenthebridges
A couple weeks ago, The University of Akron Alumni Association, @uastudentlife , the @knightfdn , and @downtownakronpartnership hosted UA’s first-ever @longesttablecommunity event on campus. 🍽️ Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members gathered around one table to share a meal, spark conversations, and build meaningful connections.
The evening was a reminder that at UA, community starts with saying YES. ⭐ YES to new conversations, YES to new perspectives, and YES to showing up for one another.
And that's a wrap! ☺️
Thank you for a beautiful, community-minded Longest Table Vienna event this past weekend! Hundreds of us joined together on Saturday for a shared meal and connection - we couldn't be happier with the result! Thank you for your efforts in gorgeous table settings, your thoughtfulness towards your neighbors, your amazing potluck themes and your generosity towards out non-profit partner, Rustic Love. 💟
This event would not be possible without our generous sponsors:
🔹 Modera Wealth Management
🔹 United Bank
🔹 Oakton United Methodist Church
🔹 Easy Dynamics
🔹 Stacy Tucker - State Farm
🔹 Vienna Business Association
Special thanks to our In-kind Sponsor, Silverado Printing, and thank you to our wonderful photographer Juli Santizo.
We also could not have this event without the efforts of our amazing Table Captains and the volunteers from JMHS's DECA Club. Thank you for your philanthropic spirit to help make this event the best it can be! See you next year! 💛🩵
“I sent an SOS to the world.” — The Police
Carl covered Friday night’s Miami Longest Table and that’s the song that came to mind for him. I listened to it on the flight home. I get it.
We live in a world pulling us apart — loneliness is an epidemic, mental health is in crisis. Finding simple, joyful ways to build community is a salve for the soul.
And then you watch this video.
No hierarchy. No head-swiveling to find the more important person in the room. Just neighbors in a public space, breaking bread.
One neighbor told me he almost didn’t come — because in Miami, you never know what you’re going to get. He ended up making a whole pot of arroz con pollo. Then walked the length of the table collecting desserts and drinks from strangers. He didn’t want to leave.
That’s the whole story right there.
I showed up exhausted, hip hurting, a little overwhelmed. A few hours later I was still exhausted — and so hopeful.
This was the third table last week. Andy was in Akron on Wednesday. I was at Barnard on Thursday. Tables are popping up everywhere. Each one inspires the next.
We can rebuild our world one table, one neighborhood at a time — a world where every neighborhood feels like home, where we belong and have a sense of agency.
Thank you to Knight Foundation, Elevate Cities, Radical Partners, Buddy System MIA, and The Underline — and to every volunteer, every host, every person who brought food, and everyone who just showed up.
That’s enough. That’s everything.
Know someone who needs this? Tag them.
#longesttable #community
🎥 courtesy of Tanya!
