Hulu recreates ‘Seinfeld’ apartment

Have you ever wanted to hang out in Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment? No, not the one the comedian and his wife Jessica live in together with their children on Central Park West. We’re talking about the one Seinfeld’s character lived in in his eponymously titled 90s hit television series.

Last year, 16 years after the final episode of “Seinfeld” aired, it finally became possible to virtually visit the storied fictional Upper West Side flat thanks to the immersive technology of the Oculus Rift. But if you weren’t a serious gamer, then chances were you weren’t going to don a pair of futuristic-looking goggles and explore Jerry’s pad. The best you could do was watch a video of a guy named Pancho Joshi letting you in on what he saw while wearing the virtual reality device.

Now, even the Luddites among us can actually take a seat on Jerry’s couch or check out exactly how many cereal boxes he has on his kitchen shelf.

Later this month, a real-life replica of the iconic apartment will be on display in New York. The intallation, titled, “Seinfeld: The Apartment,” will be open at 451 West 14th Street from June 24 to 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nostalgic fans have Hulu to thank for this trip down memory lane. The online video service, owned by Disney, NBCUniversal and 21st Century Fox, is creating the interactive exhibit as a promotion for its $160 million licensing deal with Sony Pictures TV for all nine seasons of “Seinfeld.” All 180 episodes will be available for viewing on Hulu’s SVOD (subscription video on demand) service beginning June 24.

Creators of the installation promise there will be plenty of original artifacts, as well as opportunities for visitors to re-enact favorite scenes from the show, such as George’s Valentine’s Day photo shoot and Kramer’s memorable entrances through Jerry’s front door.

Hulu apparently believes investing in this marketing gimmick will pay off. Jenny Wall, the company’s senior VP and head of marketing, was quoted by Variety as saying, “‘Seinfeld’ is one of those rare shows that continues to influence pop culture to this day, so what better way to launch its streaming debut than to celebrate the fans and give them a chance to relive the scenes from some of the most iconic moments in TV history?”

Let’s just hope the public takes better care of Jerry’s apartment than Kramer did. Seinfeld won’t be there to keep any eye on things. He’s out in cars getting coffee with comedians.