Need a seat? This New Jersey man knows the best places to sit in the Garden State

With all the wintry weather this month, some New Jerseyans may be yearning to sit outside on their favorite park or boardwalk bench.
There is one Metuchen man who is a self-proclaimed expert on benches and can point someone out to the best place to sit.
Many people have spent the past pandemic year contemplating things they never considered before. Maybe it is a new hobby or their mental health.
But for Patrick Gerrity, it was park benches.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, my wife Sarah and my daughter Stella and I were going on long walks. And as someone who prefers to sit down, I was spending a lot of time sitting on benches instead of walking,” Gerrity says. “And I just kind of cannonballed into reviewing them…You can thank the pandemic for this and nothing else.”
Gerrity started the YouTube channel “Patrick’s Bench Reviews” where he reviews various benches around the Garden State. He has posted 40 reviews so far, assessing them for comfort levels.
“This bench is bad. It has no back support. No arm support. No emotional support,” he says.
Sometimes he wonders about the stories behind the benches.
“[This] looks like a makeshift bench. Maybe put together by some teens drinking in the woods,” he says.
Or he marvels at the bench’s design.
“Just what I thought. There actually isn’t a back leg to support this bench. I don’t know what kind of sorcery was used on this,” he says.
Gerrity ends each review by rating the bench’s view, whether it is of a park, wooded area or boardwalk beach.
Fans of “Patrick’s Bench Reviews” can now buy merchandise, like can Koozies or stickers. Proceeds go to the Metuchen Food Pantry.