If you helped contribute to the groundbreaking box office numbers for Todd Philip’s Joker, or even seen the trailer, you’d likely recognize the set of stairs that link Shakespeare and Anderson Avenues on West 167th Street in the Bronx. They’re the steps Joaquin Pheonix danced down in a strange jubilating way during the peak of the film.
These steps were once only the bane of Bronx commuters’ existence, but now, the criminally long stairs are a tourist attraction. Fans of Joker are coming from all over to take pictures, dress up as the infamous villain, and recreate Phoenix’s dance moves.
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This hasn’t exactly gone over smoothly with many locals from the area. One video on Twitter shows a disgruntled commuter throwing eggs down the stairs at tourists.
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A primary concern is that the area surrounding the stairs isn’t the safest part of the Bronx. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the congresswoman who represents the district of the Bronx where the stairs are located, told TMZ, “When I was growing up, everyone would tell us to stay away from those steps or go with a friend… Listen, keep your Instagram posts outside of the Boogie Down [Bronx]. This is for us.”
If you plan on making a trip to the “Joker stairs,” make sure to be respectful to locals of the area.
