In Sesame Street Episode 2089, Oscar tells a fabricated story of the day he moved to Sesame Street. In his version, the space next to the 123 stoop was empty until he settled down. He first tried living in a tent made from newspapers, then a metal wastebasket. Finally, Bob replaces all the trash cans on the block with brand new ones and Oscar moves into one of the used ones intended to be be thrown out.
In Sesame Street Episode 0799, Oscar installed an Olympic-size swimming pool inside his trash can. The 1989 book What's in Oscar's Trash Can? and Other Good-Night Stories mentions the swimming pool as well as an ice-skating rink (which, on the series, has been used by Peggy Fleming) and a bowling alley. According to Sesame Street Unpaved other items include a piano, art gallery and hearth and a train set ("Grouch Central Station"😉. A 1970 article in Look Magazine also notes a pastry kitchen and a rococo staircase.[5] In the Elmo's World installment Farms Oscar gives Elmo a tour of his farm (shown in darkness with only the pair's eyes visible). As established on various occasions, the trash can also has a back door. Episode 1159 established that a door in Oscar's can leads straight to the basement of 123 Sesame Street.