These days, the customers of the newsstand in the Metropolitan stop aren’t waiting in line to buy the Post, Times, or those stale House of Bazzini nuts that you can’t actually find above ground. Instead, they’re asking for change to buy zines out of a vending machine and snatching up vinyl records curated by Greenpoint shop Co-Op-87.
If there was going to be a newsstand carrying McClure’s chips and Ari Marcopoulous zines, it was going to be in Williamsburg. This one, simply titled Newsstand, was created by bi-coastal marketing and entertainment company All Day Every Day, which also works with The Standard, East Village.
Jamie Falkowski, the company’s marketing director and a Williamsburg resident, had been walking by the vacant newsstand for a couple months when he had the idea to “do something more niche with the space.” He and his colleagues eventually decided to partner with photographer Lele Saveri, creator of the 8-Ball Zine Fair. But how the hell were they able to secure the location?
“Getting in touch with the MTA to book the space was a bit of a challenge,” Falkowski said. “Typically a lease with the MTA is a 10-year engagement but we were able to broker a month-to-month contract. As of now, The Newsstand will be open until at least July 20 but we’re looking into opportunities to keep it open longer.”
If this whole thing strikes you as a little bit snooty, don’t worry: Falkowski explained that the shop isn’t meant to just cater to bearded guys who read Hamburger Eyes, and will soon offer things like candy, soda and, yes, mainstream publications. Maybe even New York magazine?