At the Downtown BDFM platform of the West 4th Street station, an abandoned newsstand has found a second life.
Instead of selling snacks or daily papers, comedy writer Al Mullen is using the glass-fronted booth to give away free art and host pop-up events for commuters.
The takeover is part of the MTA Vacant Unit Activation program, an initiative that offers rent-free space to artists in some of the transit system’s empty retail units.
The primary rule for participants is that they cannot sell anything. Before Mullen moved in, the booth had sat vacant for years. When they opened the roll-down gate, the shelves were still dusted with dirt and stocked with magazines from 2016, including an issue boasting a headline about a Taylor Swift pregnancy rumor.
Operating under the restriction that everything must be free, the W4 Newsstand functions as a hub for offbeat giveaways, comedy shows, and performances. Collaborating artists offer train aura readings and “port-rat” sessions, where they draw custom portraits of commuters reimagined as rats.
Visitors can also pick up unique transit-themed souvenirs.
Mullen hands out “lucky rats feet keychains,” which he jokes will ensure trains arrive on time and guarantee cars free of fighting or vomit. For those needing a moment of privacy on their commute, the stand offers a bucket hat specifically designed for “crying in public.” Another major project underway at the booth is the distribution of custom station guides. The team aims to write a guide for all 472 stations in the subway system, though Mullen notes they currently have six completed so far.
Operating Hours
Commuters can visit the activated newsstand every Saturday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with other random openings scheduled around specific events.
The project injects a sudden burst of activity into a typically mundane transit routine. For Mullen, the underground location provides a surreal backdrop for meeting a constant stream of passing locals and giving away oddities beneath the city streets.