The machines are making change.<\/p>\n
Massive vending kiosks are filling some of the dark corners of the subways<\/a> left empty by the once-ubiquitous newsstands \u2014 leaving New Yorkers to mourn the bygone days of human interaction.<\/p>\n The MTA unveiled three sprawling and brightly illuminated Coca-Cola machines in the underground last week to kick off the new program aimed at tackling the vacancy problem in its retail spaces.<\/p>\n The MTA is installing vending machines across 26 subway stations as part of a new program. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n The machines are in long-deserted shops like the one at the 2nd Avenue F train spot, but it didn\u2019t stop commuters like Emmanuelle Nyanid from waxing nostalgic about the salesman that once occupied the space. <\/p>\n \u201cIn general, I feel like New York is already dehumanizing in a way,\u201d Nyanid, 18, told The Post, though she admitted the vending machines are \u201ccool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lived here for ten years \u2014 people don\u2019t really wanna talk to you. This is perfect for those New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n Matching sets can also be found at the 23rd Street R and W station and the 116th Street 6 train station \u2014 and dozens more will be installed at 23 more stations throughout the five boroughs in the coming months and into 2027, the MTA announced. <\/a><\/p>\n The plan had been in the works for years, with the transit agency initially seeking vendors back in 2023 after recognizing that the classic grab-and-go model was no longer as popular as it once had been.<\/p>\n \u201cThe robust number of newsstands of decades past went by the wayside,\u201d David Florio, the MTA Chief of Real Estate Transactions and Operations Officer, explained to The Post, adding that vending machine operators initially approached the MTA.<\/p>\n Retail space vacancies are currently lower than they were before the pandemic, the MTA says. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as you know, a vending machine takes less labor than a walk-in retail unit, so we decided to try that model out.\u201d<\/p>\n The vacancy rate currently stands at 26%, with Florio confirming that the rate never recovered from the pandemic.<\/p>\n The 2nd Avenue station\u2019s retail space before the machine was installed. MTA<\/p>\n The vending machines take up the same amount of space as the former retail spot, as seen here at the 2nd Avenue station. William Farrington for NY Post<\/p>\n There are about 180 tenanted locations throughout the city, ranging from grab-and-go to full-blown restaurants and art installations<\/a> \u2014 and even new kiosks that are currently being constructed in Times Square and Grand Central.<\/p>\n The vending machines are being put in low-demand retail spaces that have struggled to maintain tenants and have been configured so that they do not protrude and take up precious platform space.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re basically repurposing spaces that otherwise would have remained dark,\u201d said Florio. <\/p>\n