WILLIAMSBURG — When he opened his subway station shop selling independently published books, magazines, postcards and zines at the beginning of July, manager Lele Saveri thought the underground pop-up would last for a quiet three weeks.
But now The Newsstand — a literary hub at a former magazine stand and convenience shop in the Lorimer L and Metropolitan G station — has grown so popular that the novel enterprise is extending its stay through at least the end of August and has already doubled its stock, Saveri said.
"It's great because people can use the subway station as a platform," said the Brooklyn photographer, who is running the shop for All Day Every Day, the creative company that thought up the idea. "It's very New York, and it's weird."
The Newsstand — where artists can sell T-shirts, CDs and photographs and literature, as long as it's "something they made," Saveri said — features pieces for 50 cents to $50 and takes a portion of the proceeds in exchange for holding the work. Items range from $1 mini-zines sold from a temporary tattoo dispenser to reviews of local pizzerias by a man who goes by "Slice Harvester."
Events have also become a major part of the shop, with the next show planned for Wednesday evening, when photographer Jason Nocito will display his work and artists will present 20 different mixtapes.
All Day Every Day is considering keeping The Newsstand open into the fall in the small space rented from the MTA, after receiving a flood of attention, including a write-up in The New York Times, Saveri and a spokeswoman for All Day Every Day said.
"September is a crucial month for us, because P.S. 1 MOMA has its art book fair," Saveri said of the Queens museum, which Williamsburg residents visit by traveling through the Metropolitan G train station. "People will stop through here."
The Newsstand is open daily from 11 a.m. until about 9 p.m.
