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As New Yorkers know, if you see something strange in a subway station, odds are good that it’s best to keep walking. But some stations are getting weird on purpose thanks to an MTA initiative aimed at making our subway stops seem a little less like something found in a dystopian nightmare.
The Grand Army Plaza station (serving the 2 and 3 trains) is getting attention for its new bodega, Rex’s Dino Store, staffed entirely by papier mache dinosaurs and offering up such delights as Clawmond Joys, packs of Snarlboros (hopefully less than the $20 a pack real Marlboros sell for these days), and Dinopolitan Magazine, plus ads seeking renters for a “$4,500 a moon” cave. And don’t worry: Even in prehistoric times, “Steg Yun” is still plastering their ads everywhere they can.
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The project and its meticulous attention to details (and puns) come courtesy of artists Akiva Leffert and Sarah Cassidy as part of the MTA’s Vacant Unit Activation Program. Yes, the MTA is acknowledging that its myriad empty storefronts throughout the system might not be the best mood booster for commuters, and they’re actively seeking artists to transform the blank holes into something cool and “whimsical.”
“We are looking to activate vacant spaces to improve the station atmosphere,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said in a statement. “This initiative seeks partners who can offer engaging and creative activations like art installations or non-profit programming to provide a socially beneficial use and bring more life to the station’s environment.”
Rex’s Dino Store remains on view through December 2025, but it’s not the only art installation entertaining subway riders. At Jay St-Metro Tech, a former newsstand displays City Critters and New York, We Love You!, murals from artists with YAI, a nonprofit that works with people with autism, Down syndrome, and other disabilities. And the Euclid Av stop hosts Memories Matter, in which historical photographs of the neighborhood and blown-up front pages from period newspapers are plastered over shuttered kiosks.
Turns out, the next time you see something in a subway station, it might be worth stopping and looking a little more closely. If nothing else, you can always tell your boss you were late because you stopped to admire some art.
