Why Have Newsstands Disappeared? Essay -- Culture

Old and rusty. A big box, it comes in different colors: green, black, and gray. The big box, with a man in it, overflows with merchandise varying from reading materials to fast snacks and soft drinks. Walking around New York City, one sees these big rusty boxes everywhere, or at least people used to. A quick stop for the many local and national newspapers, a refreshing brisk soft drink on a hot summer day, or even a candy bar and a pack of gum. It is a convenient place that one can just pass by and get what he or she needs without the hassle of a supermarket. If you stop by for the papers on your way to work or for a drink during your lunch break, usually a pleasant New York immigrant will greet you. The man in the box is generally delighted to assist you as fast as he can so that you can continue on your day without delay. New York City is fast-paced and the immigrants in the boxes try to maximize their service speed to accommodate New Yorkers’ requisites requests. At the sam e time, they are willing to have an interesting and elaborate conversation with you. Have you figured out what this place is? It is a newsstand. New York has had many newsstands for a very long time, and they have been a part of New Yorkers’ everyday lives. Its convenience adds to the experience of New York. You can find newsstands not only on the sidewalks of the city but also in its subway stations, where they are more of a man in a hole in the wall, instead of a man in a box. Those underground newsstands tend to offer a faster service and you can also have a shopping experience if they are a bit bigger. Since you are in a subway station, they tend to be speedy due to the hurry of train riders since trains come and go. Newsstands are distributers of infor... ...e historic monuments since they have been through most of the history of New York. Getting rid of such symbolic element of the city tarnishes the city’s image. Not only would take away a symbolic image of New York’s landscape but also represents New York’s movement towards a drab and uninspired city. Works Cited Berliner, David C. "Knowledge Is Power." Equity & Excellence in Education 24.02 (1988). Print. "Knowledge." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 03 May 2012. Moss, Jeremiah. "Newsstands." Jeremiah's Vanishing New York. 26 Oct. 2011. Web. Pearce, Lynn M. "SIC 2711Newspapers: Publishing, or Publishing and Printing." Encyclopedia of American Industries. 6th ed. Detroit, MI: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print. Pearce, Lynn M. "SIC 5994: News Dealers and Newsstands." Encyclopedia of American Industries. 6th ed. Detroit, MI: Thomson/Gale, 2005. Print.