We previously looked into the green relay mailboxes in a Cities 101 article. They’re temporary holding spots for letter carriers whose carts or bags can’t hold everything on their route. A commenter on the piece told us, “I have lived across the street from 2 relay boxes. In 36 years, I have never seen our postal carriers use the boxes.”
We hadn’t seem them used, in person, before either. That all changed last week in Carroll Gardens. We spotted this mail carrier exchanging some mail and getting organized for his route!
He was moving mail from his cart into the relay box, which had a main storage area and a shelf at the top. All the mail was placed in the plastic bags.
Over the last few months, we’ve also noticed that relay boxes are getting a new shiny coat of green paint, in a lighter color:
Get in touch with the author @untappedmich. Read more from our Cities 101 series about how stuff works in the city.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
