Futuristic UFO-like trash bins invade NYC neighborhood, abduct parking spaces and get low marks from locals: Hideous

These space invaders are trash.The city has installed a bunch of anti-rat trash bins outside upper Manhattan schools – but locals say the spaceship-shaped monstrosities aren’t exactly out of this world.“They look out-of-place here,” said Marcus Delgado, 52, of the city Department of Sanitation, “Empire Bins” gobbling up parking spots along Amsterdam Avenue near 152nd Street.“They look futuristic, you know, the shape of them,” he added.“It looks like a robot sitting there with two arms sticking out.”The mini-tank-sized receptacles are part of a 1,000-strong fleet coming to the area this summer – but paralegal Denise Anna said they didn’t fit with the neighborhood’s aesthetic even though they may be needed to scare away rodents.“They are hideous,” Anna, 33, said.A Hamilton Heights resident who identified herself only as Lisa said it “takes away from the Harlem Renaissance.”“Putting these things here that are not vibing with the neighborhood – It’s not the right fit,” she said.The “European-style” gray bins will be used this spring in a pilot program within Harlem’s Community District 9 – which includes the Morningside Heights, Manhattanville and Sugar Hill.

They’ll be rolled out at residential properties with 31 or more units and about half of area buildings with as little as 10 units, according to a sanitation department rep.Starting on June 1, 2025, all residential buildings in the area will be required to use the bins.The locked bins will be accessible to building staff and waste managers via “access cards” and will be serviced by new side-loading trucks.“This is a vast improvement, both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of scalability,” DSNY rep Vincent Gragnani told The Post, adding that the containerization program is vital to decreasing the number of rats in the area.“The previous pilot [from 2023], while imperfect, showed fantastic results, with rat sightings reported to 311 down a staggering 6...