2023 photo at Ink on A by Stacie Joy
From the EVG inbox...
I went mad today looking for an old-school East Village magazine shop or newsstand. Not even a fancy one. Anything. Where can one buy even a simple magazine in the East Village area? I miss Ink.
We miss Ink, too. The shop at 66 Avenue A, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, boasted one of the largest magazine selections in the area. Owner Ben "Benny" Dahud had been in a legal tussle with the building's (Untitled!) new landlord and decided to retire.
The storefront has remained vacant since closing in July 2023.
There aren't really any EV options. Nearby, there's Bouwerie Iconic Magazines on the Bowery at Rivington (the other Iconic shops have bigger selections) ... Barnes & Noble on Union Square ... Dashwood Books on Bond has some great art and photography titles. (We're unsure about the magazine-zine selection these days at Bluestockings Cooperative on Suffolk.)
A little further away, there's Casa Magazines in the West Village, Iconic Magazines down on Mulberry Street and one on Lafayette, and Soho News International on Prince Street in Soho.
There are others... perhaps you have a favorite.
As for the former Ink space, there has been gut-renovation activity lately. The workers on the scene didn't know anything about a new tenant, though.
9 comments:
These days, magazines are just a quaint nostalgic notion. With AI creeping further and further into media, journalism and everywhere else; publishing monthly media is a losing proposition anyway you look at it. Looking at how websites, social media, blogsites and the like being much more inexpensive to produce, disseminate and manage; it just doesn't make sense to publish anymore.
Personally, I do miss magazines, newspapers. My favorite being the NY Times Sunday edition with it glorious supplements providing at least two to three days of perusing enjoyment. I'm talking about the old school size of the Times, not the shrunken down version of later years.
Time marches on for all of us, whether we like or not.
There are many magazine readers still and there has been a huge explosion in independent magazines in recent years. Many defunct titles are back or coming back- Life, Nylon, ID, Interview continues to thrive. Walk into Casa on 8th avenue and every square inch is filled with print, and they have expanded into the store next door. It is a shame that the EV no longer has a magazine store, but I would bet one could thrive, if executed properly.
There are still many magazine readers and there has been an explosion of indie magazines in recent years. Walk over to Casa on 8th avenue and every square inch of the store is filled with print. And they have expanded into the space next door. A magazine store can be successful if done properly. Its a shame the EV no longer has one. Casa East would make a lot of sense.
What i miss even more are the used or "back date" magazine shops that abounded midtown, especially 42nd Street and nearby. Mystery digest such as Manhunt, Keyhole, and Offbeat....vintage cheesecake pin up magazines, paperback books, lobby cards, posters..... ah! I am misting up right now!
Where do people buy the Times or any other newspaper in the East Village? I'd buy papers at Gem Spa or Ink...
I buy the times at sunny and Annie’s or smoke/vape on 1st Ave, the news is fake as hell but those puzzles are very real, and the tactile experience of doing them on actual paper is worth the $4 a couple times a week.
Yeah those places were the best. Swank, Snob, Juggs, Hustler.....
Benny is a cool dude - hope he is doing well :)
The NY Times news are fake as hell?
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