SoHo News International: The Magazine Mecca

The outside of SoHo News may look unassuming.

Walk westward on Prince Street in SoHo, and you’ll see a standard curbside portrait of New York City. Street vendors line the sidewalk hawking jewelry and artwork; high-end boutiques beckon tourists taking advantage of the current weak exchange rate of the U.S. dollar; chocolatiers draw in anyone with a sweet tooth; cramped take-out coffee shops help locals refuel with a quick caffeine boost. You’ll even come across a quintessential NYC institution: the corner bodega. But don’t be fooled by the one with the unassuming blue awning at 168 Prince Street between Thompson and Sullivan Streets –– that’s SoHo News International.

SoHo News International carries over 3,000 publications in any language, on any topic, for any budget and any attention span. Open everyday from 6 a.m. to midnight, the shop has been around for just over ten years and continues to surprise locals just stopping in for a pack of Altoids (like our editor Tracy!), as well as the cultured traveler who comes across it by chance. In fact, Racked named this newsstand one of the Top 12 Best International Newsstands in New York City.  

Any language, any interest, you’re set.

The shop makes a point to cater to its well-dressed, multilingual, international clientele of tourists, many of them from Asia and Europe. However, SoHo News International knows not to alienate its local consumer base, either. You can pick up titles like Bespoke, Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, and also indulge your dressed-down, sporty side with copies of Outside, Wake, Cyclist, Shape, Kitesurf, Car and Driver, or Women’s Health. 

If you can’t find a magazine at SoHo News, more than likely you won’t find it anywhere.

The faint smell of glue and ink hits you as soon as you enter, similar to walking into a vintage bookstore. The laid-back staff doesn’t rush you, and you can even leaf through titles on display in the floor-to-ceiling magazine racks that line three of the store’s four walls. Want to find that precious art or pop culture magazine that comes out a few times a year but you never remember when? Stop by SoHo News International to grab a copy of the gorgeous, innovative Blind Spot, a photography-based fine art magazine, or something from the Netherlands-based Frame Publishers, such as Frame, an inspirational read on interior design, or Elephant, the final word in stunning contemporary visual culture. 

Pick up international editions of Vogue. — credit

You can also come in to dig up back issues of that fashion glossy whose cover you fell in love with and you kept meaning to buy. If you happen to love hip-hop, check out RESPECT, a photo journal dedicated to the music scene’s hits, stars, and styles. For foodies that love exploring the city for new restaurants, or even just trying new recipes at home, pick up any number of delectable reads like Saveur, Bon Appetit, Edible Manhattan, La Cucina Italia, Veg News, and Gourmet Traveler. Those with a flair for home decorating will have a blast browsing through titles like Real Simple, House & Garden, Fine Gardening, Ville Gardini, or Dwell. 

Edible, anyone?

Stop in when you have time to browse, but beware of impulse buying – one Yelp reviewer visited after going out drinking and left with $130 worth of fashion mags.

SoHo News International
186 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 941-0833

Spend $130 at SoHo News? Magazines add up quickly!

Posted on August 5, 2013