After taking over Indie Bike’s tiny space in Midtown, Benjamin and Janneane Blevins accrued more than 300 esoteric publications to sell in their newfangled newsstand, Printtext. Readers who remember Northside News on College Avenue will rejoice; the selection here isn’t nearly as large, but it is impressive (and, conveniently, cataloged on the store’s website). Printtext specializes in journals, books, and magazines not found elsewhere in town, most notably Sweden’s Acne Paper, the fashion publication that inspired Indy’s Pattern magazine, which the Blevinses helped launch. The couple’s knack for design explains why their shop feels like a minimalist-cool living room, with an inviting Erwin Lambeth couch, Tolix metal chairs, and colorful sheaves of magazines stacked on tables. When afternoon light dapples the storefront, it casts a luminous glow on antique lamps, a mounted gazelle head, and a throwback typewriter. The airy interior reinforces the homey feel and encourages readers to nestle up with an issue of Apartamento and perhaps Huckleberry, the shop’s lovable canine patrol. 652 E. 52nd St., 317-910-8203, printtext.co
This article appeared in the March 2014 issue.