If one were to picture a classic newsstand, it might well look like Laurel Canyon News. Beneath a distinctive blue awning in Studio City stands an open-air 24-hour media hub. It serves as a popular backdrop for Instagram images, film and commercial shoots, and the local news. Owner Desiree Levine describes the newsstand as run by “mom, pop, and a small team that truly loves magazines and the community it serves. We cherish print publications, and so do our wonderful customers.”
Laurel Canyon News’s best-selling magazines include film industry–centered titles like Variety, the Hollywood Reporter, and Vanity Fair and selections from a large inventory of U.K. publications. Alta asked Levine to highlight a handful of West Coast–based magazines—some new, some perhaps familiar—for the latest installment of Read All About It, our series of recommendations from West Coast newsstand owners and employees.
LOS ANGELES
A winner of many National Magazine Awards, among other honors, Los Angeles magazine has a long history of excellence—which is why it tops my list of go-to Southern California publications. Founded in 1961, it regards itself as the definitive resource for Angelenos. I’m a particular fan of the magazine’s annual Best of LA issue, but its regular coverage of restaurants, fashion, and events and its in-depth feature articles are both superb reasons to pick up Los Angeles magazine.
LALA
Proclaiming itself the “platform for Los Angeles’ new zeitgeist,” LALA Magazine is brand-new, and I’m already enjoying it. LALA is a quarterly publication that features local artists, philanthropists, photographers, and up-and-coming fashion designers. Pick it up for fresh coverage of art, culture, and the city.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LIFE
Anyone looking for local travel ideas needs to pick up a copy of Southern California Life. The magazine is all about inspiring the SoCal explorer. Its website, socallifemag.com, offers a detailed list of upcoming events taking place as far north as Santa Barbara and as far south as San Diego.
C MAGAZINE
C Magazine, which calls itself “the Golden State’s Lifestyle Magazine,” is another favorite of mine. The quarterly periodical leans toward celebrity features and fashion and design articles, but it doesn’t shy away from in-depth stories on tech and travel. Partner magazines include C Weddings and C for Men, which are also worth checking out.
VENTURA BLVD
Named for one of the main thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura Blvd is a hyper-local, upscale publication. According to its mission statement, the publication focuses on “the people who live here,” and “their ideas, their pursuits, the lives they lead, and the things they make.” It’s a hit with Laurel Canyon News’s customers. I really appreciate that the magazine helps promote new businesses in addition to supporting more established ones.
LAUREL CANYON NEWS
- 12100 ½ Ventura Blvd., Studio City
- Open 24 hours
