No news is bad news for people who still like to read print versions of newspapers and magazines.
In response to news that the Newsstand at Penn Station no longer sells newspapers or magazines, managers of The Ivy Bookshop are stepping up to fill the void.
They’re opening The Ivy Newsstand on Mount Vernon Place during the Charles Street Promenade on June 6.
“The newsstand in Penn Station stopped selling printed materials,” the bookshop managers stated in an announcement about their new venture. “The idea of a newsstand with no print material was startling, and felt almost tragic. It made us acutely nostalgic for the disappearing ritual of communal newspaper reading. On trains, over coffee, in parks. Reading a physical newspaper alongside other people is one of life’s great, simple pleasures. So let’s reclaim it!”
The Ivy Bookshop is owned by Emma Snyder and located at 5928 Falls Road. The Ivy Newsstand will be an expansion of the Ivy Bookshop’s pop-up satellite that’s open at Mount Vernon Place Church, 2 E. Mount Vernon Place, until June 14. Current plans call for the newsstand to be open only on the day of the Charles Street Promenade, but that could change.
The satellite bookshop opened in April as part of an initiative by the new owners of the church, a non-profit organization called UNITE Mount Vernon, to restore the building and make it a hub of activity for the community. It’s the second time Ivy Bookshop has opened a branch in the church, following a stint in December and January.
The Promenade is a “pedestrian takeover” during which Charles Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from Saratoga Street to North Avenue so people can shop, dine and explore without worrying about car traffic.
The Promenade will last from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an After-Party in the Station North Arts District from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Newsstand will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the church.
“We want to flood Mount Vernon Square with people drinking coffee and reading newspapers, together,” the bookshop managers say.
Until June 14, the Ivy Bookshop’s Mount Vernon satellite is open Thursday to Sunday, from noon to 6 p.m. Nancy Chambers, a bookseller with the store, said the Newsstand will feature publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun, along with coffee and pastries. Depending on the response to the Newsstand during the Promenade, it may be open other days as well, she said.
More June events at Mount Vernon Place Church
On June 6 at 12:30 p.m., MV Fitness will lead a Pilates class at the church. Participants are requested to bring their own mats. The event costs $5 and all proceeds go to the church rejuvenation effort. Payment is accepted at the door.
On June 26 at 2 p.m. inside the church, Ivy Bookshop and UNITE Mount Vernon are presenting a free concert by composer-performers Patrick Flannery and Marie Herrington entitled: “New Music for Voice, Piano and Electronics.” Donations are welcome to support the artists.
