McNews

McNews is well worth the visit. It’s got a very good selection of periodicals including a really well-​stocked collection of literary reviews.
In this category of shops, Mayfair News is the leader so I’ll use them as the standard for McNews. Generally McNews is a little lighter in selections than Mayfair, but marginally so.
An important area of difference is in the European literature, which is noticeable smaller.
McNews stands out in the fact that they take care to keep and distribute periodical inserts such as CDs, literary supplements, and weekend reviews; you can find some real treasures if you look carefully.
They also have a fair selection of pulps, greeting cards, and calendars.

In addition to the British moto mags that I love, the place has the sort of ambience I look for in a magazine store. A little worn around the edges, not so brightly lit as one of the big chain book stores.
In short, it feels local and comfortable and has a ton of obscure and imported magazines.

If you’re a magazine junkie, McNews has your drug. This little store on the corner of 15^th and Lonsdale carries everything from the popular mass-​market titles to obscure and independent publications — Backwoods Outdoorsman, anyone?
You can spend hours in here browsing the racks, which are all very well organized and neatly kept. You can look at stuff before you buy it, too — as long as you’re not sitting on the floor blatantly reading for free, the staff won’t chide you.
Since I live a ways away now, I go to McNews every so often to stock up on great magazines not typically carried by most drugstores and supermarkets. My only nagging question about McNews is why they put some of my favourite mags — like Bust and Nylon — in the gay/​lesbian interest section. I’ve been meaning to talk to them about that…