The Unusual Barcelona lands in New York!
Casa Magazines and Iconic Magazines, two leading spaces for independent print culture in New York and Barcelona, have added The Unusual Barcelona to their shelves.
Our magazine-guide dedicated to Barcelona can now be found at Casa Magazines and Iconic Magazines, two New York references for independent editorial culture and contemporary publications.
This is especially exciting news for us, as it means continuing to bring a deeply personal perspective on Barcelona to spaces that understand magazines not simply as publications, but as cultural objects.
Casa Magazines, an editorial icon in the heart of New York
Located in Manhattan’s West Village, Casa Magazines is far more than a magazine shop.
Founded in 1995, this small New York corner has become a true pilgrimage site for lovers of editorial design, photographers, artists, creative directors and curious readers from all over the world.
With thousands of carefully selected international publications, Casa Magazines represents the spirit of independent print culture: diversity, editorial discernment and a genuine passion for paper.
Much of that identity is also shaped by the people behind the project. Since Mohammed Ahmed took over Casa Magazines in the 1990s, alongside Ali Wasim, the space has evolved into far more than a specialised newsstand: it has become a genuine meeting point for photographers, artists, writers, editors and lovers of independent magazines from across the globe.
In recent years, figures such as Happy — responsible for creative strategy and partnerships — and photographer and content creator Tammy David have also contributed to expanding and strengthening the community surrounding Casa Magazines, bringing the project closer to new generations without losing its deeply human and cultural essence.
“Casa Magazines is one of the most emblematic spaces for independent editorial culture in New York.”
Behind Casa Magazines there is also a community deeply committed to the survival and celebration of independent print culture.
Its team doesn’t view magazines merely as commercial products, but as cultural tools capable of generating conversation, thought and connection between creative people from different parts of the world.
It is precisely this human and curatorial sensitivity that has turned Casa Magazines into such a special space within New York’s cultural scene.
And now, among its selection of art, fashion, architecture, photography and contemporary culture magazines, you can also find The Unusual Barcelona.
Entering Casa Magazines means discovering publications that are difficult to find elsewhere. Magazines designed to be browsed slowly, to inspire and to reclaim the value of the tangible in a moment dominated by the digital, as well as publications conceived not only to inform, but also to move, collect and become part of the everyday lives of those who love visual culture and editorial design.
Iconic Magazines: independent magazines and editorial culture in New York
The Unusual Barcelona also becomes part of the selection at Iconic Magazines, one of New York’s most interesting projects dedicated to independent magazines and contemporary editorial culture.
Founded by Hemal Sheth, Iconic began as a small family grocery store and has evolved into a genuine meeting point for lovers of editorial design, international publications and contemporary visual culture.
With several locations between Bowery, Mulberry Street and Lafayette, the project brings together everything from major international titles to hard-to-find niche publications, always guided by a carefully curated perspective and a strong editorial sensibility.
But beyond its magazine selection, what truly defines the spirit of Iconic is its ability to build community. Its spaces regularly host gatherings, pop-ups, events and temporary installations connecting brands, artists, readers and creatives through contemporary print culture.
Far from viewing magazines as fast-consumption products, Hemal Sheth and his team defend paper as a physical, emotional and cultural experience. A philosophy that deeply resonates with the way we understand editorial projects such as The Unusual Barcelona.
An editorial and emotional perspective on Barcelona
Curated and directed by Cecilia Camacho, editor and creative director of CC/magazine, The Unusual Barcelona was created with the intention of revealing a different side of Barcelona: more intimate, creative and authentic.
The publication brings together carefully selected recommendations, interviews, features, photography and local voices that invite readers to discover the city from within through a more personal and culturally connected perspective. This latest edition also represents a natural evolution of the project towards a hybrid format situated somewhere between an independent magazine and an author-led city guide.
Voices that shape the city
One of the elements that distinguishes The Unusual Barcelona is the inclusion of various local voices offering intimate and personal perspectives on the city.
Figures such as Nuria Val (Rowse), Helena Agustí (La Culture House), Verònica Fuerte (Hey Studio), Christian Schallert (Hotel Brummell) and Inés Sans (Casa Bonay) share the places that form part of their emotional map of Barcelona.
These stories offer far more than recommendations: they open windows onto a city that is lived, felt and reinterpreted through creative perspectives.
“The Unusual Barcelona includes different local voices offering perspectives on the city.”
More than 400 recommendations selected with sensitivity and editorial vision
Across its pages, readers will discover more than 400 addresses organised by neighbourhood and category: cafés, restaurants, hotels, galleries, bookshops, creative studios, concept stores, bakeries, cultural spaces and special corners that form part of the city’s emotional landscape.
Each recommendation has been selected through a personal and editorial lens, prioritising projects with identity, sensitivity and soul.
Features and interviews capturing the soul of Barcelona
Alongside its recommendations, the magazine includes interviews with artists, designers and architects such as Salva López, Chidy Wayne, Mesura and Flowers by Bornay, collaborations with photographers including Martina Matencio, Fabrizio Colque, Guillaume Lavrut and Marta Vidal, as well as inspirational quotes scattered throughout its pages, among many other details enriching both the reading and visual experience.
“Behind every detail lies a clear intention: to reclaim the pleasure of slow reading and the value of the printed object.”
All of them contribute different perspectives on Barcelona and help construct a more human and contemporary portrait of the city.
An editorial object designed to be enjoyed slowly
Printed on premium Fedrigoni papers, bound with an exposed Japanese spine and presented in recyclable PET vacuum packaging, The Unusual Barcelona has been conceived as a publication to keep, collect and revisit.
Behind every detail lies a clear intention: to reclaim the pleasure of slow reading and the value of the printed object in an era defined by immediacy. Because we believe cities can also be narrated through emotion, design and editorial sensitivity. And now, from New York, The Unusual Barcelona becomes part of spaces that celebrate precisely that way of understanding magazines.
Over the past few weeks we have sold out on our online shop, but in addition to finding copies in New York, the magazine will also be available through our network of physical stockists.
Enjoy it while listening to our Spotify playlist!
(*) Photos: Rizon Parein / Instagram: @Rizon_Parein.
