Morning Poll: Arlington Magazine

Columns

by ARLnow.com August 4, 2011 at 9:22 am 4,505 64 Comments

“Arlington has it all,” proclaims the web site of the county’s newest paper-based publication. “Active, educated residents. Amazing schools. Great restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Beautiful neighborhoods. And a strong sense of community… And now it has a magazine.”

‘Arlington Magazine’ will begin publishing six times a year starting in late October. The magazine “will bring the editorial and design standards of a national magazine to our community while covering the lives and lifestyles of local residents.”

In the words of the Washington Business Journal’s Missy Frederick, it “looks like WBJ and ARLnow will now have some competition breaking such tidbits as ‘Where will the new Dr. Dremo’s sign a lease?'”

According to the magazine’s media kit, Arlington Magazine will serve Arlington, McLean and Falls Church. It will have an initial circulation of ~~20,000~~ 25,000 copies, 15,000 of which will be “mailed to subscribers, prospective subscribers, and community and business leaders.”

How interested are you in a new bimonthly magazine about Arlington?

Steve

Will fail because arlington is full of transients who don’t have much loyalty not much intention to stay here for very long..
- AllenB
  
  But don’t you think they want to know what’s going on while they are here?
- Bashiznitz
  
  I guess that’s why New York Magazine has gone out of business, just like the Washington City Paper. Oh, wait…
- normal
  
  Not if it serves the needs of said transients, giving them info they want while they are here.
Josh S

I don’t know if I’d subsribe, but I’d certainly pick up a copy at the barber shop, etc….
- Nunya
  
  ditto or just see what they have online for free
LP

I like the idea, but lets be honest, this day in age, magazines and print publications are a fading phenomenon.

They’ll have to have a very active website and constantly updated (Sounds like ARLNow) for them to survive.

I think i’ll keep my eyes on http://www.arlnow.com!
- FedUp
  
  +10
- normal
  
  Plenty of magazines are doing just fine these days. Not all people want nothing but constantly updated bits of info all the time.
- Foggy Dew
  
  I disagree with this. Although I haven’t lived there in more than five years, I still look forward to the day my Texas Monthly arrives in my mailbox. It is one of the best publications I’ve ever read and consistantly scores with fascinating articles crafted by great writers. It is truly a magazine you read for the articles (although the photography is pretty good too).
  
  Great writing will always draw in readers, and great writing is something most web sites lack on a consistant basis.
  - Hell yes!
    
    Tx Monthly is a GREAT magazine! Great in-depth pieces, political coverage, great humor–I still miss Kinky’s column but love the Texanist.
  - KArlington
    
    I still make an unbelievable chocolate mousse from a recipe I got in TX Monthly.
  - suzy
    
    I can’t believe I have found other Texas Monthly devotees! So nice to know you are here. GREAT writing in that magazine!
charlie

we got ARLNOW… who needs that?
publishing six times a year. they couldn’t possibly break a story.
and we have Northern Virginia Magazine, Sun Gazette, restaurant Clipper…
ugh. i don’t need it.
- normal
  
  Not all good stories are breaking news.
  
  Read a magazine lately? They have stories that take time to develop. Sometimes you understand something better when you give it time, and a writer takes the time to think it through.
  - Richard Cranium
    
    All relevant news is 140 characters or less. Get with it.
    - normal
      
      I disagree strongly, kind sir! I think one cannot even begin to expostulate on a relevant issue with fewer than 140 characters! I submit to you that a proper analysis of a
      - Foggy Dew
        
        Subtle, very subtle. Also, very funny. Well played, normal, well played.
  - Josh S
    
    Kind of like a book.
22201

I guess I’m interested unless/until I find out it has an annoying liberal bias – then I’m out.
- just me
  
  Same here 22201
  - 22204
    
    i would be interested unless/until it has an annoying contrarian conservative bias. Or if it’s just plain bad.
    - Richard Cranium
      
      Aren’t people who disagree with you annoying?
- normal
  
  Someone like you is bound to find annoying liberal bias wherever you look.
- Venn Diagram
  
  Yep – Arlington has it all. . . I read it on the Internet
  - Richard Cranium
    
    +100 for Bank Robbers
    - Venn Diagram
      
      Thanks. I actually had “Homeless” there just for KEV, but then I figured he’s probably represented by the green dot, so I went with something a little bit more current. Little did I know. . .
  - normal
    
    This diagram is annoyingly liberal-biased.
    - Stephen Colbert
      
      Reality has a liberal bias.
- Overgrown Bush
  
  You could probably count on that.
- Josh S
  
  I wonder what an annoying liberal bias would look like in a magazine like this? Failure to include coverage of the members only bondage / coke parties held in Arlington’s swankier neighborhoods?
  - normal
    
    Calling tax rates “tax rates” instead of just “taxes.”
- Buddy
  
  Ummm.
  You sound like a Texan!??,
- Charlie
  
  MOVE – Oh yah . . . you like it here in Liberal World.
Bashiznitz

They can’t compete with blogs like this one when it comes to breaking news. The one place where coverage is sorely lacking is in-depth analysis of local topics. Stun Gazette is nothing but pro-realtor fluff combined with whose kid won the swim meet. Good for them if they are filling a demand.

I just hope it’s better than Washingtonian. Make it like the City Paper.
- HR
  
  Agree on the City Paper. Need someone to report on the underground arts scene. Right now, its so far underground nobody even knows it’s there !
CW

I think the two can coexist. Blogs/online news sites like ARLnow, DCist, etc. are great at getting the first crack at new stories; magazines and print media are going to understand that they will be getting scooped 99% of the time from now on. Another advantage of the online venue is, yes, these comments. While of course there is a lot of petty bickering, there’s also a lot of productive information added that supplements the stories. For example, how cool was that the other day when, a couple hours after the story was posted, the guy who got his TV stolen was online filling in the details?

However, if the magazine holds itself to truly high journalistic standards and takes the time and care to really research the background for its articles and fill out all the details, then that is an advantage. Whereas here we get the facts as they trickle in, a magazine can give a comprehensive overview in retrospect, telling a whole story. And, nothing online beats a magazine layout, in my opinion.
G

I was interested, until I realized it costs money…
John Fontain

I imagine Arlington Magazine will look something like this…

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/July-August-2011/
- Bashiznitz
  
  That’s my fear. We need muckraking investigative journalism, not cheery fodder for the soccer MILFs to read at the hair salon.
  - 22204
    
    +1
- ARLnow.com
  
  Right, the magazine is from the publisher of Bethesda Magazine. I’d expect it to be more like that than an Arlington version of The New Yorker.
Rosslynite

This might prove to be some worthy competition to my new start-up: “Donaldson Run Magazine.”
- charlie
  
  but isn’t the DRM just a over analyzed weather report?
  - Al Roker
    
    The first issue of DRM will receive a cease and desist from my lawyers . . . .
- normal
  
  Not competition, since Donaldson Run isn’t in Arlington.
  - John
    
    The Donaldson Run Magazine will serve some of Arlington’s most well-educated and well-heeled communities, from Woodmont to Lee Heights. Let’s not ignore the most important demographic in Arlington.
Bashiznitz

Clearly the name of the magazine should be “Bank Robbery Illustrated.”
Dan

How many issues before they move exclusively to the web and then ultimately fold up the tent ??
NOVA Brian

“In the words of the Washington Business Journal’s Missy Frederick, it “looks like WBJ and ARLnow will now have some competition breaking such tidbits as ‘Where will the new Dr. Dremo’s sign a lease?’”

Shots fired!
KArlington

“Arlingtonians are smart and sophisticated, but they don’t take themselves too seriously.”

Now this is a venture that understands its demographics.
- Aaron
  
  Every one of these magazines (Washingtonian is probably the paragon) knows that their primary purpose is to flatter their subscribers into thinking they are smart and sophisticated.
  
  Northern Virginia magazine in particular makes me want to vomit, but strangely enough, I’ve enjoyed the handful of Garden & Gun issues I’ve found lying in a number of upscale places in Arlington.
- Mr. Neutron
  
  They’ve obviously never listened to the County Board for more than 10 seconds …
Rosslynite

I predict a cover story on the perils of children in dog parks – a dogbite waiting to happen.
Joe

Arlington depends for pretty much everything on its proximity to DC. It doesn’t have much else going for it. So what’s to write about?
Valerie Beall

Arlington is an “up and comer” with new restaurants and night spots. Would be great to have a magazine that would raise its status in NVA.
Larchmont

I subscribed. Looking forward to it.
Louise

“Which Arlington Schools Have the Best Teachers?” How the heck could anyone decide that? Yikes.
Lauren

I think it sounds great! It’s about time we get a quality Arlington magazine.
Elizabeth

A sense of community is important and from what I have read, Arlington Magazine will provide just that!
gijsdeleede

Looking forward to getting it. I’ll subscribe!!
ha

Missy Frederick…. h u r t – i n g ! Be nice to see her write about something other than Dr. Dremo’s.
- Ted
  
  Agreed. She’s been waiting to break the dremo’s story for like 4 years now! I smell a Pulitzer….
Michael

I am a 4th generation Arlingtonian (W-L class of ’98), and I can tell you that Arlington is a great place to live and work. With the influx of wealthy transients Arlington’s econmy has thrived. However with that influx the housing prices has soared so much that people like me (31 years old), can barely afford to live there. So many of the true locals end up living out in Loudoun and Prince William. It think that it has become transient to almost an extreme to where much of the character, charm, and “small town” feel that I grew up with is now gone.

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