My Longlasting Love Affair with New York Magazine

I am not ashamed to admit that I am a huge fan of 'New York' magazine. I was, for many years, a longtime subscriber to the "New Yorker", that highbrow, vastly more intellectual weekly that has wonderful, outrageous cartoons and some of the best articles ever in print. Switching my allegiance from the New Yorker to "New York" magazine was for me, somewhat akin to changing my drink order from a vodka cocktail to Bud Lite.

'New York' is the literary equivalent of a marshamallow: Soft, puffy on the inside, easy to digest, cute and friendly in appearance.

When I was a subscriber to the New Yorker, I viewed it as a commitment on my part. It was not an inexpensive publication, but certainly worth its price tag. Nonetheless, having made the financial - and emotional - commitment to buy the magazine, it seemed vaguely improper and somewhat amoral not to read it cover to cover. I might miss something the first time around, so clever and layered its articles. Interviews were nearly always steeped in depth. When the journalist put that much time and effort into his work, it was not to be skimmed lightly.

The photographs, especially those in black and white, were themselves works of art. it was also a bit of a highbrow publication, dealing with the arts, culture, and issues pertinent to New York in a manner not to be taken lightly. Even its Letters to the Editor were always carefully and thoughtfully worded. In short, it required a substantial investment of my time. Mention should be made of its many and wonderful cartoons, cartoons with a message or an affiliation with New York culture that was like a shared secret. They often made me laugh out loud.

AThings change. Kids are born, moves are made, life spins on a dime. I found that I no longer had the leisure time required to do the New Yorker justice.

And then I found 'New York' by accident - literally. When I received an invoice for what I thought was a renewal of my New York subscription, it was, in fact, for New York magazine. I inadvertently subscribed to the 'wrong' magazine. (To this day, I continue to receive 'renewals' from both magazines.)

When I received my first issue of New York, I immediately realized the error of my ways. While the New Yorker's covers were tasteful, sometimes a bit staid, studious, New York magazine was like the bratty little brother of your best friend: bold, in your face, slightly crazed, no holds barred. I have actually several favorite New York covers: the one featuring Elliott Spitzer full length, with the word 'brain' pointing to his genitals. The Photoshopped John McCain and Barack Obama sitting together on beach chairs in the Hamptons. Lindsay Lohan wearing little more than a scarf. If nothing else, New York knows the value of 'shock and awe' when it comes to its covers. How could you resist the recent issue which showed a Photoshopped Michelle Obama and her two young daughters, dressed for Christmas, the youngest daughter holding a cute, cuddly puppy? In the contemporary sense, New York's covers are works of art unto themselves.

What I also love about New York magazine is that it's like the experience of eating at a McDonald's. Yes, you know that it's junk food, but you're there for only one meal. Yes, you know that you're putting on unwanted calories, that the food isn't healthy and isn't doing any good for you nutritionally, but boy, doesn't it taste good!

Another big plus for New York Magazine? The entire issue can be read in less than a day, probably less than four hours, actually. Once you've digested its contents, you can go back at your leisure to re-read those catchy little sound bytes and short articles that drew your interest the first time around.

TWe'll take a brief (is there any other kind?) look at the December 1, 2008 issue of New York. Over a golden-hazed photo of a mass of people out in the open screms the headline 'The Loneliness Myth'. With the holidays staring us right in the face, which of us isn't genuinely interested in learning more about loneliness, whether you live in New York or not? The actual article - four pages of it - was an easy read, and useful not only to the New Yorkers who might be surprised to find out that in the City, one half of them live in single households.

We also had a one-pager on interesting lamps, a short (another one pager) guide to the city's sample sales, a commentary on the New York real estate market by a couple of brokers (two pages!), and those lovely, lively and short media reviews. A page was dedicated to Jeffrey Wright and the amazing year he's had both personally and professionally (hint: he played the transsexual nurse in 'Angels in America'). 'Milk', '24' Cindy Sherman's new exhibit all rated a nod, as did the theatrical productions of 'American Buffalo' (now you know where Haley Joel Osment has been spending his time since seeing dead people) and 'Bounce'. A couple of light, breezy restaurant guides filled out the pages, as did an interesting 'Look Book'. Each month, New York takes a hard, long look at the physical appearance of a person. (They've actually compiled a hard copy of this weekly fixture, 'The Look Book Book'.) This week featured a lesbian couple, although, to be honest, you had to look twice and actually read the interview to know that. There was a titillating article on the Lower East Side 'theater' The Box, which was this week's token nod to the smutty, salacious, scandalous, something that New York always manages to insert into every issue.

One of the best reads is their one-page blurb on celebrities photographed at local events: movie premieres, fundraisers, club openings. You never know who will grace those pages, and it leaves you sometimes wondering just why that particular person showed up at that particular event. Even their Letters to the Editor section is uniquely New York/New Age: it's been re-titled as "Comments" in a tip of the hat to the printed comments the magazine receives from readers regarding previous issues.

As I recall, the cost for a two-year subscription was $24. (I recently renewed mine, of course.) That translates into... a nice lunch at a decent restaurant, movie tickets for two, a pair of pedestrian pumps on sale. For the price and the content, New York magazine can't be beat - and you can always catch it online as well!