We fought back tears when we heard that New York magazine's "Intelligencer" writer Deborah Schoeneman would be taking her skills to a new architecture and real estate column — why is editor Adam Moss trying to make things so evil and cultured?! But wait, it gets worse: in an effort to deprive us of any and all timeworthy trash, the publication will be unveiling its redesign, including new sections entitled "The Culture Pages" and a reimagined "Strategist."

After the jump, the press release for the new New York magazine. The frighteningly sparse description for the newly-fashioned "Intelligencer" has us in cold sweats, but be brave in the absence of buzz and read on.


For Immediate Release
September 14, 2004

New York Magazine to Introduce New Sections and New Design
Three-phase Rollout to Target Past, Current and New Readers

NEW YORK New York Magazine will introduce a new format and a new design in three phases over the course of the fall.

"After months of experimenting, in public, with New York Magazine, we're ready to put in place the architecture of a New York we plan to stick with for a while," said editor-in-chief Adam Moss. "Over three dates in mid-fall, we will roll out new content and an updated design intended to aid and abet New Yorkers' love affair with their city. We hope the new version of the magazine will prove indispensable to anyone anywhere who believes in New York's power, centrality and magic."

The new format draws heavily from the rich history of the 36-year-old magazine, honoring that tradition and modernizing it at the same time. "It's more than a redesign and less than a relaunch," Moss said. "This is just another step in this legendary magazine s evolution. But we hope it introduces the magazine to new readers, reintroduces it to past readers, and solidifies the powerful relationship the magazine has with current readers."

In the issue on sale October 11, "The Strategist" will debut. Named for the magazine s longstanding "Urban Strategist" column, "The Strategist" will serve as an authoritative, sophisticated, witty and useful sourcebook to every facet of New York living, including eating, shopping, parenting, pampering, apartment-hunting, struggling and surviving the city. A reimagined version of the classic "Best Bets" column will anchor the section, which will be peppered with smart, playful, useable new devices for navigating New York City.

In the issue on sale November 1, "The Culture Pages" will debut. Growing out of the magazine s current "Critics" section, the "Culture Pages" will examine film, theater, television, books, music and art through many lenses, offering readers not only authoritative reviews, but also spirited reportage on the culture-making process coverage meant to take full advantage of New York s place as the cultural capital of the world.

In the issue on sale November 15, the rest of the redesign of the magazine will debut, including an updated "Intelligencer" section, new columns and modifications to the feature well.

"New York Magazine has always had a profoundly loyal readership and core group of advertisers who are passionate about the magazine's consistent authority, wit, sophistication and usefulness," said publisher Larry Burstein. "I am confident that this reintroduction will not only thrill our devoted fans with its allegiance to what has always been great about New York, but will entice new and former readers and advertisers to take another look at the ways we re building on past successes."

Details about each new section, along with prototypes, will be available for review in the week prior to each new section s on-sale date.