We were sad to hear the news reported by David Zurawik in the Baltimore Sun Friday night that Urbanite magazine will close at the end of the month. The free monthly came on the scene about ten years ago and was a welcome addition to Baltimore media. Its design by the talented Alex Castro, its talented writers and its wonky editorial voice made it standout in the crowd.
For the last few months we had heard about its possible demise from writers and publishers, but we hoped for the best. It’s not easy to run any kind of media enterprise and the challenges in print media in 2012 make it especially tough. “If this year had been a healthier year in terms of economic growth, I don’t think we would be going out of business,” Urbanite publisher Tracy Ward told the Sun.
Urbanite’s focus on public policy, area nonprofits, urban development, city planning and more met its mission of “addressing the issues affecting the relationship between the city and those who live there.” More information and a greater exchange of ideas is always good for a community. With Urbanite gone, there will be a little less of that in Baltimore.
We, along with many other readers and fans, will miss Urbanite. We wish Tracy and her staff well.
sadness…the Urbanite rocks.