Travel + Leisure Hates Los Angeles

Blogging.la links to the new America’s Favorite Cities poll being conducted by Travel + Leisure magazine — and Los Angeles is getting killed by the haters.

The survey ranks Los Angeles near the bottom (out of the nation’s top 25 destination cities) in Environmental awareness (!), safety, access to outdoors (!), cityscape, cleanliness, pedestrian friendliness, public parks/spaces, skyline/views, architecture/notable buildings and Historical sites/monuments.

Then there’s the people categories. We’re ranked DEAD LAST when it comes to friendliness and intelligence, and near the bottom in “fun” and “worldly.” We’re below the top ten in diversity (!) as well.

Gimmie a break. Do people hate the concept of Los Angeles so much that they refuse to acknowledge our city’s strengths?

Another Stab at a Pasadena City Magazine

Pasadena magazine launches later this year — but don’t be too hard on yourself if you thought Pasadena magazine already existed.

It did exist — actually, several magazines have existed under that name through the years, but none have lasted. Launching and sustaining a big-city mag is tough enough, but keeping one going for a smaller city like Pasadena is even tougher. Here’s an old Pasadena mag (notice its upscale pretensions) that existed in the early 1990s:

Enter the new Pasadena mag, which promises to cover all of the San Gabriel Valley — including, strangely, Glendale… which isn’t a part of the San Gabriel Valley. But that’s OK. (Glendale is woefully underserved by local media, given its population — 205,000. But that’s a rant for another day.)

The Pasadena Star News’ Larry Wilson received the same “charter membership” mailer that I did, and took issue with the mag’s sense of geography:

Going through the mail at home Monday, I was therefore fascinated when I fished out a fat, glossy envelope inviting me to subscribe to the new Pasadena magazine: “Smart. Sophisticated. Sexy.”

Well, thank you very much. That’s me all over, your target reader for sure.
Yes, other magazines have had that title before. I don’t know who’s behind this one; the only name anywhere in the vast literature (besides “Your editorial team”) is of publisher Mark C. Hulme. I wish them all the best.

You do have to know your market, though. Yes, it will sell, as we do, outside the city limits. But in his “Dear Reader” letter – you know the drill: “big-city buzz with small-town heart” – the publisher writes, “Whether it’s the latest shopping down Mission Street or the magic of a drive down Christmas Tree lane, Pasadena captures the spirit of our one-of-a-kind city …”

Mmmm. One of a kind, Pasadena may be. But Mission Street is in South Pasadena; Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena.

Coming Soon to a Newsstand Near You: Los Angeles’ Life Force

You’ve probably seen the billboards all over town advertising something called “RealTalkLA.”

The new local magazine hits stands May 1 — the same day its companion website (www.realtalkla.com) goes live.

But I’ve been baffled by the tiny print in the magazine’s logo, which reads, “Los Angeles Lifeforce.”

What does that mean? And why is it in the logo, in such tiny print? Is it a part of the magazine’s name? And does “Lifeforce” have to do with some sort of spiritual movement?

I called RealTalkLA’s Peter Nichols, whose name is listed on the magazine’s original press release.

Nichols told me my questions would be answered once I had the magazine in my hands. But no, it’s not a part of any larger movement, he said, it’s just a tag line.

“We want to be the driving life force for Los Angeles,” said Nichols, who said the magazine wants to be the source for “good, helpful, healthy information.”

“It’s us and our website building a community,” he said.

I dunno, if that’s the case, the whole line “Los Angeles Lifeforce” may be a little too distracting. Your average reader might be confused as to whether that’s the real name of the magazine.

As a magazine junkie, I’m definitely curious. And I always believe the more local media, the better. Here are more details, from the initial RealTalkLA press release:

“RealTALK LA and Realtalkla.com are re-inventing the concept of a city magazine and creating the next evolution of local online community,” said CEO and Creative Director Levin. “We’re out to capture the new spirit, culture and energy of a very changed 21st Century Los Angeles. That of course includes the multicultural diversity of the region. We’re creating inclusive media that gives a voice and a visible presence to all the people of LA. And for everyone we’re going to reveal far more of the exceptional range of mindsets, activities, felt lives and sectors that engage people here. Essentially we’re unmasking an unknown LA.”

The first issue of RealTALK LA, a full color, glossy, high quality monthly magazine, will reach more than 250,000 readers through free distribution at premium locations throughout the city and by home delivery to select households beginning in May 2007.

The companion Web site, RealTALKla.com, which is intended to create a new Los Angeles online community, will feature unique digital media technology, including up-to-the-minute news, Wiki, blogs, Web casts, social networking and a downloadable calendar of local events. The site will premiere online in late April and is expected to reach more than 800,000 unique viewers per month.

More info can be found at the RealTalkLA MySpace page.

RealTalkLA isn’t the only new local mag hitting stands in the coming weeks. As LAObserved notes, the recently renamed New Angeles Monthly — targeting the “east side” (er, how about “Los Angeles east of La Cienega”)– debuts this June.