Editor’s note: Back at home for a big year

Not long after he had convicted the two top legislative leaders in New York state on corruption charges, the then-U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara was keynoting City & State’s 10th anniversary event.

“I want to congratulate you all on being,” he said, “after only Town & Country, the second-most popular periodical named after two required fields on a mail-order form.”

I loved the line. I had been around City & State for just a couple years at the time, and I was tickled that our little magazine would be mentioned in the same breath as that esteemed lifestyle magazine – then celebrating its 170th anniversary.

That was 2016. Now it’s a decade later and City & State is starting our 20th year. While it’s going to take some time to match the longevity of Town & Country, a magazine reaching 20 years is a hell of an achievement at a time when so many news outlets are shrinking or folding.

So this year was the perfect time for me to come back to City & State, my home in journalism, after a stint away reporting at Politico. I love New York political history, and we’ll be digging through the political archives all year. We’re recalling our salad days covering Eliot Spitzer and Mike Bloomberg and reminiscing on the era of Cuomo domination. And just like Mamdani, we’ll be studying the de Blasio period.

Of course, we’re not just looking backward. There’s so much new in New York City politics with a new mayor, new speaker and so many people with new jobs and titles as Adams & Adams hand over the keys to City Hall to M&M. That’s our focus this week as we show you the mayor’s inauguration through the eyes of five key New Yorkers. We’re also introducing you to each of the new City Council members. They really seem to like each other … for now.

I look forward to hearing news tips and ideas from readers on how to make City & State stronger as we work to keep your trust in maintaining the always serious, sometimes silly work of covering New York politics.

Jeff Coltin

Editor-in-Chief

City & State New York