Well, the first copy of New Angeles Monthly landed in my mailbox yesterday afternoon -- that's the mailbox tucked under the hibiscus and white flies, the one that tends to be fed only once a day. New Angeles calls itself "A monthly magazine devoted to the revival of downtown and the 'new' eastside," and its publisher, Charles Gerencser, who says he grew up on the "border of Echo Park and Silver Lake, writes that "The concept for this magazine was born out of my perception that the Eastside [his cap and one word] lacked a meaningful upscale magazine to call its own." I guess that would be a void left unfilled by Gerry Sullivan's socially conscious Garment & Citizen, which covers mostly the same ground, geographically speaking. In an editor's note that runs vertically alonside the publisher's note, Editor Nikki Bazar writes, "We developed this monthly magazine to bring attention to the art and culture of Los Angeles' Eastside."

One question: why are their offices -- at 5209 Wilshire, 90036 -- on the west side? Rents too low down this way?

Nonetheless, the debut issue is solid. Newsy. an article on the Community Redevelopment Agency's plan for a pedestrian-friendly downtown, and a review of the Echo Park vegetarian restaurant Elf, an article on the artists collective Art Dorks. I'll be reading it with interest. One of the society pages of magazine has a picture of Mathew Swenson of American Apparel. Coincidentally, the mag also has a relatively demure American Apparel ad: just a young woman/girl, an Ugly Betty-type of beauty, in a gray t-shirt. Her body looks normal-healthy, what you can see of it, and I say yay for that.

Is it a coicidence that I mention the American Apparel ad in New Angeles? No, it's not. Earlier this week, I had emailed Spencer Windes of American Apparel asking what was up with the billboard at Sunset and Alvarado. Curbed LA recently reported that the company had signed a four-year lease for the space, but for several weeks, the billboard has advertised nothing but itself: advertise here. Spencer got back to me yesterday saying that they stand by their billboard, which has special meaning for the company because it's at the location of their first store. He said there would indeed be a new ad posted, even as early as today. And then, today, I made a point of driving the intersection and there it was, a new American Apparel ad. No kiddie porn this time. Just shorts and legs. Nothing lascivious. I may even buy a pair.

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Meanwhile, Arthur Magazine's Jay Babcock tells his online readership that the return publication issue of Arthur will be available -- i.e., in your hands -- in late July. For those who will starve in the meantime without some kind of Arthur meal, he offers the Magpie blog, this most recent post a lengthy co-entry by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley.