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?