You Are Here
Let’s admit this right now: We’re a little nervous. The redesigned Orange Coast you’re holding has a proud 34-year legacy in Orange County. This magazine has been a reliable monthly barometer of local style, trends, news, and people since it first hit newsstands in 1974. It was here long before its current crop of competitors, and it has outlived many others that set out to replicate its success. The idea of changing something with such a storied local history struck some as folly, like tampering with the formula for Coca-Cola or adding a face to Mount Rushmore.
So, why change it? The answer is simple: Because Orange County changes.
Regional magazines—the great ones, anyway—are more than just slick catalogs of local lifestyles and amenities. They help define their place. They crystallize in words and pictures the elusive energy of the community they serve. They celebrate local heroes and expose villains; interpret events and add context to news; honor local history while guiding readers to exciting new discoveries just outside their doors.
In short, they help readers understand the full meaning of the phrase: “You are here.”
And so, late last year, we set out to completely rethink and redesign Orange Coast and www.orangecoastmagazine.com. We wanted to create a magazine that reflected the dynamic region that Orange County has become, and which would be as elegant, ambitious, smart, and fun as the people who live here.
With that, we present the culmination of those efforts and the first step in an ongoing process we hope will turn Orange Coast into one of the best regional magazines in the country. We’re guided by the deep experience of Emmis Communications, which bought this magazine a year ago, and which understands the art and science of regional magazines better than any other publisher. Among large-circulation magazines at last month’s annual City and Regional Magazine Association awards, all three finalists for general excellence were Emmis publications—Los Angeles, Texas Monthly, and Atlanta. That’s no accident, and it’s our privilege to be part of that family.
After 3½ decades as Orange County’s leading magazine, we know your standards are as high as Emmis’, and we’re looking forward to your suggestions for improving the magazine in the months ahead. But this month, please forgive our damp palms and exaggerated personal tics. We’re told that’s perfectly normal, at least when you’re as excited as we are.
Martin J. Smith
Editor-in-Chief