A Note from the Editor of Boston Magazine

From the shops at Copley to the bustling construction of the Seaport, Boston has gone from Boom Town to Ghost Town in the blink of an eye. Schools have closed, restaurants are delivery-only, events have all been canceled, and those who still have jobs—including everyone in our office—are working from home at the request of the government in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, a pandemic the likes of which no one has ever seen. With no end in sight, most of the people I know, including family and friends, are anxious and confused as we slowly learn to adjust to and make sense of the new normal.

At this point, it seems like nearly a lifetime ago that we sent Boston’s April issue to print, even though in reality, it has only been a few weeks. It’s remarkable how quickly our world—and our city—has changed. Given that the coronavirus had yet to hit New England at press time, much of what you read in that edition will feel outdated by the time it reaches newsstands on Tuesday, March 24. While we’re sad that this is the case, it is unfortunately the reality many monthly magazines with lengthy lead times are facing during this rapidly developing global crisis.

At the same time, though, we’ve invested significantly in our digital product over the past decade, and since last week, we’ve dedicated the entire editorial team to covering the crisis daily from every possible angle on bostonmagazine.com. In addition to offering daily updates and analysis on the news you need to know to stay safe and informed, we’ll continue to publish stories that help you make important quality-of-life decisions while you’re hunkering down—from guides to top-notch food delivery and the best virtual workouts to how to manage working from home and what you can do to support area businesses that need our collective help more than ever.

While much of our May print issue was also mapped out before the pandemic took hold, we are currently working to include stories about COVID-19’s impact on the city. In these trying times, though, we remain more committed than ever to our mission of decreasing the pain and increasing the pleasure of living in Boston, so expect to keep finding many of the same types of stories that you’ve come to expect from us—ones that make you smile, laugh, and dream of brighter days to come. In these unprecedented times, I want to thank you for your continued support and remind us all that no matter how we find ourselves living in the next few months, one thing is certain: We’re all in this together.