Take Time Out, Chicago

By Aaron Bailey in News on Mar 4, 2005 6:17PM

Can Chicagoans handle another weekly read? Following London and New York, Chicago finally gets a Time Out magazine all to itself. Today marks the launch of TimeOut Chicago, a weekly "bible" of food, movies, events, books, arts, theater, clubs, music, gay/lesbian happenings... the list goes on and on.

The magazine aims to give Chicagoans what Metromix, the Red papers and Chicago Reader lack. In the debut issue, Editor-in-Chief Chad Schlegel declares, "We've read the other guys and feel you deserve more." Can Chicagoist get an "AMEN!"?

Schlegel has spent the past few months quietly assembling a staff and preparing to crank out a weekly magazine -- not an easy task. Reuters reports that the average age of TOC staff writers is 26. (Incidentally, Chicagoist's average maturity level is about half that.)

One such staff writer is Chicagoist's dearly departed co-editor Margaret Lyons, who serves as television critic. Her first column on Kirstie Alley's Fat Actress sadly doesn't use the c-word, but Margaret's special brand of humor is clearly evident.

Predictably, Chicago's MSM is already dissin' the new kid in town. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Lewis Lazare isn't impressed, giving the issue a B- for targeting the "hip young readers" in a city that can't support it:

For better or worse, Chicago is not New York or London, two worldly cities with much in common. Much as some might want to think otherwise, Chicago is --and always will be -- middle America.

Got that Second City? He says we're not a New York or London.

According to Folio Magazine, TimeOut expects its Chicago property will have an average circulation of 40,000 by early 2006.

Admittedly, we're a tad biased in favor of TOC, but pick up a copy on the newsstand and then if you're impressed, subscribe here.