L Magazine

The L Magazine
Editor-in-ChiefMike Conklin
FrequencyBiweekly
PublisherNick Burry
Total circulation
(2011)		106,600[1]
FounderScott Stedman, Daniel Stedman
Founded 2003 (2003-month)
Final issueJuly 2015
CompanyThe L Magazine LLC
Based inBrooklyn
Websitewww.thelmagazine.com

The L Magazine was a free bi-weekly magazine in New York City featuring investigative articles, arts and culture commentary, and event listings. It was available through distribution in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Hoboken.

History

The L Magazine was created in 2003 by brothers Scott and Daniel Stedman and editor Jonny Diamond in Dumbo, Brooklyn.[2] The brothers named it for the L train, a subway line that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan.[3] It ceased publication in July 2015, with resources shifted to sister publication Brooklyn Magazine.

The Boxing Match

The L's launch coincided with that of New York Sports Express,[4] an offshoot of New York Press. The distribution boxes used by Express and The L looked very similar; both were bright orange, and they were the same shape and color.

While most likely a coincidence, Express editor-in-chief Jeff Koyen decided to print a series of barbs[5] against Scott Stedman, The L's publisher. Stedman responded with a full-sized ad in The L challenging Koyen to a boxing match. On October 25, Koyen and Stedman boxed at Gleason's Gym in Dumbo,[6] Brooklyn to settle the score. The match ended in a draw, and no re-match was rescheduled.[7][8]

The boxing match was re-created on the TV show Bored to Death. Jonathan Ames claims in his blog[9][10] that the season finale was based on this match.

Events

In 2005, The L Magazine launched Summer Screen,[11] a free weekly film series in Brooklyn's McCarren Park.[12][13]

In 2009, The L Magazine launched the Northside Music Festival.[14][15] Headliners included indie rock acts Cymbals Eat Guitars, The Dodos, Screaming Females, and Real Estate (band). In 2010, The L Magazine hosted the second Northside Festival,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] featuring performances by Polvo, Liars (band), Elvis Perkins in Dearland, and The Fiery Furnaces.[23] The festival also hosted the films Feast of Stephen by James Franco[24] and Life During Wartime by Todd Solondz.[25][26]

Awards

In November 2010, The L Magazine art critic Paddy Johnson was nominated for Art Critic of the Year in the Rob Pruitt Art Awards[27][28][29]

Sources

  1. ^ "ABC". Abcas3.accessabc.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  2. ^ "The L Magazine". Gawker.com. April 14, 2003. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  3. ^ Husni, Samir (December 20, 2016). "Brooklyn Magazine: Born From The Womb Of Its Mother, The L Magazine, This Artistically-Focused Magazine With A Regional Title Is Much More Than A Dart On A Map As It Showcases The Creative Movement That's Alive & Well And Living In Brooklyn – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Daniel Stedman, Co-Founder and Publisher, Brooklyn Magazine". MrMagazine.Wordpress.com. Retrieved November 26, 2020. Scott and I got this idea for The L Magazine, which admittedly has been a difficult brand name over time; people thought it was a lesbian magazine, or people have confused it with Elle, the fashion magazine, but the significance of the name I think was always appropriate in the subway that connected Greensburg with the East Village, or you could say more broadly, one of the trains connecting Brooklyn and downtown.
  4. ^ Taibbi, Matt (July 27, 2004). "R.I.P. Nysxr.I.P. Nysx". Nypress.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  5. ^ "EntertainmentEntertainment". Nypress.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  6. ^ "Koyen v. Stedman Pictures". Gawker.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  7. ^ Elzweig, Matt (October 29, 2003). "Articles: Boxing Writers". Mediabistro. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  8. ^ "NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: NY UP CLOSE; News Boxes In a Face-Off, Sort of – New York Times". The New York Times. August 3, 2003. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  9. ^ "Bored to Death: Homepage". HBO. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  10. ^ Chaudhury, Nadia (December 28, 2009). "Green, how I want you green: Brooklyn Boxing". Mysticchildz.blogspot.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  11. ^ Parks, Richard (July 16, 2009). "Greenpoint Gazette:Reality Bites, but L Magazine's Summerscreen film showings do not". Greenpointnews.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  12. ^ Ries, Brian (July 14, 2010). "Weather 1, Bowie 0: Labyrinth SummerScreen Rescheduled Due to Rain". FREEwilliamsburg. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  13. ^ Ray, Kate (June 28, 2008). "Cinema under the stars". The Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  14. ^ "The Northside Festival Celebrates Brooklyn". Interview Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  15. ^ Baron, Zach (April 30, 2010). "2010 Northside Festival Lineup Announced! – New York Music – Sound of the City". Blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  16. ^ Rubenfeld, Samuel (June 22, 2010). "Northside Festival Celebrates Music, Film Art, Hipsters – Speakeasy – WSJ". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  17. ^ Colter, Seth (June 28, 2010). "The Northside Festival: It Turns Out Punk Is Dead-To Hipsters". The Awl. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  18. ^ "Northside Festival". New York Post. June 21, 2010. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  19. ^ "CoS Presents: Northside Festival '10 showcase featuring Les Savy Fav & Polvo". Consequence of sound. June 15, 2010. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010.
  20. ^ "We Were There: Northside Festival 2010". Gothamist. June 28, 2010. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  21. ^ "Northside Festival on Sunday: Harper Blynn, The Art of Shooting, Jody Porter, The Canon Logic and More | Sentimentalist Magazine". Sentimentalistmag.com. June 30, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  22. ^ Weston, Hillary (June 23, 2010). "Get Ready for the Northside Festival – Nightlife – BlackBook". Blackbookmag.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  23. ^ Baron, Zach (April 30, 2010). "2010 Northside Festival Lineup Announced! – New York Music – Sound of the City". Blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  24. ^ "The second annual Northside Festival brings The Fiery Furnaces and James Franco to Williamsburg". NY Daily News. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  25. ^ "Indiescreen is a new movie theater & music venue in Williamsburg (Brooklyn Film Fest happening now)". Brooklynvegan.com. June 7, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  26. ^ Linderman, Juliet (July 1, 2010). "Greenpoint Gazette:Northside Takes Over the Northside". Greenpointnews.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  27. ^ Paddy Johnson (November 17, 2010). "Rob Pruitt Awards Announced: Paddy Johnson Lands Critic of The Year Nomination". Artfagcity.com. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  28. ^ "2010 Art Awards". The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  29. ^ Artinfo (November 17, 2010). "Rob Pruitt Art Award Nominees Announced". Artinfo. Retrieved November 10, 2011.