NYT's Urbanite: Second Only To 'Borat'

Deputy managing editor and digital honcho Jon Landman sent a staff memo around the New York Times today, offically announcing Urbanite, "a daily newsletter devoted to some of the best stuff to do in New York today." It is, he writes, "the second-biggest premiere in New York this week." Edited by Arts & Leisure chief Ariel Kaminer, and written by former Boldfacer Melena Ryzik—writer, reporter, and snappy dresser—,the daily mailer has already made headlines this week on Jossip.

The "second-biggest premiere" status places the newsletter's debut below Borat—but above Volver! The memo follows.

To: The Staff From: Jonathan Landman

November 3, 2006

It's got to be the second-biggest premiere in New York this week: Urbanite has arrived.

What's Urbanite?

In its own words, "a daily newsletter devoted to some of the best stuff to do in New York today - from culture to style to food to nightlife, from the upscale to the underground. Based on selections from NYTimes.com (with some bonuses thrown in), it'll be a handy cheat sheet to enlightenment, adventure and fun."

It's also a first step toward something bigger: Our ambition to be the people New Yorkers turn to for help finding useful and interesting things - events, facts, places, analysis, clothing, literature, tickets, conversation, whatever - on their computers, cell phones or devices yet to be invented. It goes without saying that these kinds of ambitions aren't limited to New York.

The first issue landed in e-mail boxes this morning with advice on what to do if you're hungry for Kazakh cuisine (there are no Kazakh restaurants in New York - who knew?) and news on the end of the CMJ Music Marathon and the beginning of the real marathon.

(The first-biggest premiere? Hint in previous paragraph.)

Congratulations to Melena Ryzik, Ariel Kaminer, author and editor, and on the web side, Dan Saltzstein, Mike Foley, Rebecca Paterson, Nicole Mobley, Sha Li and Irene Kors.

If you haven't subscribed, you can do so here.