Auld lang syne

When I started drafting this editor’s letter, I was working alone on the fifth floor of WXXI, filing stories for our Winter Guide late one Monday night. I love coming into the office when it’s quiet and dark. Looking out the windows at the dotted lights, I was waxing poetic about the views around High Falls — the burned out “D” on Kodak Tower, so it reads “KO AK,” the harsh red neon of the “GENESEE” sign across the river, the quiet roads as one or two lonely cars rumble over Mill Street. A chilly November night tugs at this deep, nostalgic part of me, almost like time travel to winter 2014 when I first moved back to Rochester and decided to put down roots here.

Just for kicks, I went back to my Dec. 2023 letter and my Jan. 2024 letter. Turns out I wrote about the same two things then: High Falls and traveling. (You know that feeling when someone repeats the same stories and then all of the sudden you’re the person who repeats stories? Oh yeah… Me neither.)

Maybe it’s this time of year, or maybe it’s just me. I get all George Bailey about life and Rochester and, as I mentioned in my letter last year, goals. (If you’re missing that reference, please watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” immediately.)

In Dec. 2023 I had two goals: “First, I would not relive the same year after what felt like pandemic Groundhog Day; and secondly, I would leave downtown Rochester at least once a month, even if it was just traveling to the Finger Lakes.”

Didn’t relive the same year: check. Left downtown Rochester at least once a month: check and check. Lots of road trips, in particular, especially to Toronto for live music. I can’t emphasize this enough — making time for a reset (in any small way) is so important when your daily job is to create.

While we’re on the topic of creating… As 2024 draws to a close, I’m also reflecting on how CITY is entering a completely new era. After 28 years, we welcomed new CEO Chris Hastings to WXXI; and the magazine gained two new staffers this year: Patrick Hosken and Roberto Lagares, who have been a complete joy and privilege to work with, building on the stalwart team of longtime CITY stars Jacob Walsh, Ryan Williamson and David White. I’m excited about the future of CITY and cautiously optimistic about the future of media as a whole. I think we, as an industry, are going to face even bigger challenges this year (and beyond), but I have hope we will come out stronger.

In the meantime, we need — want! — your help to do that. Every bit of journalism we produce at CITY can be read, viewed, shared and talked about in your worlds. If the work we do matters to you, please let people know. Or, if you can, become a CITY Champion and support local journalism each month! Take out an ad! Sign up for our newsletter! Local news, from breaking and investigative to arts and culture, makes a direct impact on the people and businesses you know and love. (Just like the ol’ Bailey Brothers Building & Loan.)

We will continue doing that work, and doing it well. Look for the red box.

To 2025!