Talk of the Town: Late New Yorker Delivery

Has anyone else out there found their New Yorker subscription arriving later and later in the week? We're pitifully elated if it's in our mailbox before Thursday, and on more than one occasion it hasn’t even been delivered until the following week. Sure, there's content online, but you can't bring that on the subway!

Apparently, we are not alone; even prominent Manhattan residents like Jessica Coen have been suffering – she wrote last week, "It's Friday, and unless it arrived in my mailbox while I've been at the office, I have yet to receive the latest New Yorker. This is the second week this has happened in the past month, kindasortanotreally..."

Since complaining to friends hasn't yet resolved the crisis, we finally called in to the New Yorker’s customer service department, who promised us 4 free issues just for bitching, and suggested we take it up with our local postmaster. You can bet we’re going to get right on that. In the meantime, please let us know how late your issue usually comes.

Image of New Yorker cover courtesy Gary Amaro; designed for the Eustace Tilley cover contest.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 12, 2008 4:45 PM

Comments [rss]

ghostoflectricity

You people don't know how good you have it. Here in Evanston, Illinois, the first suburb north of Chicago and a town not known as a bunch of out-of-touch yahoos (we're home to Northwestern University and politically about as far left as Ann Arbor or Berkeley; our congresswoman, Jan Schakowsky, who lives on my block, is BFFs with Nancy Pelosi), we're supposed to be "grateful" if the stupid thing arrives by Friday. It used to come about Tues. or Wed. preceding the cover date. The publisher is nonchalant; they have an EXTREMELY LENIENT policy toward themselves about delivery: the cover date (the Monday after the thing appears on newsstands, and 10 days after the Friday the thing actually GOES TO PRESS) is good enough for them. They still don't have an explanation how this policy covers a "Halloween" issue with a 10/31/11 cover date that goes to press Friday, 10/21/11, arrives on newsstands that Monday (and in e-mail boxes that day), and doesn't even arrive on Halloween, or the next day, but not until FRICKIN' WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 2011, which I guess is still El Dia de Los Muertos in Mexico, but is still a week later than it should have come if it was going to be timely in any sense of the word. I needn't tell you that the 10th anniversary 9/11 commemorative issue arrived on Thursday, 9/15/11 in my mailbox. THANKS A LOT, FRICKIN' NEW YORKER. YOU ONLY HAD A DECADE TO PREPARE. Repeated complaints to the Postal "Service" are equally futile. Needless to say, it is now SATURDAY, 11/12, and the 11/14 issue DID NOT ARRIVE. At this rate, I expect the THANKSGIVING ISSUE around frickin' CHRISTMAS and the year-end double issue, if I'm lucky, on the FAR END of Martin Luther King Day weekend. I had enough, and called the subscription department today (Saturday) while facing yet ANOTHER FRICKIN' NEW YORKER-less weekend (except for the frickin' 6 bucks I paid to buy a frickin' copy on the frickin' newsstand), gave them an earful (not for the first time) and cancelled, saying if I had to buy a copy to stay current why pay them money for a GODDAMN subscription copy that is ALWAYS frickin' late? Incidentally, I WAS a subscriber for 33 years. I hate those evil bastards and hope they ROT IN HELL.

waitwhat

Normally it wouldn't matter but sometimes I'd like to take the magazine with me on business trips because it makes for good plane reading. There have been times when I've just been like, "screw it" and purchased a copy at the airport.

Really, what the hell is going on. They've extended my subscription several times and it's to the point that they might as well just tack on another year for free because it never comes on time. It's a good week when it comes before Friday.

meganificent

When I lived at a different apartment a few blocks from where I live now, my Time Out used to come on Thurs or Fri (sometimes Saturday). Now that I've moved I get it every Wednesday. I have a different local post office now, so maybe they've actually got their shit together.

tracybluth

In Brooklyn, my New Yorker usually arrives Wednesday or Thursday. This week, for the first time ever, it arrived on MONDAY. What gives?

twakum

In Manhattan, and in Stamford, this would arrive on Saturday or the following Monday. Dropped the sub, read stuff occasionally online. Tough cookies, NY'er.

Mr Mel

We were in California this winter, had my mail switched temporarily. In the 13 or so weeks I may have gotten 3 issues.

Bongo23

I've been getting it (Brooklyn), what I thought was early for a few weeks now (Tuesday), until I realised it was actually a week late. Don't even talk to me about New York Magazine!

John Del Signore

And of course tonight, in a historical first, this week's issue was in my mailbox when I collected the mail. An unheard of Monday delivery. Also delivered today, inexplicably, was this week's issue of New York magazine, for which I don't even have subscription.

zstone

Last week it came on Thursday, but otherwise it's been pretty good (in Harlem). Both NY Mag and NYer were in my mailbox today, anyway.

Roger McDowell

Agree about NY mag. Last week's never showed up (second time in a month) and when it does make it in the mailbox, it's usually on Wednesday or Thursday.

ed_Extinct

time out new york (TONY) goes to press twice, once on friday night and again (for box office) on monday night. it is supposed to hit the stands on tuesday and be in our new york city mailboxes no later than wednesday or thursday... as of feb, i get my timeout on friday... LAME-ASS!

slappy

I quit my subscription for the same reason a year ago. What's the point? I would have kept it if it came on time.

sonyactivision

There's nothing worse than 'last week's essays and feature writing'.

dbc

@EricGewiz

I had that problem, too, but then all of a sudden (5 weeks ago?) it started coming on Mondays instead of Wednesdays. Still, the newstand copies are always out and the website is always updated before I get my copy. Also, Gothamist always posts NY Mag articles before I've received my subscription copy.

sidenote

Even if it is a bit highbrow, the fact that people will still read a 10,000 word article on anything makes me feel good.

fmfats

When I moved to the Atlanta suburbs 20 years ago it generally arrived on Monday or Tuesday. It started coming later in the week maybe four years ago. They blamed the Postal Service when I complained. I moved to an intown neighborhood a couple of years ago and I'm lucky if it comes by Thursday. Time is in my mailbox on Saturday. If they can do it, why can't Conde-Nast?

stefano74

I'm with Devout, I sometimes avoid getting the mail Monday so that maybe I can finish the previous weeks' issue. I did notice that moving from Queens to Manhattan dropped the time to deliver by two days.

waitwhat

Yes. I live in the midwest and expect to get it later. I used to get it on Wednesday (sometimes even Tuesday!) but there are times when I don't get it until Saturday or the following Monday.

I've called them several times and they blame the post office but I just don't buy that.

EricGewiz

I've had this problem with "New York Magazine" for the last year and a half.

Devout NYer

Given I hardly ever finish an issue before the next one arrives and the L train has been running mostly on time, I'm happy if it comes late ...as long as it arrives. I'm pretty sure my local postal workers are enjoying my NetFlix subscription almost as much as I am.