I can remember Yankee Magazine being in our household for about as long as I can remember. What intrigued me was that the majority of magazines were in a traditional magazine size, while Yankee was smaller (about half the size). That’s changed. Yankee has “grown up”.


Description

It was a shock to hear that Yankee Magazine was enlarging the size of the publication. Like TV Guide, Yankee decided to transform into a traditional magazine size. The magazine how measures 8” wide x 10 3/8” high. It averages 130 pages.

The pages are a nice weight paper that supports full-color photography amid the many articles and features. This magazine also supports a lot of advertising. Sometimes it’s hard to find the meat of the magazine for all the ads.

The Table of Contents is divided into two parts. There is a “features” section where the spotlighted articles are listed. Then there is “The Guide” that lists the departments included in every issue as well as breaks out other articles of interest by category: Travel, Home, Food.

The Departments included in every issue are:

On the Web -- lists exclusive material on their internet site

Dear Yankee -- letters from readers

Inside Yankee -- a letter from Yankee to readers

Mary’s Farm -- almost like a diary or open letter, written by Edie Clark

Here in New England -- various observations written by Mel Allen

First Light -- Jim Collins eclectic mix of short notes of interest

House for Sale -- a piece of real estate is profiled

Calendar of Events -- events listed by New England state

Pairings -- a challenging puzzle that presents two photographs with descriptions; you have to find the phrase or word that is similar between both

Yankee Swopper & Genealogy -- people offering to swap a service/product in exchange for something … and notices of those seeking genealogy information


Our Experiences

This family enjoys receiving Yankee Magazine. However, there is one dissenter in our ranks. My father grumbles at the cost of the publication and why we need the magazine. We reply that we enjoy reading the magazine for its insight into New England life. It takes us to places in New England that we didn’t know about. There are great recipes in the magazine as well as gardening articles that focus on the problems and quirks of the New England growing season. We also enjoy the Calendar of Events that keeps us up-to-date on happenings throughout New England.

Yankee Magazine bridges gaps and help fosters relations across the New England states. For instance, in one issue is an article about cheese. A sidebar lists the locations of “some of the best cheeses around the region”. What a great road trip that would make! The magazine also focuses on famous places or people within New England. Each issue includes a spotlight on a place, such as Stowe, Vermont or Hartford, Connecticut or Providence, Rhode Island. One issue has a fun feature on Dr. Seuss at the Springfield Museum in Massachusetts, and another a feature on New Hampshire’s lakes. There are also artisan profiles and glimpses into homes around the region.

The magazine includes articles about New England wildlife, too. A recent issue included a terrific article with photographs about Black Bears. Another issue had articles about dog sledding in Maine and a piece on ice fishing.

The recipes are varied, too, and not what one would think of as completely traditional New England fare. Granted, you will find recipes focusing on region favorites such as cranberries, seafood, cheese and maple syrup. There are also twists on New England dishes such as Mediterranean and Greek recipes.

I particularly enjoy the Calendar of Events. It includes all the New England states, and events are listed in order by month and day. The first thing I browse for are quilt shows or craft and garden events. The listings include a variety, though: arts, home and garden, food and wine, sport competitions, festivals, and even displays of boats, cars, snow-vehicles, etc. There are all types of things to see and do. The listings include contact information in case you wish more details.

What annoys me most about the magazine are the many, many advertisements. The ads encompass everything from travel, hot tubs, and food to software, home improvement items and cell phones. Some of the advertisements are full page, while others are quarter- or half-page length. There is also advertising in a special Marketplace section at the back of the magazine.

So how do I like the new larger format? The traditionalist in me says, “Why did they have to change it?” The smaller size was easy to hold and slipped nicely into a totebag. It could easily rest on a dashboard or slide into a car glove compartment. It didn’t take up much space for storage, either. However, I have to say that the larger format is fine. It’s just like any other magazine of the same size … which is a shame. I’m sure Yankee would prefer to be thought of as unique.


Purchasing

The cover price is $3.99 US / $4.99 Canada per issue. A yearly subscription costs $18.00 US, or two years for $24.00. This is a bi-monthly magazine with 6 issues per year.


Summary

Our family enjoys reading Yankee Magazine. It offers great insight to the New England area. I have learned things I never knew before about the region. If you are interested in New England, travel, or just want to learn more about this corner of our great nation, check out Yankee Magazine.

I hope you found this review useful.

Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

Country Extra (magazine)

Simple & Delicious (recipe magazine)

TV Guide Magazine

People Magazine

Dell Pocket Crossword Puzzles

Sudoku and More! (magazine)

Good Time Word Seek (magazine)

Master’s Variety Puzzles Plus (magazine)

Pogo.com (online games)


Copyright 2008 Dawn L. Stewart


Recommended: Yes