Our magazine was founded when Laughlin Phillips, a longtime CIA agent turned publisher, had a vision for a new kind of city magazine. That vision—to help readers get the most out of living in this great metropolitan area—hasn’t wavered in six decades. If anything, it’s more vital now than ever as our region transforms at breakneck speed and navigates yet another transition in leadership.
Since 1965, we’ve brought you signature content such as 100 Very Best Restaurants, Top Doctors, Top Lawyers, and Great Getaways, to help make your life easier. At the same time, our journalists have continued to dig, uncovering stories that matter and that explain how this complex, powerful city actually works—such as our investigation into DC’s mental-health system in last month’s issue. In an era of information overload and rapid change, understanding and curating stories that are close to home seem more crucial than ever.
What’s evolved beautifully is how we connect with you. Our social-media presence has flourished, with more than a million followers, creating conversations that extend far beyond our printed pages. Our events business brings the community together in ways we never imagined. And our Custom Media division makes products for clients all over the region. We’ve grown from one magazine to a true media company, but always with that original DNA: We’re here to make your life in Washington better and more fulfilling.
As a native Washingtonian whose family has owned this company since 1978, I’ve had a front-row seat to the city’s evolution—from the government town of my childhood to today’s dynamic international capital with world-class dining, vibrant arts, booming neighborhoods, and championship sports teams. For 47 years, I’ve been not just an observer but a participant in this transformation, watching Washington become truly one of the most influential places on Earth.
Like all Washingtonians, I cherish what hasn’t changed. This is still a city of lovely neighborhoods and parks, of cherry blossoms and rivers and incredible museums. Most important, it remains full of people who care deeply about making our community and our nation better—even as the definition of “better” gets debated more intensely than ever.
The media business is undeniably challenging right now, and we are laser-focused on sustaining the journalism and community connection that our readers deserve. I love this magazine, and I love this city. After 60 years, Washingtonian remains what it’s always been: your guide to the best of life in the nation’s capital, your interpreter of how power and politics and community intersect, and your companion in navigating a place that’s constantly reinventing itself while holding onto what makes it special.
It’s been a 60-year love affair—through administrations, a pandemic, recessions, and boom times. We look forward to many more years of telling Washington’s story!
—Catherine Merrill
Washingtonian Owner and CEO
