EDITOR’S LETTER

JULY/AUG 2022 / DIANE TALBOT SEMBROT

SCAN TO VISIT US

HOW TO SCAN: OPEN, AIM & TAP

YOU DID IT!

Well, hello! I’d like to thank all of your for doing my job so well. After all, this issue features our annual project “Best of the Gold Coast Connecticut,” and what a big assignment it is. But you did a great job with it! This is the biggest story of the year that relies on you, our readers, for what to feature. It doesn’t come from me. I write up exactly who you tell me to write up. I asked for your favorite places—restaurants, cafés, shops, gyms, salons and more—and you listed them one by one. All I had to do was review the results and print them here. So, turn the page, you’ll find out all.

But a word before you go! Our whole team enjoys the part we play in this feature story. We get to see the votes roll in over a few mid-winter months. We get to applaud the frontrunners and root for the underdogs, even before anyone else knows who’s really in the race. And the best part is that who wins is out of our hands. All we can do is take the role of spectator and hand over the filtering power to you, our local experts.

As I say every year, because we present the results to this readers’ poll, do not blame me if you disagree with a result here and there. It should be expected. It happens. Even I disagree sometimes. But hold that email you’re about to send me, because, as a reminder, I did not pick them. My role was to ask for votes. And we got a lot of them! We logged in more than 106,000 votes for people’s favorites, from ice cream to cosmetic spa services. If you think so-and-so was a “must win,” then I ask: Did you vote? Yes, every single vote counts.

But before you get worried about who didn’t win, think about who did. I’m sure you’ll find many of your favorite places here. Also, remember that this story does a lot of good for local, small businesses. It helps spread the word about what they do, why they do it and how very good they are at it. That martini you love on Friday night? It’s poured by someone who put in the time to perfect it. That collection of shoes that makes you agonize over which pair to buy? That’s brought to you by a store owner who spent untold hours finding options that would appeal to locals. It goes on and on in more than 170 categories that make up our local lifestyle.

A reminder: Westport magazine is also a small, locally owned, family business. We are right there among all these businesses—doing what we love to do and hoping to make your life better because of it. In our case, we want to keep you informed, entertained and impressed. We focus our style picks, food reviews, personality profiles and store openings on locals. Why? Because we love living and working here, and nothing makes us happier than to create a community among us.

I’ll be turning my attention to the fall issues now. I can see that you’ve got this one well in hand. Thanks for your help and for being such a good partner in this community magazine.

diane.sembrot@moffly.com