What Is City Lifestyle? The Company Behind 250+ Community Magazines

Short answer: City Lifestyle is a Kansas City company that publishes more than 250 community magazines in 39 states. Each magazine is mailed free every month to homes in the neighborhoods it serves, lives online at CityLifestyle.com and is run by a local publisher who lives in the community. City Lifestyle started with a single magazine in Kansas City in 2009.

What does City Lifestyle publish?

Every City Lifestyle market has its own monthly magazine, named for the community it covers, such as Leawood City Lifestyle in Kansas or Bellevue Lifestyle in Washington. The stories are local: the people, places, homes, restaurants and businesses that make a community feel like home.

Each issue also has a digital edition. The articles, back issues and a directory of local businesses live on each market's page at CityLifestyle.com, so readers can find their magazine on the coffee table, on the website and in their social feeds.

The mission has not changed since 2009: to inspire, instruct and uplift readers through articles, detailed and searchable listings of local businesses, and by sharing unique experiences and events in and around town.

How does City Lifestyle work?

Every magazine is the work of two partners.

• The local team lives in the market. The publisher owns the magazine, knows the business owners and builds partnerships with the local businesses that advertise. Each magazine also has a local editor, who often works with a group of local writers, so the stories are found and written by people in the community. There is one publisher per market.
• The Kansas City headquarters handles design, printing, distribution and the technology behind CityLifestyle.com for every market. Its editorial team supports each market's editor, but the articles are always written locally.

That split is why a magazine in Connecticut and one in Arizona share the same look and quality while telling completely different local stories.

Who reads City Lifestyle?

City Lifestyle magazines are mailed to 2 million homes a month, with a digital audience of more than 4 million, for a combined print and digital audience of more than 6 million. Readers are the families, homeowners and business owners in the neighborhoods each magazine serves. The magazine is free, and there is nothing to subscribe to. How delivery works is covered in how to get City Lifestyle magazine.

Who started City Lifestyle?

Steven Schowengerdt founded City Lifestyle in Kansas City in 2009 and leads the company as founder and CEO. Matthew Perry is president. Their story, and the growth from one magazine to more than 250, is on the Meet City Lifestyle page.

How does City Lifestyle make money?

Local businesses advertise to reach the magazine's readers. A partnership can include placement in the print magazine, a business page and articles on CityLifestyle.com, and social media marketing, all through one local partner. Most partnerships are annual. The details are in how to advertise in City Lifestyle.

What else does City Lifestyle do?

• The Kingdom Building Foundation. City Lifestyle's nonprofit charity arm runs an annual Giving Campaign that helps people facing hardship who do not qualify for traditional assistance. Here is how to nominate someone.
• RISE. City Lifestyle's national conference brings publishers from every market together for training and time with the corporate team. RISE 2027 runs January 12 to 15 in Kansas City.
• Free marketing help for local businesses. The Local Marketing Playbook and the monthly Local Marketing Insider newsletter share practical marketing advice for owners.

How do I find my local City Lifestyle?

Every magazine is listed by state at citylifestyle.com/magazines. You can also use Change Publication at the top of CityLifestyle.com to switch to your city. New markets launch every month, so if your community is not on the list yet, check back.

Frequently asked questions

Is City Lifestyle magazine free? Yes. It is mailed free each month to homes in the neighborhoods each magazine serves, and every issue is free to read online at CityLifestyle.com.

Is City Lifestyle a franchise? Yes. Each magazine is owned and run by a local publisher in a protected territory, while headquarters handles design, printing and mailing. How the community magazine franchise model works explains the details, and current market availability is at future.citylifestyle.com.

Where is City Lifestyle headquartered? Kansas City, Missouri, where the company started in 2009.

How many City Lifestyle magazines are there? More than 250, in 39 states, with new markets launching every month.

Who owns City Lifestyle? City Lifestyle was founded by Steven Schowengerdt, who leads the company as founder and CEO. Each local magazine is owned and operated by its own publisher.

How do I contact City Lifestyle? For anything about your local magazine, contact the publisher listed on your market's page. For everything else, use the form at citylifestyle.com/contact-us.