January 2019

As Pittsburgh Magazine celebrates its first 50 years, editor Brian Hyslop reflects on his own half-century mark.

Being around for 50 years is worthy of reflection. This year, as Pittsburgh Magazine celebrates its golden anniversary, we are going to take some time to note the things that have happened over our 50 years — both as the magazine and a region. 

We kick things off with our ranking of the 50 Greatest Pittsburghers of All Time and a look back at the people we have honored as Pittsburghers of the Year over the decades. We also are launching a monthly feature called Our 50 Years that goes through the archives of Pittsburgh Magazine to spotlight the people and trends we have seen. 

When I turned 50, I also did a lot of reflection on my life. I had seen a lot of changes and had a lot of wonderful things happen to me. I had a son. My friends were loyal and supportive. I was reunited with my family after years of estrangement. There was sadness, too. Both of my parents passed away as had many other people I loved.  

But 50 is also an opportunity to look ahead.

Once you have that many decades under your belt you know your strengths — and weaknesses — and are emboldened. In my 50s, I’ve had to say goodbye to friends and significant others who decided to move on without me, and I’ve welcomed others into my life who make it richer every day. I left a seemingly secure job to start a business and when that didn’t work out for me, I moved on again, unsure what the future held but confident that I had survived other setbacks and could survive this one, too. I started a new job with Pittsburgh Magazine that challenges and rewards me every day. I don’t know that I would go so far as to say that life begins at 50, but it sure doesn’t end there.

The same is true for Pittsburgh Magazine.

While we will spend part of this year celebrating our 50 years of publishing stories about Pittsburgh and the people who make it a place we love to call home, we also will have one eye on the future.

We want to make Pittsburgh Magazine an indispensable and trusted resource for the community as integral to being a Pittsburgher as the Steelers, inclines and pierogies. By exploring the triumphs and challenges, our history and our future, we will demonstrate that we know Pittsburgh inside and out.

Brian Hyslop can be reached at ​bhyslop@pittsburghmagazine.com or 412/304-0921.