Twenty-five years ago, North of the James magazine, which was originally called Northside magazine, first hit the streets.

Founded by Charles McGuigan, Joany Flick and Ellen Zagorin, NotJ, from its very first issue, was committed to writing stories about real people and real events in an informed narrative style.  Along with in-depth profiles and features, NotJ has always included business profiles, movie, music, and restaurant reviews, and much more, all of which are written by professional writers. We have never used canned content.

From that very first issue, NotJ has had the good fortune of drawing from a pool of talented photographers and graphic designers. Over the years, NotJ has consistently won awards from the Virginia Press Association for its writing, photography and design. 

Since our inception, we have pledged ourselves to the local business community, highlighting all that they do for the Richmond metro area north of the James River. We have also featured many of the not-for-profit organizations in our city that have made strides in creating a better and more equitable Richmond, protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens.  

With its magazine-style format and regional community focus, North of the James has developed a loyal readership and a strong presence in its target market. North of the James has been delivered by our carriers directly to the front doors of about 10,000 households in neighborhoods within the coverage area. An additional 2,000 copies are dropped off at commercial locations within the market. We also have a very strong online presence, with a brand new website. During the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are restricting our magazine to an online presence only. However, once we deem it safe, our carriers will again deliver hard copies of the magazine to households. If you have any questions feel free to call me directly at (804)218-5265, or email me at charlesmcguigan@gmail.com