Hi, 608 👋 City Editor, Ryan here. Popping in to share that this week, I'm celebrating my one-year anniversary with 608today. 365 days, 100+ newsletter sends, and so many stories shared — it felt fast.

Indulge me as I get a bit sappy reminiscing on all the things we got to talk about this year. Hey, remember that time when:

🍽️ We ate, a lot

Naturally, we started with the first meal of the day and mapped out a breakfast timeline for Madison. There was also some talk of what makes a decent bagel + where to get one around the 608, and of course, we had to cover some basics like what makes a Friday night fish fry. Most recently we got to check out opening night at Amara, and next on the docket is what's brewing over at Northstreet.

🎤 I asked quite a few questions

Some questions were big, like where does the city need more pedestrian-friendly areas? Whereas others were really big, like our discussion about what Madison is missing. Plus, some little ones too,like where to get cold treats in the 608. Hundreds of reader replies later, I'm unquestionably more informed and still equally curious to learn more about this city.

🚧 There was plenty of shop talk

First we laid the foundation for how to stay informed in Madison. After getting plugged in, we explored all sorts of civic and development stories like the Metro Transit network update and Lake Monona's waterfront redesign. Don't forget about all of our economic banter about the area's largest industries and employers + what Madison's cost of living is.

Sorry, that was kind of a lot. It's been a whirlwind of a year + we can't wait to see what comes next.
One last question for you: what should we write about next?