Rolling Stone Rips its Heart Out of San Francisco

Just 42 years after the groundbreaking music magazine launched in San Francisco, Rolling Stone has severed its last physical tie to its birthplace.

Wenner Media, its New York Publisher, announced it will close its small office at 1700 Montgomery Street. A spokesman for the magazine said there was no longer enough business to justify a full-time office there.

Ben Fong-Torres, who joined the publication as an editor in 1969, remembers better days, describing the relationship between Rolling Stone and San Francisco as "one of the energy centers of the cultural, rock 'n' roll scene of the mid- to late '60s."

The magazine became known for attracting established local and emerging talents from the "new journalism" and "gonzo journalism" movements, due to its style and generous length allowances.

But Rolling Stone may have mellowed too much with age. In recent years, the magazine has been criticized for losing its edge and seeking out a younger audience by cutting the length of its articles, and covering more mainstream bands and celebrities.