It was a privilege to be a voice for New Yorkers

Dear New York: Thanks for reading.

Starting next week, this publication will be under new ownership. Newsday Media Group’s sale of amNewYork to Schneps Media means that this is the last editorial from the board that covered both amNewYork and Newsday.

Over the years, we have tried with our opinion page to be a voice of support for New Yorkers and, especially, commuters. An introductory editorial from 2013 hit some of the themes we returned to again and again: transit and local politics. That day’s opinion page featured a column about bodegas and gentrification, a cartoon about fare increases, and letters from readers concerned about bedbugs and land-use decisions. Pretty par for the course, and symbolic of the paper’s larger mission to quickly give readers the news they needed for the day.

There rarely has been a dull moment. New Yorkers know the city is the ticking heartbeat of national discourse. So there has been plenty to write about.

Meanwhile, city scandals keep popping. Homelessness and lack of affordability are problems that remain tricky to address. City and state leaders struggle to reform the sprawling criminal justice system and repair the subways. Elections come and go. Miracles and tragedies repeat.

New Yorkers do their best to keep going, and we have tried to keep an eye on public officials and the powerful to nudge them toward their better angels on behalf of the city they’re supposed to serve.

Thank you to everyone who wrote to us with their thoughts, concerns and opinions. Sometimes that involved a careful, handwritten letter. Sometimes it came via one of our #chirps, which collected the jokes and frustrations of the city aboveground and below. Either way, we were grateful for the contributions.

Mostly, we were fortunate to be a part of all this, and thankful to have a place in your commute or morning. We know you are busy. Thanks for reading.