I too enjoyed the article. Personally I don't mind the fluff that was in it, and I will actually be using it as I prepare my next campaign setting since there's some really good material in there that jives well with my setting. So, even though I'm not running the Realms, and haven't in some time, it still worked out well. In fact, while crunch is good, I always like flavor to support the crunch and it makes it a much more enjoyable read (to me).
The trapsmith feat was, in particular, especially tasty.