Why the "new" Friends page format?

For some time now, LJ has been putting a little banner at the top of my Friends page inviting me to try the "new" format. So I tried it, and all I can see is that it defaults to a style other than the one I've been using for years (which means, among other things, a sans-serif font that I don't care for), and that the various buttons are in different places than I've become accustomed to.

Are there valuable new features in the new format that weren't apparent at a casual glance? Is there some good reason to switch?