Brooklyn

"I can get everything I want two blocks from my apartment."

Before moving, I knew one person in New York.  She makes one more than I knew when I moved to Austin, and knowing someone has made my transition into New York a lot easier than it could have been.  Last week, one of her friends invited us to a pre-Thanksgiving, post-Halloween costume party in Brooklyn.

After stepping off the subway and wandering onto Franklin Street in Brooklyn, I knew I was in "my place."  I'm not sure if it's the resemblance to Austin or the significant decrease in pedestrian traffic, but I sincerely like Brooklyn.

I also liked that I was walking down the street with a turkey strapped to my head, and no one seemed to think it was out of the ordinary.

I met several nice people at the party, including two who agreed to share their New York story.

Christine and Luke

(in sugar skull masks hand-painted by Christine)

Christine and Luke are in their early twenties and have been living in New York for five years. Originally from New Jersey and Pennsylvania respectively, they moved to New York for college. 

When asked in which borough they spent the majority of their time, Luke asked if I meant living and working or having fun. 

"Both," I said. 

"I live and work in Manhattan," he said, "but I come to Brooklyn to have fun."  As a newcomer to the city, this surprised and intrigued me.  And secretly made me happy that I felt at home when I first saw Brooklyn. 

For fun, they like to going out with people, going to bars, and they frequent Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens, and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. 

When asked what keeps them in New York, Luke responded, "I love this city. It's got everything I want.  I can get everything I want two blocks from my apartment."

Favorite restaurant:

Although Christine and Luke agreed on many things, they each expressed a favorite restaurant.

Christine:

The Smith

East Village Location

55 Third Avenue

Luke:

Oren's Daily Roast

Multiple Locations

"Best coffee in Manhattan"

New York's Hidden Treasure: 

Red Hook Pier

According to Christine, the view is amazing and it is calm and peaceful.  It is not accessible by the subway, which presents an added challenge, but it can be reached by bus. 

At the moment, the pier has damage from Hurricane Sandy.

This week, Christine and Luke send me to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

The Empire State of Mind

When I arrived in New York a week ago, I had the same sinking feeling and gnawing thought I have every time I move some place new: what the hell did I do?  My plane landed in what I can only assume was a blizzard, although most people who have actually lived in a cold climate would probably call it "mild snow."

New York has always been the place that I yearned to see, that remained elusive to me.  And thus it was surreal to be on a bridge, these dark, massive buildings looming around me, and to see the city for the first time through fogged, snowy windows.  I was dropped off on the side of the road with my bags--too heavy for me to move or carry alone--beside a pile of garbage breaching four feet.

"I'm really in New York."

New York makes the sixth city that I have called home in the last seven years, and as always, I wonder if it will ever feel as much like home as the last one.  I have come from Austin, and it will be a challenge for New York to provide a better experience.  Austin gave me strength in a way I could not have known I was lacking.  It also gave me music and some of the best people I have ever known.

The morning after I arrived, I walked down Fifth or Madison or Lexington Avenue.  I stood at a crosswalk in my Vans sneakers next to luxurious patent black heels and designer handbags as I listened to "Empire State of Mind."

"These streets will make you feel brand new."  Quite a promise.

I vowed to make Austin feel like mine, and I will attempt the same with New York.  I want to know this city and the multitude of untold stories swirling around the subway stations and street corners.

People of New York: I want to meet you.

This is my proposition:

I will go to a new place in New York each week and meet a stranger.  I will ask if they will talk to me and share their story, and I will document it here.

Hello, New York.