Brooklyn, Never fuggedaboutit
Today is my last day living in the wonderful borough of Brooklyn, New York. I've been here for the past 11 years, nearly all of it spent in a small two-bedroom apartment right by Prospect Park. My wife wrote up a lovely post about her relationship with the park. I thought I would write up some fun memories I have from my time here.
This neighborhood is pretty wild. I've seen it transform over the years, but even with all the incoming gentrification, it's remained a pretty chaotic and very authentic place to be. I'm mostly going to remember the familiar faces I've come to know from taking the dog for her twice-daily walks. "Gig's Mom", Esther and her dogs, The super and his wife from two doors down, The super from three doors down. You get the idea. I've had plenty of conversations with all of these neighborhood regulars over the years--mostly small talk, and despite the fact that I don't know all of their names, I've come to think of them as part of my family. They all know Molly, and they've watched my son grow up since he arrived two years ago, emerging from his stroller and out into the surrounding neighborhood. We've all lived through fireworks, pandemics, protests and more. We've all lived through this together, our little family and the community we're a part of.
I'm definitely going to miss the food. This neighborhood has no shortage of great places to grab a bite or a coffee or a bagel. Sushi Tatsu III (is there even a Sushi Tatsu I or II ?), Blue Bird, iX, Parkside Pizza, and all the places that have come and gone since I've been here. Who could forget Enduro? So many times we've traveled home from work separately and met at one of our local haunts. I've found myself on many occasions sending a text to Amanda, "so... Blue Bird tonight?", waited patiently for a reply with fingers crossed for the usual "sure!"
And, of course the park. It's been an incredible part of my life for this past decade, living across the street from one of New York City's largest parks. For the next person moving in I'll just leave a "pro-tip"; The raccoons tend to come out when the weather is a little warmer, especially at dusk, after it has rained, so keep your eyes focused on the trash cans as you walk by--you never know what's gonna jump out at you.
In a few hours all our belongings will be loaded onto a truck and headed out east. I'm glad we will still be living on the same island (technically speaking) and happy with the fact that we will only be about an hour from here. It's going to be dramatically different, in lots of good ways, but I'm gonna miss this place and all of its special, quirky, and hopeful promise.
