The Pull of Brooklyn

Lynn and I have been spending a lot of time in Brooklyn lately. It began innocently enough; dinner with a friend in Park Slope, and celebrating a friend's new apartment in Prospect Heights. But before long, we were on walking tours of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill. And then we took the big conceptual leap—what if we moved to Brooklyn?

I've tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid becoming the stereotypical "Manhattan Snob." Why, the very first day I came to NYC in 2003 I went to Queens—by mistakenly taking the wrong subway. I've spent a considerable amount of time driving around the Bronx—lost, looking for a bridge into Manhattan that didn't have a toll. And I don't know any of my friends or acquaintances who have also been to the Staten Island Mall—though it was a horrendous ordeal that I will never repeat. But I have, on occasion, explored the outer boroughs deliberately. The end of the A train in Queens, and Dyker Heights at Christmastime.

Still, I've lived in Manhattan for over five years, and the vast majority of my time in the outer boroughs is limited to getting to or from Manhattan. It's not so much that I have anything against the other three (I'm excluding Staten Island here, I will hold that grudge until the day I die). It's just that they're so far away from everything—that is, Manhattan.

Or so I thought. The more time we've spent in some of the nearer parts of Brooklyn, the more I've liked it. Some of the neighborhoods we've explored are lovely, with tree-lined streets, rows of brownstones and townhouses, and a very close sense of a true neighborhood. Certain neighborhoods are, in short, wonderful. And I am, frankly, really enjoying spending time there.

Add to this the falling real estate market, and a recently married couple thinking of taking the big step of their first real home, and you have several weekends now wandering between open houses seeing what's available. Lynn found this helpful picture on the interwebs to guide our search:

We've been looking primarily in Brooklyn Heights. It's a quiet, beautiful neighborhood of Federal and Queen Anne styled buildings. It has an esplanade overlooking the water, and it's own little "main street" with shops and restaurants. And it's only one stop from Manhattan.

We're looking for a neighborhood feel, check. Close to subways, check. And the added bonus of being an absolutely beautiful neighborhood, check. Brooklyn is looking more appealing every day...the pull is almost tangible.


Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/8172159@N02/

When Solitude Isn't

There's a trail at Killington called Solitude, and aptly so. It's narrow, and winds it's way through the forest off on it's own. It's entrance isn't obvious coming off the peak, it's not particularly challenging, and in some places is more flat than sloped. So it's not a very popular trail.

But there are times when you're cruising down Solitude with friends, skiing inches apart from each other. You're talking, and laughing, trying to knock each other over playfully. Around you the trees saunter by, the sky is endless, and every once in a while you round a corner and see the world stretch out beneath you. And you're grateful for it all: the surroundings, the people surrounding you, that you have surrounded yourself with them.

This year's resolution is to find—and appreciate—more of those times.