Things I Miss...

I left my beloved Brooklyn a few months ago, and I wanted to make a list of the things I will miss about living there. More than anything, it is a celebration of the 12 years I have spent in Brooklyn in that little apartment on 17th st. That picture above is of a free beer I enjoyed at Steinhof during last years Sound of Music Sing-A-Long. One of the many things I will miss.

Here's my list, in no particular order:

Celebrity tag - Whenever one of us see a celebrity in their natural habitat, we text each other regarding the sighting. I think the most sited celebs would be Robert DeNiro, Bebe Neuwirth and Alec Baldwin. Fun for the whole family. Now that I am in a relatively celeb-free city, my participation will be limited.

Reading on the commute - A guaranteed hour or two a day of reading on the subway ride into the city. Also a great way to ignore the the crazy of public transportation.

The crazy - Whether on the subway or walking down the street, I have seen all kinds of crazy. Some very entertaining, some very scary, but all right in your face. A variety that always appealed to me.

Cute boys! - The city is crawling with cute boys. Unfortunately, many of the hottest are gay, but that didn't stop me from admiring the view. Honestly, you could find them everywhere.

The seasons - Spring and Fall are amazing in New York City. These are my favorite seasons in general, but the change is always welcome from the dirty dreariness of winter, or from the sweaty heat of the summer.

Impromptu drinks at Steinhof - Many a night I would get a call from one of my neighborhood friends to meet them at Steinhof for a drink. I love that place, christened by me and Fran after 9/11.

Delivery! - Basically every restaurant, cafe, deli, diner and market will deliver pretty much anything you want, including a cup of coffee or a cup of soup. An especially awesome thing when you are home alone and sick as a dog.

Seeing the Statue of Liberty every day - Something very comforting about seeing her out there. A good view from down the block, a even better view from the Smith & 9th elevated subway stop.

Being a New York City snob - I know everyone outside of the city hates it, but being a NYC snob is fun. Can't help it, I loved being one sometimes.

Pizza & bagels - An extension of the above. NYC has ruined me for pizza and bagels anywhere else. There are good bagels and pizza in other cities, but I honestly feel like there really isn't any comparison.

The neighborhood - From the deli guys to the crew at my favorite coffee shop, they all greet me with a smile and a quick conversation.

Hanging out with Joanne - The awesomest roommate ever! We bonded over our love of television and Yankees baseball, and spent many an evening drinking booze, watching TV and generally having a good time. I will especially miss watching baseball, Big Brother, Lost, BSG, The Amazing Race, Survivor, Buffy (over and over) and all those stupid but hilarious movies together.

Babysitting/walking Maggie - Rhonda and Paul put their trust in me to take care of their doggie more than once. The best doggie ever, and one of the only dogs I think I could ever actually live with.

I am fine with where I am living now. There are plenty of lovely things here, and a great group of friends too, but I still get a pang every time I see a movie or TV show that shoots in New York. It was a huge part of my growing into the woman I am right now, and I will always have a big ol' spot for it in my heart.

In General - the subway edition

Riding the train to work every morning is not my idea of fun. I had the joy of working nights the first eight years or so I lived in this city, so I avoided the nightmare of the morning and evening commute. After a year or so of riding the rails at peak hours, some of my observations...

Most of the time, when a pregnant woman gets on the train, it's a woman who offers her a seat. I don't know when men stopped offering, but I find it a little shitty. At least The Sisterhood is stepping up.

Nothing will stop a person, man or woman, from getting a seat if they really really want one. I have seen people literally crawl over others to get their asses some seat time.

Nothing makes me more angry than the person who refuses to hold on to anything while standing on the train. They usually have a bag of some sort in one hand, and coffee in the other, and stand with their legs wide apart, as if this will keep them steady. Then they proceed to bump and crash into everyone around them as the train stops and starts, and careens around corners. One moring I was so angry at a guy who was participating in this ridiculousness, I had to get off at the next stop so I wouldn't punch him in the face, and then put my hands around his arrogant neck on his way down to the floor.
The next train, a few short minutes later, was blessedly free of any such person.

The other morning I saw this woman wearing flip-flops. She had the second toe longer than the big toe affliction. Something I struggle with myself. But, the right longer second toe was disturbingly longer than the left longer toe. Creepily uneven, and I was fascinated for the extent of our shared ride. I wished at that moment that I had upgraded to a camera phone.

Turns out the F train is just as evil, if not more so, in the morning than in the afternoon/evenings. And why, oh why, has the MTA not figured out that we are crying out for an express train on this line? If the V runs local in Queens, while the F runs express, can't we get the V to run express while the F runs local in Brooklyn? Oh well, at least I'm not trapped on the G train.

One day, on a hot and stalled ride into Manhattan, I started to get all clammy and sweaty. I was sure i was going to pass out, and since there was no where to sit, and barely anywhere to fall, I squatted down and put my head between my knees. After less than a minute, some nice fellow commuter tapped me on the shoulder and offered me their seat. I would love to tell you something about this person, anything, but he/she is just a blur to me. My sweaty, clammy self was beyond grateful for the kindness, and I will always remember that there are nice people in this city, especially when you need them the most.