Park Slope / Sunset Park

I resisted moving to Brooklyn, at least mentally. When I moved to New York, I lived in Manhattan for two years, first on the upper, upper West Side and then in Harlem. I didn't want to become a millennial hipster cliche by settling in Brooklyn, although I realize now how dumb that sounds. But then a room opened up in a Prospect Heights apartment that I had coveted from the moment I saw it, and I haven't regretted the move east ever since.

On Saturday, I walked from my apartment down 7th Avenue to a diner I had been meaning to try, 7th Avenue Donuts and Diner. I sat at the counter and had a delicious breakfast (with grits!) and thought about how much I love my New York life. To be within walking-distance of so many wonderful things is a dream-come-true, and I feel silly for not exploring my own neighborhood more.

Public transportation is so convenient—and I love the particular kind of freedom that comes with not having to drive—that I sometimes forget that I should explore what's outside of my front door. After the diner I walked to Green-Wood Cemetery, which wouldn't be considered "my neighborhood," except for the fact that I probably spend more time there than almost anywhere else in the city. Despite being born and bred in Ohio I never felt comfortable there for any length of time. I'm not sure if I'll stay in New York forever, but it will always feel like my first real home.