“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”
―Judith Thurman
Verging on 3 years in the city, I am focused on retaining the love for exploring new neighborhoods, which diminishes some of the homesickness about places not yet traveled.
One of the things I love best about living in New York is finding spots/bars/neighborhoods where you simply feel like you're thousands of miles away. Red Hook, pictured above (along with my incredibly resilient travel buddy), is a favorite sort of newly discovered spot. From the Jalopy to Sunny's, it's truly like no place I've been in my life. Plus, the sign pictured above is simply too bad ass to miss.
Lesson #56 in moving to a big city: Finding gems in your own neighborhood is hard to beat, but there's nothing as satisfying as venturing far, far away via public transit and long walks to find your own new neighborhood spots, as if you were a local.
Another tip: if you aren't a local, don't pretend you are - just be open to a new experience. In Red Hook's case, be open to hearing the cool dudes who've played bluegrass for 50+ years. Get into the music, drink lots of beer, clap and shout loudly, and maybe their coolness will rub off.
I want to visit Red Hook sometime and see the sign and mybe drink some beer!
ReplyDeleteMarmie