Monday, March 28, 2005

Park Slope: Life is no longer elsewhere

When Sarah and I lived in Berkeley, social life was a huge problem. Most of our friends were elsewhere - New York, Chicago, Boston. Hell, with the Bay Area's anemic public transportation, even our cohorts in San Francisco (broke and bitter as they were) might as well have been across the continent for all of the companionship they lent us. Lazy bastards.

The move to New York City was a big step in the right direction, socially. Old friends were a short subway ride away. But friends drift apart - both physically (Come back R,Y and A - the water pressure's better here!) and emotionally. And priorities change to where the 2am subway ride back to Brooklyn makes the haul into Manhattan seem less and less appealing.

We needed interesting people nearby who we could meet for dinner, or hook up with at Barbes, or just coerce into joining us for impromptu walks around Prospect Park.

This weekend was a challenge in many ways - mostly baby-centric. But it was also a success. Sarah and I didn't leave the neighborhood once, but we met friends for dinner, for brunch and for walks - new friends, for the most part. Interesting folks with creative streaks, likeminded liberal bias, great musical tastes, and just enough disaffection to provide some bite.

Maybe, Park Slope was the right place for us.

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