Please Stay in Manhattan

I lived in a cramped, moldy apartment in Manhattan for years. It was the only New York City I knew and where I intended to stay. Aside from a few drunken expeditions to Brooklyn, I knew nothing of this borough over the bridge. Unfortunately, like most New Yorkers who aren't wealthy Europeans, trust-fund kids, or living in the same apartment their grandmother grew up in, the lure of less rent and much more space eventually called to me and I packed up and crossed over the bridge to Brooklyn.

From the first day of my new New York City (Brooklyn is still part of NYC) life to today I've been saying I can't believe I didn't make that move sooner. As both my job and social life have remained in Manhattan, Brooklyn has become the peaceful escape, fortress of solitude, and calgon-filed bathtub that takes me away from the insanity of the city.

But now I'm finding more of my social life is moving to Brooklyn also. I have more friends in Brooklyn than Manhattan and I don't mean new friends that I've made here but established friends that happen to be living here. Unfortunately, they don't all live in Park Slope like I do. I've got Kitty here in my hood, which is great because we both love video games and the same pub, and one other friend farther up the road but everyone else is scattered across neighborhoods from Williamsburg to Cobble Hill. And this is where I've discovered the problem with Brooklyn - traveling within Brooklyn is a pain in the ass.

Getting a cab in Brooklyn is iffy so if I want to go to Williamsburg, I have to take the train into Manhattan and switch at Union Square. Sure I can walk to Cobble Hill but the 45 minute walk takes me through some 70's style projects and you never know which road may suddenly end at a canal. Last night, when traveling home via the F train from Monkey Daemon's pad in Boerum Hill, I made the mistake of getting on the wrong train and have no idea where I ended up but knew, judging from the subway station that I did not want to go to the street.

So for my own convenience, I implore my few remaining friends in Manhattan to stay there! Its so much easier traveling to and from Manhattan then it is around Brooklyn so just stay put. I'll come to you.