Brooklyn: We Go Hard

*This image is courtesy of TigerPony.Org

What: Day Trip to Brooklyn
Where: Bushwick and Park Slope
Who: Justin and Me

Going to Brooklyn had never been high on my ‘to do’ list. It was teetering in between having my teeth cleaned and signing up for a colonoscopy. Once or twice I had made the mistake of taking the subway too far, seeing daylight stream in through the windows (an odd sensation when it had been dark a moment before) and immediately got off at the next stop to turn around. Beyond this my knowledge of Brooklyn could be attributed to a few Jay-Z songs and various newspaper articles that I had read in passing.

However, my good friend Justin has been recently pressuring to visit this outer borough and discover all of the greatness he sees in it. So on Saturday morning I got up bright and early to prepare for my journey. After almost an hour and one subway transfer later I arrived on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick. After seeing Justin’s large, two floor, two bedroom, two bathroom, two balcony, washer/dryer apartment that costs less than mine, we decided to go to Park Slope (or the gem of Brooklyn).

First we went to Blue Sky Bakery, which has some of the best muffins I have ever tasted. I got a blueberry cream cheese muffin (and now currently suffer from a muffin top). Afterwards we went to an open market right outside the entrance of Prospect Park (Brooklyn’s version of Central Park). The market was great, full of various foods, drinks, and plants, all of which seemed healthier and more natural than the ones you encounter in Manhattan. I am told that Prospect Park is twice the size of Central Park and the layout is much better. The little bit that I saw of it was beautiful, and their biking route seemed pretty cool. The only difference I could identify was the number of hipsters (at least triple that of Central Park).

We rounded out our day at The Chocolate Room where I got one of my favorite treats: Frozen Hot Chocolate. It was amazing; they use dark chocolate and the best ingredients. Although to be honest, I think Justin makes a better and healthier version of this.

My conclusion: Brooklyn is great for enjoying life and terrible for watching your weight.

We did also stop by the Target store, which I know is not exciting, but when you see the prices, you can’t help but get a little giddy. Compared to the borough of Manhattan, everything there seemed free. I was introduced to the phrase “Free 99”, which felt pretty accurate there.

So while living in Brooklyn is probably not for me, it is definitely a great day trip. With tons of cool shops, restaurants, and bars, it is a must see (just watch out for the hipsters!...sorry I had too).

Goals Accomplished:
1) Never been to Brooklyn
2) Only slightly uncomfortable learning how to get there
3) Learned that other boroughs are actually cool (despite the popular Manahattan opinion)