Most people visiting New York normally think within the Manhattan box. So it's not surprising that when I mentioned that I would be staying in Brooklyn for my visit, most people would ask "why not Manhattan?"
It's true when I initially looked for a place to stay, I too looked to be in thr middle of Manhattan action. Unfortunately, prices were as high as New York's famous skyscrapers. An average hostel ranged about $50 per night. Most didn't have good reviews and those that did, were either more expensive or unavailable. I decided to look across the water at an area that I've wanted to visit, Brooklyn.
On AirBnB, I found a few good options. I settled for a room in a home that looked fit for an editorial in an interior design magazine. Little did I know that I'd be staying with a R&B musician in a very well furnished brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. I think that's a pretty authentic New York experience in its own right.
Following my decision to stay in Brooklyn, I spent my first day in Brooklyn. The first half of my day was dictated by my need to do laundry. While my clothes washed, I walked around Fort Greene to accustom myself to my "hood" for the next ten days. After the laundry was dried and a big, cheap, QUICK lunch, I left for Williamsburg for some eye candy - shopping trendy boutiques and a great view of the East side of Manhattan. Walking, I passed some classic New York scenes - playgrounds, basketball courts, a fashion shoot, stylish girls, hip hop boys, the cops to name a few. Other unexpected findings were a large Polish community in Greenpoint and an even larger Hasidic population around Williamsburg.
I don't think my day could be any more New York than it was, from using the local laundromat to me walking and snooping around the borough. What's best is being able to enjoy New York at my own pace and enjoying this rare space I've chosen to sleep in.
