Marquel, TPVs NYTimes s Suburban Section correspondent, was enjoying Coney Island from the heights of the Wonder Wheel, when he read Life After Brooklyn. Brooklynites are moving out, fed up with rising rents, bidding wars and neighborhoods that no longer resemble the low-rise bohemian enclaves they found when they arrived.
Marquel had seen them moving. Some filled with self hate for becoming bridge and tunnelers. Others filled with viruses from Lyme Disease after moving to Connecticut. Others filled with absolutely nothing except a touch of vapidity after moving to Staten Island.
Marquel went out to Brooklyn after checking the schedule to make sure he could be back to safety before sundown. He found a whole group of New Brooklynites in a coffee shop with their super giant multiple strollers parked all around. They were discussing new ports of call.
“I want someplace that’s open all night,” said one young mother, “I’m sick and tired of roaming supermarkets to find a party.”
“There’s got to be some part of New York that never sleeps,” said another, “instead of shutting down at ten pm like Indianapolis.”
“I’d like to be able to have a meeting like this in a good old fashioned bar instead of a coffee shop,” said another.
“I’ll drink to that,” said another sneaking a pour of a small flask.
Two artsy types said, “this Brooklyn museum is really super, especially were it in Boston, but I’m really missing a museum devoted just to the moderns.”
The other answered, “I’m afraid there’s nothing like that in Brooklyn.”
A third asked, “have you looked in queens, or maybe Staten Island?”
“You’ve got to be kidding. It’s like Levittown there,” another answered.
“No”, said a bearded father, “this is like Levittown. I want to see live theatre. Not once a month or two at BAM, but in a location like a theatre district where you can choose!”
Another responded that there was a theatre district in one of the other boroughs.
“Big deal. What’s the point of a theatre district without restaurants,” he challenged.
“I know it has restaurants!” He answered. The coffee bar was murmuring.
“So where the hell is it?”-the other asked.
“It’s it’s it’s it’s…” He stammered, “Broadway!”
The entire coffeehouse rose as one, “But that’s in Manhattan!” A large groan.
One of the first to speak said, “yeah, Manhattan, that’s where the all night bars are, the all night parties, the museums, the theatres, the restaurants, music venues. We all know that. We came here cause it’s cheaper. Now it’s not!”
“So what should we do?” They all cried.
“Admit we were wrong?”
“That’s not very Brooklyn,” said one.
After a long silence, another said, “yeah, well neither are we.”
Marquel went home just before sundown. He knew there were still parts of the very upper east and west side which were easily competitive with Brooklyn. But maybe not Levittown.
***
BY MARQUEL: New York – Not Brooklyn?- It’s a Hell of a Town
A bit biased, but hey, that’s fine…I like Manhattan too. I wish I could like there.
I’m very disappointed, Marquel. Many Brooklanites read u, or shall I say used to.
Oh,. stop the fuss. YOu all know that you moved to Brooklyn when you were on a shoe string and you hated it then and you hated it now. Brownstones…Okay, stay in your brownstone and keep your mouth or shall I say envious mouth shut
Thank god we have a Mayor from Brooklyn.
Thank GOd he moved to Manhattan
so much bickering. are you commuting and have nothing tt do in your train but bite each other? Don’t you get it? Marquel is right. YOu cannot stand the fact that once you lived in Manhattan and then you had to you had to move to Brooklyn. Accept it and that’s it. There is nothing wrong to say