New Contributor: BrooklynJay, and How I Came to Clinton Hill
/This little site seems to be meeting at least some neighbors' needs -- people have found it linked from elsewhere, and through Google searches for resources in the 'nabe. Since I'm always trading information on the area with my friend and neighbor Jay, I invited him to come on board and write some posts of his own. Since he lives farther east than I do, he's usually discovering things over there before I do.
Plus, it just seems fitting. Jay's the one who got me to move to Clinton Hill!
Nearly three years ago, I decided to buy an apartment. I had been renting a tiny studio in Hell's Kitchen when my friend and former co-worker Linda told me her childhood friend Jay owned a place in Clinton Hill -- an area I had heard of via recent real estate searches, but knew nothing about.
I came out on the Q train one Sunday afternoon in 2003, and we walked around and did brunch. I admit, coming from W44th Street, I was at first unnerved by the quiet. But each time I came out to look at co-ops, I liked it more and more. There were trees, gorgeous brownstones, parks, restaurants and unique architecture. Not to mention the friendly people. One cold winter morning, an elderly man said hello and struck up a conversation with me on Washington Ave. I couldn't believe it -- it was just how I always thought NYC was supposed to be, but never quite was! Culture, cool stuff to do and best of all, a varied population of mostly friendly people. I knew it was an area I could call home.
At first, I was the one educating Jay on neighborhood amenities. That first day in CH, Jay didn't even know where the C train was! Even though he had a year on me, I was informing him of openings and developments, even before I closed.
These days, we're both always on alert for "what'snew!" in the 'hood. BrooklynJay was my first of many friends in Clinton Hill.
As a native NYCer and having lived in Clinton Hill longer than I, Jay may have some different perspectives and history. Plus, he's pretty funny.