Ah, the five boroughs. I was fortunate enough to grow up relatively close to Manhattan and spend the last three months in Brooklyn. Now, during my five days back in lush suburbia, I’ve had time to realize what’s really missing, for better or for worse.
1.You are excited about - not scared of - the animals you see.
In New York, especially underground, you get used to seeing subway rats out of the corner of your eye (usually at 3 AM, prompting a world-class adrenaline rush). You shrink away from the vermin, you kick at the pigeons, you cross the street when a particularly threatening dog walks by. Back in the Hudson Valley, I have already spent considerable time running after toads, watching the deer and getting a glimpse of hawks. A much better change.
2. After the honeymoon phase of being home, there is nothing to do.
Air conditioning! Netflix! Free laundry! All of these creature comforts are exciting and life-changing at first. "Never will I ever pay 5 dollars for smelly laundry again," I thought. After piles of clean clothes and staying stationary for ten hours, I wished I could walk down the block to Steeplechase or Batata, which used to be accessible to me within minutes. Better yet, I wish I was still on the Coney Island line, which got me to a beach within 35 minutes with no driving necessary.
3. Driving is both a blessing and a curse.
I’m not thrilled about driving everywhere again, but it has its perks. No more waiting for the G train that decides to take a 25-minute break. I can self-schedule my life and help get my friends to one place in a more convenient way. The double-edged sword of a car is the responsibility of getting you and your car home at the end of the night. With the subway, you don’t need a DD – you just need to hang onto your MetroCard.
4.You suddenly lose access to communities that were once outside your front door.
Love it or hate it, New York is filled with people. If you’re positive, this means you have the chance to find your perfect niche – chances are, it already exists. For instance, the LGBTQ performing arts community is expansive and supportive. Coming back to a suburb, which are by their nature whitewashed and classed, means that the only community I can rely on at home is the one I built in high school.
5.You don’t have to pay to breathe anymore.
I flung out my summer internship funding budget out the window around week three of living in Brooklyn. Even if I spent all day in bed, I would inevitably pay for something, not to mention the cost of rent, which I was fortunate enough to afford. While I miss the chances to go to free movies, performances, and shows, it still cost me time and subway fare to access these events.
