I crossed "Be a Hipster in Brooklyn" off my bucket list by going to see Fleet Foxes and the Walkmen on the Williamsburg Waterfront. I had no idea what to expect, this being my (gasp!) first time to Brooklyn, but the two restaurant/bars I made it to had good crowds and good food. The concert only sold Brooklyn Brewery beers, natch. And there were fewer annoying over-the-top hipsters than I imagined there would be, minus the 6-foot tall girl in the ugly leopart print sweater with big clunky barrett circa 1986 in front of me. She really started to bug by the end of the night as she kept turning around to look back at the crowd, which inevitably led to awkward eye contact between us. But when I concentrated hard enough, I could look over her leopard shoulder and past the ugly plastic barrett to the stage.
It was at this point that I realized I would definitely hate concerts if I weren't 5'10.
Obligatory NYC skyline at sunset photo. Ooh. Ah. Yeah, it was actually pretty fantastic.
Sunday my friend and I walked across the city to check out the High Line. There was some famous person walking the High Line surrounded by at least 10 men in suits and earpieces. Talk about subtle. Also, I use famous person loosely. Two euro-looking guys in pink button downs, a wife who looked South American and what I presume was their kid, or a nephew. We kept stopping to take pictures (of the buildings) and these important people would pass us, then we'd pass them, and so on. It became ridiculous because you knew the security kept eyeing us but seriously, this group was the least interesting thing happening (obviously, since I'm referencing them here). I think their bodyguards were actually laughing about the idiocy of taking a Sunday stroll in what appeared to be one of the safest, cleanest, whitest places in the city.
NYC is four hours from Boston on those buses that, outside of the New England-Northeast region, most people just refer to as "Greyhound buses." But here, they're cleaned up for young working professional people, who most people just refer to as "Yuppies." The buses are given fun names like Bolt, MegaBus and Peter Pan. You already know all this but it's new to me so just humor me, ok? I'm from places where they drive cars. They outfit the buses with wifi and outlets and a respectable driver. If it weren't a longer ride it'd be better and way cheaper than flying. The driver even stops midway through at his fast-food place of choice (my buses got Burger King and Arby's, the two places I pretty much do not eat at). I feel very New England when I take these buses, and I'm fine with that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have much to make me feel that way except my love of clam chowder and my dislike of forced pleasantries with strangers. Also, can we talk about how New York is the Northeast but Boston is New England? It's all a very small area, you guys. Get over it.
This was the first trip to NYC that's made me want to move there. I guess living in Boston will do that.
Try the Fung Wah next time. Worth experiencing at least once. No need to get a ticket in advance, a bus leaves every hour on the hour.
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