I came to this realization last Friday as I walked through the area of Boston known as the South End, while waiting for a friend. Ahhh Boston, my first love and my home. Yet even as I walked the streets and gazed at the Hancock building in the distance, I realized for the first time in a long time that something was different. I didn’t really want to live here. There was another place that was pulling at my heart strings and begging me to move to it. That place? New York City. To be more specific, a borough of NYC – Brooklyn.

My sister currently lives in Brooklyn in the Greenpoint neighborhood. I have been there countless times since she has started living there. I know the driving route so well I don’t even need my navigation anymore. I can always find parking. The neighborhood is full of fun places to eat, drink, and be merry. The food is almost always amazing anywhere we go. The bodega that my sister frequents has the nicest man in the world running it. The ferry over to Manhattan is only a couple of blocks away, and let me tell you, taking that ferry on a beautiful sunny day is such a great ride.

So I’ll admit it – I’m head over heels in love with Brooklyn. I want to move there. I want to be able to hop over to Williamsburg on a Sunday and hit the flea market or go out to one of my favorite restaurants PT. I want to be able to board the ferry and take the 10 minute boat ride over to Manhattan. I want to jog down the road on a nice day and people watch as I enjoy the scenery. I want to head over to the Brooklyn Brewery on a Saturday and drink some drafts while petting Monster, their pet cat. The vast amount of cool places that this area has amazes me. While some people think NYC is dirty, I think it’s beautiful. Viewing the graffiti that fills the area is like visiting an art museum for free. Everything about this place is a piece of art in my eyes.

So while for now I live in Massachusetts, in a city other than Boston, I dream of the day I make the move to NY. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for you Boston. As the song says, “Love that dirty water, oh Boston you’re my home.” You will always be my hometown, but NY is where my heart is.