I'd been meaning to visit for a few weeks now, and we found the perfect opportunity yesterday, on a beautiful spring day that demands you spend most of it outside. I met David in Union Square and we took the subway, rather circuitously, to Grand Army Plaza. The subtle touches turn his place into a gem. The Historic District designation preserves the brownstones and quiet, residential streets of the neighborhood. Two blocks away is 7th Avenue, the main drag of sorts, filled with shops and restaurants and people out and about.
Prospect Park is half a block from the apartment in the opposite direction.
Everything in Park Slope seemed nicely multicultural, low-key, unassuming and warm. The vibe on the street is much different than it is in much of Manhattan, especially on a Sunday, when people are out strictly on their own terms, relaxing and impressing no one. What a great neighborhood. What a great way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon. I wouldn't recommend my particular diet, but you too can lose 15 pounds in seven weeks, given the right combination of tuxedo purchases, self-inflicted emotional stress, loss of appetite and religious observance.