I have had a love affair with the bright lights of New York City since my youth. Something about going somewhere where no one knows your past and you can be whoever you want, has always enticed me. I don’t like being in an area where I can run into my mom’s hairdresser, nephew’s best friend’s girlfriend.

I need my New York City fix every few years to stay sane. The good thing about my addiction is Nick is starting to crave New York City too.

This last time we visited the land of Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z, we stayed in an Airbnb in Brooklyn. We have already done the touristy things on our last trips, so this time, it was just exploring new parts and visiting friends.

Brooklyn is filled with good eats and drinks. Walking around Bedford Ave, I did not see a Starbucks or a Peets or any other coffee chain. It was a new place after new place. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Brooklyn does have Starbucks but thankfully they are not on every corner.

I walked around this new borough and found some wonderful places to enjoy a drink. From the spacious beer garden that my New Yorker co-worker suggested, Spritzenhaus 33 to a random distillery I found on Yelp. King’s County Distillery is based in a navy yard and trusts me, I think there are ghosts there.

However, after drinking and eating all the carbs I can eat, I was reminded of why I love New York City and all its glory.

It is:

Open late – We got to our Airbnb at 11 pm. We were still able to find a great place to eat that wasn’t a chain. I stuffed my face with chicken tenders and a milkshake.
Cafe and bars – There are plenty of cafes that serve beer as well. Which make for amazing working spaces.
Subway – Seriously, you can get anywhere on the subway. If the subway isn’t your fancy, there are taxis, Uber, and Lyft. You can also take the train or a bus out to Long Island. Really, no one has to drive. Just the way I like it.
Pizza – I know this is such a cliche, but the pizza and the Italian food, in general, is soooo good out there.

Granted, New York City is dirty, and people can be a little too direct for my Californian taste; but, I still love it.