11 Epiphanies You Will Experience When You Move To Brooklyn

1. Being a hipster means being an individual. Gone are the days of hipster-shaming. We are a community of artists. We are all hipsters now.

2. You can live cheaply. You can get a $7 sandwich. You can go to a gym that’s not Equinox. You can join a food co-op. You can thrift store shop. There are ways to thrive—and survive—without breaking the bank.

3. Williamsburg is as good as everyone claims. It’s not Utopia, but who wants that? It’s the real deal. Beer. Beards. Brunch. A melting pot of cultures—from the Heartland to the taco trucks. #authenticity.

4. Gentrification is not a dirty word. The fromagerie across the street is giving calcium to everyone. We’re all in this together.

5. When your day begins by biking over Brooklyn Bridge (America’s most prized bridge), your day has already become awesome. Enough said.

6. You will find love in a bar. It’s only in Brooklyn where a shot of Jameson leads to a deep discussion about David Foster Wallace. And then you’ve got her number.

7. A life without chain stores is a life well-lead. Except Target at Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center. Any maybe IKEA once, when your old roommate’s car is available.

8. Every meal is magic. Especially when it’s locally grown, organic, and free-range.

9. You will have a moment when you realize that you are exactly where you want to be. And in this moment your roommate will have cooked some kale, and your other roommate will be strumming on his mandolin, and your other roommate will be smiling.

10. The skyline is all you need from Manhattan. That and your paycheck. Truly.

11. Don’t be afraid to call yourself a New Yorker. You know more than you give yourself credit for.