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Alice told me that she found it hard to adjust to her new apartment and neighborhood and routine, too, and that my adjustment is more difficult because, unlike her, I don’t have a family home to go back to.

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Brooklyn. It’s the city that warrants snide remarks about getting shot, the infiltration of hipsters and the bustle of Brighton Beach. It’s also the city that I call home.

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Interestingly enough, many who condemn “bad” neighborhoods, have never stepped foot in one and cannot name an acquaintance from one.

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To friends, when words have been spoken too quickly in anger or actions have been taken without proper thinking and you just have that instantaneous unquestionable feeling that you will never be able to fix what you once had.

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Do or die.

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Chi-town Stand Up!

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San Francisco is saved for the particular hearts looking to have it all: a sunny Saturday at Dolores Park, perched on a hill, Instagram-ing your besweatered Frenchie named Monty, as you watch the motivational yogis through your socially-conscious-and-cost-effective-plastic eyewear.

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If you ask people who have lived here a while what they like about Bed-Stuy, most of them will tell you it’s the sense of community, the everyday friendliness.

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I noticed another trend: many responded, “This is why I don’t want to move to Brooklyn,” citing broadly outlined “hipster” behavior. As a Brooklyn native who was born and lived two thirds of my life here, I found this comment more disturbing than any of the negative feedback about my acting skills.

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I lived in Long Beach, CA for about six years while I futzed around at college. Yeah, it took me 5.5 years to finish college, what about it? Anyway, my last year there, I lived in a beautiful house on a corner in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. During the 18 months I lived there, I witnessed a slew of events that can only be characterized as part of life in the hood.