West Village vs. Park Slope
The Municipal Art Society is charging $45 for tonight's Manhattan vs. Brooklyn debate. But given the economy the way it is, who can afford that? So here's my low-rent version comparing my current Park Slope apartment with my former West Village walk-up.


Celebrity Sightings

West Village -- Gwyneth, Monica, Lou Reed, Moby, Sandra Bernhard, Michael Moore and Kristin Davis of Sex and the City.
Park Slope -- Kathryn Erbe of Law & Order Criminal Intent, a guy driving a yellow Hummer who looks like Ron Jeremy.

View from the Windows

West Village -- Empire State Building, Met Life building, New Jersey, giant cruise ships on the Hudson, Village rooftops including Donna Karan's roof garden across the street.
Park Slope -- Brownstones and the sight of parallel parkers whose methods include intentionally hitting the car in front, then back, then front, then back. ...

Mother Nature Nearby

West Village -- Hudson River
Park Slope -- Prospect Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Things Likely Left in Apartment Lobby or Halls

West Village -- Used condoms, needles, cigar butts, menus.
Park Slope -- Baby strollers, menus.

Sidewalk etiquette

West Village -- We're-all-in-this-together attitude. Never walk more than two abreast so as to not force others off the curb.
Park Slope -- No-one-exists-but-me-and-the-five-people-I'm-walking-with attitude. Occasionally there might be only two of you on a block, but the other person stays about a foot-and-a-half from your heels.

Critter Watch

West Village -- Giant dinosaur-like Waterbugs drop by every few weeks to amuse the cat. Some are five-inches long, causing an otherwise mature woman to run from the kitchen and climb the furniture.
Park Slope -- Hundreds of extremely tiny cockroaches attack the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and even the hallways. Cat dismisses them as too small to care. Everything must have its own Rubbermade container.

Transportation

West Village -- Taxis always available, 1/9 subway. Get anywhere in Manhattan in about 15 minutes.
Park Slope -- Get to Manhattan destinations in about 45 minutes. Taxi drivers mad when they have to take you to Brooklyn, speed back to Manhattan without picking up another fare. Car service wait can be over an hour on weekends. Both subways (Q and 2/3) lines out of service most weekends and after midnight.

Buying Fresh Produce

West Village -- Overpriced offerings at Gourmet Garage or pick through moldy offerings at D'Agostino.
Park Slope -- Saturday farmers market at Grand Army Plaza or join Park Slope Food Co-Op for beautiful and cheap organic goods likely grown within 500 miles of Brooklyn. However, co-op requires each member to work once a month and tolerate a handful of former-hippies who are anxious to tell you how to live your life despite the fact their car is double-parked in front of the fire station next door.

Drivers and Horn Abuse

West Village -- Typical New York

Park Slope -- What the hell? A month after we moved in, two separate cars slammed into the building across the street. School buses tear up and down the streets like they're running from the cops. Everyone "blocks the box." Horn-honking is aggressive and competitive. A horn has not officially honked in Brooklyn unless it is held down a minimum of three seconds. Extra points if you can get at least three other drivers to join your chorus. Best used when drivers ahead completely unable to move because other drivers have blocked the box and can't move either due to a red light more than a block away. Repeat at every intersection.

Laundry

West Village -- Drop off/pick up at Charles Street laundry where the West Village "mayor" will fill you in on every bit of gossip about the neighborhood and answer all your downtown questions.
Park Slope -- $2.50 per load in the basement.

What Residents Say

West Village -- "I hear Park Slope's supposed to be nice, but I've never been."
Park Slope -- "I'm so glad I left Manhattan."

- posted by Amy @ 10/07/2003 10:50:00 AM