I was trying to go to sleep last night, newly realizing that my life is about to shift significantly to NYC, and I realized how I am going to use my 278votes.com idea. You see in 1898 the five boroughs of NYC all voted to incorporate as NYC and give up their relative independence. Brooklyn, the 2nd mightiest of the bunch, voted to incorporate, but only by 277 votes. It led to a great deal of bitterness, and apparently Brooklyn old timers for ages complained about it. (all initially learned thanks to the wonderful PBS documentary series on New York) Anyway, it occurred to me that 278votes.com would be the most amazing name ever for a decidedly pro-Brooklyn website or blog, as if there had only been 278 more votes cast against incorporation, then Brooklyn would be the fourth largest city in America today. So I was thinking I would start a blog from day zero about discovering the city through a new (if already biased) set of eyes, and sort of chronicle all the neat things I figure out and have an excuse to pay closer attention to everything and write more. Then I remembered that I was moving in with interesting creative type people, so why not make it a collaboration? Jimmey is a fantastic photographer, and will be out on missions anyway taking photos of our new home. Lauren is a painter, and could maybe review galleries and museums or whatever else she wanted to contribute. It would be a really fun (maybe even fun to read) flatmate project. Plus there is a really vibrant community of bloggers in Brooklyn, and I’m sure they welcome newcomers with open arms – maybe even contribute readers. (There is a vibrant community for everything in New York City) Anyway, it has that gut “very good idea” feeling to it, so stay tuned.

Also coming soon, I am looking for a bike and the most appropriate Brooklyn location to purchase a Brooklyn Dodgers hat, who I really wish were still around. I will not however, get the standard hipster issue BROOKLYN hoodie. No, I think I will instead bring with me a BROOKLINE hoodie, for irony.