What it’s like actually to grow up in Brooklyn, New York

I was born in Manhattan, NY in September of 1995. Raised in Brooklyn, NY. *Brooklyn (NYC) fans raise your hands* I’ve lived in Brooklyn for about 12 years.

Sometimes it’s not the safest

Growing up I went to Catholic school (No not the ones with nuns and they slap your hands with rulers if you misbehave), it was a regular school with normal teachers. The catholic school was good, I enjoyed going to school and seeing my friends. Inside the school, the windows were barred. At the time, I didn’t understand why and I probably still don’t now. But it was a good school.

My friends would be able to walk home on their own and I always felt like a baby when my parents had to pick me up from school. I always asked why I couldn’t walk home. It was because they felt it wasn’t safe for me to go home on my own, at the time I simply didn’t see that or the distance it took to travel back to the apartment (Plus my friends lived very close to the school enabling them to walk home).

New York City: From the Sky

You can walk pretty much everywhere

Sure you’re able to walk to stores and drive (unless you want to get stuck in heavy traffic) but stores are literally close by, I walk to the train station or even take the bus, if I want food I can simply just walk the couple of blocks. It’s a curse and a blessing, my wallet screams with joy at the sight of food and shopping.

Leave your car out of the city

If you’re new to NYC it’s one thing to come in a car but you might want to save the hassle in bringing one. Almost everyone who uses their car, not only finds it incredibly hard to find parking but will never expect to be driving in clear streets. There is always that time during the day when traffic comes along and it’s all day long.

Apartment View: The Balcony

Brooklyn apartments are cosy

Growing up I lived in a 25-floor apartment. Yes, 25 floors of different apartments with different people. It is like living in a dorm except you have a kitchen, maybe one or two bathrooms and about one-three bedrooms. I lived in a three bed, two bath apartment. obviously, one of the bedrooms were mine, the second bedroom my parents and the third my grandmothers. Looking now at the apartment so much has changed from the balcony (Oh yes! I forgot you get your very own balcony, the view of the Brooklyn bridge, the twin towers/Freedom tower, and so much more), to the T.V, the bathrooms, and the bedrooms.

The only thing that really remains intact is the kitchen. But besides that, the apartments are small and cute but expensive. For all you readers who live in Brooklyn, or know the area we live in a small apartment community called the Clemente’s. Literally Roberto Clemente the famous baseball player, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and got to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Catholic School

Throw Back: The apartment
(Stepfather, Mother, and I)

There’s a lot of history

There is so much history behind New York City’s buildings, streets, and people. Living in New York City for the small amount of time has opened my eyes in understanding what my home was. I miss living in New York City but I think it might just become a place I would come to visit family members. It is true that the city never sleeps, the nightlife is so vibrant, full of people.

There are a lot of hipsters and some celebrities

In Brooklyn if you do visit, visit the Williamsburg area. This area is considered the “Hipster” part of town if you go out at the right night you may occasionally see Dylan Sprouse from “The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody,” walking to a bar or club. (Saw him one night as I walked home, literally freaked out on the inside). But in all, New York City is really the city that never sleeps.

View from the balcony