graduation

yesterday marked my last day as a NYC citizen. i'm sad about leaving my friends, the 24 hour pizza joints, the brownstones of brooklyn, and many other things, but excited for the prospect of beginning my "adult" life. in commemoration of my departure, i've compiled a list of my favorite memories (in random order):

- exploring the "forgotten" borough of staten island. rhythm and booze, the SI ferry, bbq pizza, with a finale at a downtown diner. all on a sunday afternoon.

- finer things club. we'll now be able to add trips to savannah, but it will never rival the adventures had in the greater 5 boroughs.

- brooklyn alliance. the few, the proud, the f and g train riders. those manhattan kids never truly understood.

- amateur burlesque night at galapagos. i certainly never performed, but the tribute to abe lincoln will be forever etched in my brain.

- first dates at the gate. minus the belgian sour ale. check please.

- group gchats. this will continue into my life in atlanta, but still deserves to be on the list.

- searching for bahn mi in chinatown. we never found what we were looking for exactly, but the journey was half the fun.

- old glory specials at cherry tavern. always a terrible idea in the morning, but a whiskey and PBR for under $5 is never a bad idea at the time.

- lifetime movies and wine in harlem. i am not ashamed.

- day trips to coney island. god, nathan's, and the wonder wheel can be found there.

- beer pong at whiskey river. what better way to show off eye-hand coordination?

- above ground subways. the D, Q, J always gave the best view of the city.

- the brooklyn flea. long live hillbilly gold.

- oko. frozen greek yogurt and fruit. let's pretend we're being healthy.

- attempting to go to free concerts. they were always too overrun with hipsters to actually make it in, but the events that ensued post-attempt was always worth the disappointment.

- visits from cloud. cheesy poofs, photo booths, phat farm, and leprechauns.

- alligator lounge. if i hadn't moved away from that place i would be a full-fledged member of pizza addicts anonymous.

- outdoor drinking, especially during the day. no one judges when everyone gets around via cab.

- the beer garden. see above.

- the walk from 42nd to union square. highlight had to be walking 30 blocks next to david from newsies.

- the chicken place. only dining establishment in midtown i'll miss.

- sunny days in prospect park.

- eve's in astoria. those women are vastly underpaid for their skills.

- failed rec teams. namely kickball.

- the evolution of pearl and the beard. they started with a handful of family and friends at free shows, now they're about to embark on a legit tour.

- amNY crosswords on the daily commute. my day always felt off if i didn't finish by the time i made it to the bryant park stop.

- dram shop sports viewing. that poor server was always there.

- craigslist roommates. out of two there's always one nutjob and one keeper.

i hope if/when i leave the south, i'll have as worthy of a list. it will probably reference just as much food.