I had a nagging fantasy about moving to New York. It’s not that I thought SF wasn’t cool or that there weren’t enough jobs to fight over. And it’s not like I had suffered from any shortage of fun stuff to do. The truth of the matter is that a media-driven inferiority complex made me question the greatness of my town. The idea that SF could ever compete with the historical gravity, size, cultural relevance, and sheer awesomeness of New York City seemed, well, a little delusional. So early this summer I abandoned my beautiful Dolores Park apartment (no subletting in SF!) and set out with my girlfriend and my cat for a summer gig in NYC.
Of course, my New York fantasy failed to become reality. The journey to the other side was a harrowing one – we lost our cat in the process and spent days looking for her before giving up. Still, I tried to stay positive as our dreams began to crumble and my girlfriend and I soon realized we’d had it pretty damn good in SF. But by then, we’d made it to New York and secured a room in an art loft in Williamsburg about two blocks from East River State Park; a place I assumed from my Internet research was going to be a New York version of Dolores Park.
Well, it’s not.
East River State Park is dusty, dirty, full of cops, and small. And as for our awesome new loft, well the roommates were super cool, but let’s just say it lacked charm (unless you find a filthy cave with no AC or Internet charming).
As we sat on the glowing-hot concrete slab the city was passing off as a picnic area, my girlfriend and I tried to figure out what the hell had happened. “Maybe this is what it feels like to take a risk and lose,” she said. “I just wanna go home.” But we couldn’t. So instead we did the next best thing and started searching for places that would remind us of San Francisco.
If there’s one surefire cure for homesickness it’s comfort food, and for San Franciscans that means burritos. As vegetarian Mission-dwellers, our go-to spot for awesome burritos had always been Papalote on 24th at Valencia. My girlfriend and I had been ordering takeout there for years so we’d grown accustomed to the parlor’s quick service, fresh ingredients, abundant options, and totally amazing salsa. Which is fine if you live in San Francisco where you can find variations on this stuff all over, but, we soon learned, sets the bar a little high if you happen to be elsewhere.
Our first few NY burritos missed the mark by about, oh, I’d say 3,000 miles or so. In my mind, a standard-issue burrito has a handful of defining features. First, it’s big. Second, it has cheese, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, and rice. The tortilla is rolled in tinfoil or served on a plate drenched in a blend of different salsas. But what the hell was this shit? Every burrito we ordered came packed with carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. We had to request cheese and lettuce and the servers looked at us like we were insane when we asked for more salsa.
But then we found it.
After grabbing coffee at the new Blue Bottle location on Berry Street (yes!), we strolled up Bedford Avenue and stopped for shade outside a restaurant that had a small mural of a hippie playing a guitar. Above it, a signpost marked the location: Haight and Ashbury. Home! And then we noticed the smell coming from inside the tiny kitchen. Without even realizing it, we’d stumbled upon a taqueria specifically designed for a San Francisco palette. It’s called L.A. Burrito (weird, given the sign in the painting, but now was not the time to get picky) and it’s small, a bit dirty, and perpetually hot – kind of a mix between Papalote and El Farolito in SF. The menu also reminds me of those standbys. Vegetarian burritos with marinated tofu. Mole for days. Tons of salsa. Perfection.
“It tastes like home,” my girlfriend said as she bit into her quesadilla. And with that, we were hooked. L.A. Burrito quickly became our nightly dinner spot and we soon began to explore the corner of Williamsburg it occupied, which, we discovered, had plenty more to offer a couple of homesick San Franciscans.
After mastering our coffee-and-food situation, the next thing we needed was a good place to drink. There are tons of dive bars with cheap pints, but most of these places are cramped and busy (like SF’s Attic Club or maybe the Phone Booth). Great spots if you’re looking to hang out late with a million sweaty hipsters, but I like to be in the sunshine when I drink and that’s why I wanted to find a place like Zeitgeist with open space, tables, and a somewhat-gritty vibe.
After fruitlessly scouring Yelp and other recommendation sites, I happened upon a new spot that had exactly what I needed. Luckydog is a block over from L.A. Burrito on Bedford Avenue and South First. I didn’t think much of it when I first walked in, but when I noticed the vintage beer cans lining the walls and heard the opening chords of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” on the jukebox, I decided to get comfy. I ordered a pint of Stella and headed out back to find a seat. And that’s when I noticed this wasn’t your average dive. In place of the usual rancid-ass garbage area you find behind most places, Luckydog has a full patio with tables, chairs, and yes, even dogs.
I sat out back and smoked and drank to my heart’s content and eventually got to talking to the owner, Sal Fristensky, who told me he’d designed the place – shuffleboard table, pinball machine, dim PBR lamps and all – with San Francisco in mind. Apparently his friend Mike is from San Francisco and Sal had spent countless nights hearing about SF hotspots like Toronado and Lone Palm. “He actually just opened a new spot in Park Slope called Mission Dolores Bar,” Sal said before telling the bartender to put my beer on his tab. Nice!
A few days later, my girlfriend and I jumped on our bikes and set out for an afternoon ride followed by a few pints at what sounded like it might be a direct portal to home.
Mission Dolores Bar sits on the far outskirts of Park Slope on a random corner occupied by tiny bodegas and the occasional hole-in-the-wall Chinese diner. It seemed a little sketchy, but when my girlfriend and I saw the cluster of fixies out front, we knew we were at the right spot. We locked up our bikes and strolled through the gaping mouth of a door that once functioned as the entrance to an auto body shop. Inside we were greeted by hoards of not-too-broke, not-too-bourgeoisie, 20- and 30-somethings, many of whom seemed to have dropped straight out of San Francisco.
There in the corner near the pinball machine sat a cluster of flannel-shirted cool kids sipping PBR, smoking, and eating nachos from a taco spot down the street. In the other corner, a rowdy group of girls celebrated a 30th birthday party with towering glasses of Hefeweizen. Through the crowd, I could see a couple of tattooed barmaids doling out pints of obscure microbrews and cans of cheap swill from a long bar in back.
My girlfriend and I sighed with relief before saddling up to order, and that’s when I noticed how truly San Franciscan this place is. The bar looks almost exactly like the one at Toronado, right down to the elbow rests. I found out, after talking to owner Mike Wiley, that he actually had the rests from the Lower Haight locale measured down to the millimeter to fit his bar. “Toronado is the best beer bar in the world,” he said. “And San Francisco is one of the best places.” No argument here.
After getting our beers, my girlfriend and I found a spot in the courtyard next to a scruffy dude wearing cutoff jeans and a pork pie hat. “Where are you guys from?” he asked. When we told him, he just laughed. “Well,” he said. “You’ve definitely found the right place. This is the hottest spot in Park Slope right now. It’s just amazing” Agreed.
I’ve been in New York long enough to feel more at home in my temporary new city, and I’m finally ready to explore it. After all, the point of coming here is not to spend the whole time looking for stuff I’m already familiar with. Still, it’s nice to know the options are out there. In fact, they’re ever-present. During an afternoon nap, I was awakened by a man shuffling by my window with a large duffle bag. “Empanada, empanada,” he said over and over again. Not quite as magical or mysterious as the Tamale Lady, but his home-fried snacks will tide me over until I get back to the city by the bay. And now it’s time to get down to business. NYC, you might not be as awesome as my hometown, but you’re still pretty damn great. Prepare yourself. I’m gonna experience the shit out of you!
If you’re considering moving to New York, my advice is that you go on a little staycation first. Walk out your door and grab some coffee at Blue Bottle and then stroll through Dolores Park until you’re hungry. Hit up Papalote or El Farolito for burritos afterward and then go grab drinks at Zeitgeist or Toronado. Later that night, when you see the Tamale Lady break through the door with her cooler full of magic, just ask yourself, “Am I ready to give all this up?” If the answer’s yes, then you’re in for some serious withdrawal sessions. But if the answer’s no, well, then you’re probably smarter than me.
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andrewgoldfarb
Justin. We just translplanted (temporarily) from SF and have been in Brooklyn since January. Everyone said "it's just like SF" and we made the mistake of not spending much time here other than a few trips to restaurants, some walks on the promenade, BAM and that concert place where Laurie Anderson always plays in Dumbo or something but we never really hung out here. This is even after living in Manhattan from 02-04. We've been to a few of the places you listed and it helps a bit - especially the Mission place on 4th Avenue. It's not just the hang outs that we miss since we're older and one of us is sober now so our Zeitgeist days were sort of over before we got here. It's the whole place. It's insane here - everything's falling apart and as driven as people are it feels grimy and backwards. And we love NYC - go to concerts all the time. I imagine it will get easier after the first year - and we're thinking of moving to Manhattan (not grooving on the Brooklyn thing). I dunno. Thanks for your great article. Helped me feel not so alone and not so crazy. I miss my SF...
haraldpeter
As a European spending some weeks in SF for the first time, I use your 'guide' the other way around; being quite familiar with Brooklyn, I very well know (and love) L.A Burrito — and because of that, I now know where to go here in SF... Thanks!
alexavon
When you live in California long enough, it's just way too hard to move to a place that has no real Mexican food or culture. Once I spent a week and a half in New York and one of my favorite things was a Mariachi band that boarded a really-crowded subway and just started jamming. No one else seemed to care, but my heart swelled.
Jason W
Justin, it's good to read that you're finally ready to explore New York. It's definitely not for everyone and as one who has recently transplanted to SF from the NYC, I too am experiencing what you're experiencing (homesick New York).... I thought I'd pass along couple places in the neighborhood that may help guide the rest of your summer stay.
The Park - I assume by now you've found McCarren Park on the north side of Williamsburg. New to SF, I've often described Dolores Park as being kinda like McCarren Park.
Two bars with backyards - Spuyten Duyvil - 359 Metropolitan and Union Pool - 484 Union Ave (walk N8th under the BQE)
Food Fix - Drop that burrito and try a falafel ($2.50) from Oasis - N 7th off Bedford.
And some guidance for everything else - http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/
janafitz
I was just visiting New York from San Francisco a few weeks ago. I've been considering moving there to attend graduate school. I found myself on a random slope in Williamsburg, at 2am, slightly drunk and completely delirious and all I could think about was how much I wanted to be surrounded by international orange, green green green green everywhere and blue, with white sailboats in the mix. I also stopped at an "organic" market where more than slightly questionable apples were being sold at 4$/lb. Even though that's close to being Bi-Rite, it made me so sad.
When I got back to SF, I had drinks with friends and one mentioned that NYC is the kind of place where everything is magical the minute you arrive and gets a little less wonderful over time. San Francisco, on the other hand, is OK when you get here and slowly you find yourself falling in love with it. I have absolutely found this to be my experience. I heart SF. Plus, life without good Mexican food is not really a life worth living.
Kyle M
@janafitz... I think I heart YOU.
<i>San Francisco, on the other hand, is OK when you get here and slowly you find yourself falling in love with it. </i>
Awesome.
Chloe S
This article has come at the perfect time as I am leaving San Francisco in a week to go to grad school in New York. Having lived in New York before I know that San Francisco is superior. I am already homesick. Thank you Justin for these tips. And Jason - love Oasis!
Kristin S
Great piece on the two greatest cities!
SilvioRabioso
This article isn't really fair. The author compares one neighborhood in Brooklyn--with a small excursion to Park Slope--to ALL of San Francisco.
If he would have ventured beyond the 'Burg enclave (using a cheap, reliable, 24 HOUR system of public transportation: Take that, Bay Area!), he would have found outdoor beer gardens in Crown Heights/Prospect Heights, the Red Hook soccer tacos, a rapidly developing bicycle infrastructure, and more. Notice also that the author was conspicuously silent about pizza. Let's take that omission as a default win for NYC.
SF is small--I grew up there--and its charms are of a different scale than NYC. Living in the city (sorry: New York City), to me at least, is about exploring ALL five boroughs. W'burg may be a great home base, but if you truly love to eat, you'll get to know the 7 train and the N/R/Q: Queens is a treasure trove of delicious, authentic, and ridiculously affordable eats from every corner of the earth. The bar and food scene in New York is a starry night viewed from the desert: an infinite depth of field. My advice: venture forth! And don't worry about staying out too late...the subway never stops running!
PistoleroPedro
I lived in SF for a few years, coming from NJ and NYC for most of my life. NYC, in my experience has so much more to offer than SF. Yes NYC is expensive and you really have to dig through all the B.S. to get to the good stuff, but it's a city and that's what all cities are like.
Let's face it, if you grew up in or around a city and spent most of your life there and you love it, you will always get homesick no matter where you are. That's why they call it home. I could never compare SF and NYC because other than being expensive and full of s**t they have nothing else in common. You can't move somewhere hoping it's going to be just like where you just came from. You're setting yourself up for disappointment. All you can do is open yourself up to the possibility of not finding a great burrito joint, but maybe instead you found the best Indian food you've ever had or stumbled on a real deal Cuban place. Just be open to new things. NYC has a great transportation system, well maybe not great, but light years better than SF. Use it! NYC is unlike any other city in America, especially SF and that's what makes it New York. It's loud, crazy, dirty, but at the same time amazing, beautiful, and never dull.
As far as outdoor drinking goes... I love it too! The bohemian beer garden in Queens is great as well as Spuytin Devil.
I have to admit though, Zeitgeist is such a terrible bar. Everytime I went there either myself or somebody else with me caught some real bad unprovoked "I'm better than you" attitude from a doorman, bartender, or their beergarden gestapo. Working in a dive bar is a lot like moving to a new city, if you don't like it then go somewhere else. Nobody wants to pay to deal with your miserable attitude.
If you're looking for amazing Mexican food take a trek to to New Brunswick NJ. It's second to San Diego as having the best Mexican food in the US. Seriously.
There is so much more culture to be absorbed in NYC. There are so many museums, theaters, community centers, churches. Have you been to Cathedral Church of St. John The Divine? It's mind blowing. Take a bike trip up the westside greenway and go to 113th and Amsterdam. On your way back go to Central Park and ride around. It sure is a lot bigger than Dolores Park.
d
i understand your feeling -- however i can't help but feel it is a bit myopic, but then again -- if all you seek is to replicate the Mission and try to find it wburgh and other trendy spots in bk and that is all you are looking for, then i feel you are missing the point of nyc, which is cultural diversity that transcends products (blue bottle, a specific kind of burrito, a certain bar). expand yourself, son. go beyond the comfort zone and maybe attempt to create some culture on your own?
Jen H
Stella? Really?
Jen H
This was a great article and I really enjoyed it (as well as Thirty Year Itch, which is how I got to this story)! I've read it aloud to my bf and two other friends, who thoroughly enjoyed both articles. When I read that you ordered a "Stella," it threw me off.
Run Your Mouth