How Far Is Brooklyn From Manhattan?
Clearly, the answer to that question depends not only on where you are in Brooklyn, but when you are asking it and whom you are asking. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for thirteen years, meaning I have at least five more to go until I can say I “grew up” here. And, while I’m still decades away from establishing the kind of family history many have in Brooklyn, I have been here long enough to see some pretty significant changes. In 1995, when I first moved to Brooklyn, it was far enough away from Manhattan that there was no guarantee a taxi driver would agree to take you there. You had to, in those instances, be both prepared and assertive, making sure that the minute you got into the cab you put on your “I know the law sir” tone of voice when you announced you were going “to Brooklyn,” all the while hinting in a gentler undertone that, in any case, it was just over the bridge. Now, of course, it is not only a given that a taxi driver will take you to Brooklyn, you can actually flag down a yell
