In 60 years of living in New York City, 40 of them have been here in Brooklyn (the first 20 in Manhattan). I used to think of Manhattan as the mecca of places and basked in its glory as center of the arts, publishing and writing, and other professions. How can anyone live anywhere else?
But my feelings have changed. There was one essential thing lacking in Manhattan: the human touch, or soul. I found it everywhere in Brooklyn. My love affair with the borough is strong and lasting–the neighborhoods, the stores, the inhabitants, their warm acceptance of people from everywhere, a microcosm of an ideal world. I rearely go into Manhattan now, except to visit a doctor or a museum.
