Jonathan Van Meter, who in 2005 wrote the deeply personal New York screed “I Hate Brooklyn” in which he compared the b-side borough unfavorably to Philly and Jersey, is no longer as spiteful as he once was, despite the booming artisinal pickle scene over the bridge. In a conversation at the Awl, Van Meter admits he “did become susceptible to Brooklyn’s wily charms” in the twenty or so times he’s visited in the seven years since swearing allegiance in print to Manhattan. But most of all, he writes, “What really mellowed my hateful feelings toward Brooklyn is that Manhattan got even suckier.” And his semi-sell-out solution? A move from the trendy Noho to the always grimy Avenue B, plus a second house in Woodstock: “The Catskills are my outer borough!” Sounds like someone is softening with age.
