The Time Has Come

Posted by Campbell at Tuesday, July 22, 2008

On the bus ride home tonight, as I was battling the pushing and shoving and trying to drown out the 8 or 9 people chatting on their cell phones, I realized that it's time that I move on from city life.

I moved to Brooklyn in 1999 and found the city absolutely thrilling. From 99 to about 02, I spent most of my free time in Manhattan. I'd be out most Friday and Saturday nights seeing bands at the Mercury Lounge, Irving Plaza and throughout downtown, and usually the after-party's would last until the sun rose over the Hudson. In 2002 or so, approaching the age of 30, I began to notice a slight drop in my energy and enthusiasm to do such things. I was still seeing a lot of live music, but I often skipped the Manhattan shows in favor of bills at Southpaw in Brooklyn. And the late nights began to become a rarity.

At the turn of 2004 into 2005, I moved from Brooklyn to Sunnyvale, CA. The primary reason for the move was a nifty job opportunity, but I'd also grown a bit tired of Brooklyn. Now past thirty I found myself floating between what I was in 2000 and the young couples with the toddler. Sunnyvale was extremely quiet and boredom crept in, but I found the slow pace to be well, soothing. I spent most weekends inside my apartment listening to records and reading while also taking the occasional trip to a bookstore or cafe.

In January of 2006 I made the move up to San Francisco. I felt rejuvenated and quite spirited during that first year, but boy has that worn off. As much as I love the Bay Area, I have had a hard time finding a groove over the past year-and-a-half. Similar to the last year or two in Brooklyn, I just don't feel well-placed here. I open the gate to my apartment building and I seem to only see hipsters and Marina dongs. I'm fully aware that there's a lot in between, but it somehow scurries past my line of sight.

I am not a person of the suburbs. But I am 100% certain that I am no longer a person of the city, either. In the coming weeks and months, I will look to find something in between, if such a place exists.