“Before Vogue’s poll of Brooklyn being the coolest place on the planet, before the hipster invasion, before the lovely art adorning our street corners– Brooklyn was always cool. Cool because of its raw diversity, attitude, style, and culture. I have some fond memories of why I love Brooklyn… I remember Bushwick block parties were always pop’n until they got shot up, I remember playing skelly top in Red Hook Projects and taking strolls up Court Street on hot summer days…I remember Coney Island on Easter Sundays and everyone from the hood had their very best on… I remember when Thrift Stores were second hand stores and you didn’t want to be caught dead in there because that meant you were poor…Now you’re actually considered cool and frugal if you shop Vintage — who knew! I remember taking the school bus from Red Hook Projects to an almost all white elementary school in Park Slope called Brooklyn New School. I even went to a high school called Brooklyn School For Global Studies– can’t get anymore Brooklyn …