After a late start to the day, 1pm, I walked with my buddy, Wesley, and his girlfriend, Kristine, and their friend, Matt, down Bedford Ave. This street has become a center of gentrification in Brooklyn and all of New York for that matter. Nearly every block has new restaurants, small bars, and art shops/galleries. Many of the old factory buildings have been kept. They have just been turned into lofts. There has been an increase in rent prices here over the past few years because of Williamsburg close proximity to Manhattan and Mid-town, where a lot of well paying jobs are located. Some of the old buildings are being torn down to make room for large condos. However along Bedford Ave, the originality and some times unkempt feel is still intact.

I read about the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in the Times. I checked out the rates. It is free on the weekdays. It was nice getting out of the cold and breathing in humid tropical air. The garden hosts a large Bonzi Tree exhibit. Really cool. Check out the photos I took.

Eating in Brooklyn doesn’t have to break the wallet. Yesterday I had a bagel and cream-cheese from BagelSmith for $3. Then lunch at a Kabab spot for $6. Was going to do the same for dinner, but I bought eggs, bread, and rah-men. One could easily live off 20 dollars a day for food here.

I ran over the Williamsburg Bridge at night. It was a little sketchy finding the right sidewalks to the bridge, but once on the bridge it was a straight shot. It was surprisingly noise on the bridge with the wind, subway trains, and cars. A solid 7 miles if you add on before or after the bridge.