The Tamesis
“I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a 40-minute train ride from Brooklyn,” said native New Yorker Emma Straub. “But that’s what I’ve been doing since ninth grade in 1994—taking the subway back and forth to Brooklyn Heights.” The author’s sixth novel, american fantasy The story of “Riverhead” does not take place there – nor on land in general – but on a cruise ship where a 90s boy band traveled. (Brooklyn is the setting for her book modern lovers and this time tomorrow.)
Since then, the only times she has left the borough have been for college and graduate school. “My husband and I rented our first apartment on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, just two blocks from where we would eventually open Books Are Magic,” she told us Fashion. “We walked everywhere, to work and the kids to school, so I felt like I lived in a little village. Sometimes I forget that the city — and I still think of Manhattan, the city — is right across the water.”
Here, her little village records:
Best time to visit, weather factors: This isn’t unique to Brooklyn, but the best time to visit anywhere in New York City is fall or spring, depending on one’s allergies. My birthday is in late April, so maybe I’m biased, but I think fall or spring in New York would be ideal. Just ask Ella Fitzgerald! (She and I actually share the same birthday, so I knew she would be okay with it.)
Best Restaurant: If I were a better cook, the restaurant that feels most like an extension of my kitchen would be Popina. Popina is an unassuming Italian gem tucked away on a stretch of Columbia Street that’s always delicious and the guy who runs it is so kind to my kids that they would eat at Popina every day if we let them.
breakfast: My husband and I rarely have any quiet alone time, so we often go to Montague’s after school, before we go to the store, or before I get home to write. It’s perfect every time and we always meet six people we know. Eggs, oatmeal, pancakes—they get it right.
