OUR STORY
Aly's photo from earlier in the day, a view of downtown NYC from Governor's Island
Friday, August 3, 2018
Aly's Version:
Earlier in the day, I was volunteering with my company on Governor's Island by planting lavender and touring a compost facility. We went from the office and I had a long day so I was accurately dressed in overall shorts, no make-up, hair a mess and a massive backpack.
From volunteering, I hoofed it into Brooklyn to view apartments. My future roommate was trying to convince me to move to Williamsburg from TriBeCa, a sell neither of us knew, would be much easier the next day.
We ended up touring apartments with a realtor, walking all around the neighborhood on a hot summer day. To refresh, my future roommate and I went to dinner and a few bars after. She convinced me to go to one more bar, Black Flamingo.
When we arrived at Black Flamingo, our realtor from earlier in the day was the DJ - the most Brooklyn thing.
Black Flamingo is a classy restaurant upstairs and a low-ceiling dance club (equipped with a fog machine) downstairs. I couldn't leave my work computer unattended upstairs, so I hit the dance floor with my backpack in tow.
Josh's Version:
The friend group living in Williamsburg was smaller then than it is today, but we were a solid crew. A "triangle" of our apartments enclosed the heart of the neighborhood: 128 Berry, 25 Skillman, and (mine) 88 Guernsey.
I felt fortunate to have close comrades living so near. Traveling friends often appeared on weekends, giving us all the more reason to hang. Tonight, with a mutual friend visiting, the Guernsey Gang and the Berry Boys joined with the Skillman Men.
Around 11pm, with a few folks gained, we entered a bar just beyond the southern edge of our triangle, near the BQE, called Black Flamingo.
We secured a table near the entrance. I snapped a quick pic and ventured downstairs. As a cool fog from the dance floor began to surround me, I pressed on, unaware that the course of my life would change...
Josh's only photo from Black Flamingo, a blurry memory with friends
Our Version:
We met grooving under strobe lights in a cramped basement. Josh pointed out how strange it was to dance wearing a backpack at a club. As he remembers, "You're a turtle" were his exact first words. (He swears she laughed.) Since we're two people who love a good dance floor, this was fate. The beats thumped, Aly's hands rolled in her signature dance move, and after a few songs we headed upstairs to grab a drink and get more acquainted.
More than five years later, we're still grooving!
We live together in Williamsburg, inside the very same triangle. Occasionally, on a Friday night, we go back to Black Flamingo and share our story with whichever friend or stranger happens to be listening.
We've traveled to new places and will continue to adventure together but Williamsburg has been our home since we met; weaving our lives together through friends, our love of trying neighborhood spots and leisurely walks along the river. We are so excited to bring our family and friends to where we fell in love.
Our first two photos together, taken a few months after meeting, when we traveled to the Pacific North West