The Basics
Age and occupation. How long have you lived here, where did you come from, and where do you live now?
I'm 25 yrs and working in healthcare. I was bred, born and raised in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, where I currently live.

Three for Yous
1. Let's say you're a Brooklyn real estate agent and after ten odd years in Manhattan I'm finally looking to move out and settle down in a place with more room. Sell me on Bay Ridge.
Having worked in a Bay Ridge real estate agency, let me tell you one of the most popular sellers are the many brownstone houses. Many potential buyers always seemed concerned about the trees on the blocks with houses of interest. Bay Ridge has great public transportation, no matter what part of the Ridge you live in there's always a way to get around. Other highlights are the restaurants, bars and big parks, such as the many connected Shore Road parks, the biggest in the community. In 1995 the Narrows Botanical Garden was established which approximately takes up 4 1/2 acres of parkland. The newest edition is a very popular skate park, which is located in Owl's Head Park. If one has an interest moving to Bay Ridge, there's a variety of large houses, small houses, condos, Co-ops, and residential buildings with apartments for rent which all vary from decent prices to mega bucks.

2. Are there any urban legends specific to Bay Ridge, like haunted churches and shit?
I'm not familiar with any "urban legends" of Bay Ridge like alligators living in the subway. If there are any, maybe the older veterans of the Ridge would know. You can read about the real "legends" of the community -- the residents -- in the forums of the Bay Ridge website.

3. I was told you were kicked out and banned from the NYC public school system as a 16 year old. What does one need to do to warrant such an honor?
What one has to "do" to stay in school is the question. First off one would have to "go" to school in order to stay in school. When I first started my freshman year at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, I was a regular student excited to be there, very much into the activities the school offered and was even in the marching band which always performed at local festivals. I think most of my delinquency derives from the fact I went to a Catholic school, which I'm not using as an excuse, but personally feel victim to the small world in which it was. At the time everything was based on religion, in math class you had to multiply nuns, subtract priest, and learn to play church songs in music. I have no problem with having gone to a Catholic school, but it was shocking when I transferred into a public high school. I couldn't get over fellow students smoking in bathrooms, cursing in hallways, and ditching classes. It took about 3 months before I found myself doing the same things, only I pushed it to levels that would give any sweet mother a coronary. I met a crowd of serious graffiti artists who introduced me to the world of "bombing" NYC subway stations and tunnels. I was so addicted to the world of vandalism, I started bombing the school. It took some time for the school morons to figure out it was me doing damage, naturally one day I get sent to the dean's office in which I was busted with a can of black spray paint in my bag. I told the dean I had the can to touch up the scuffs on my Doc Martens, which obviously was a lame excuse but not hard evidence could be produced to make anything of it. Then one cold January afternoon while I was cutting with a friend we came across a stray dog which almost had frost bite, I decided it was a good idea to bring him into the school to warm up, that went over well. I was also a repeated offender of getting brought to school by cops who busted me for smoking pot and drinking booze near school for the next 2 yrs. As well as being in the fake report card business, and the list goes on and on.... However I have straightened my act out and enjoy going to college. I try to be a strong advocate to the teens of Bay Ridge: "Stay in school, don't be a fool."

Proust-Krucoff Questionnaire
Please share a personal (and hopefully interesting) NYC taxi story.
Traveling from Staten Island to Brooklyn with some friends, the guys we were with insisted on paying for the cab ride. As we reached a couple blocks from our destination, we were (myself and friend) surprisingly told "hope ya can run real fast." Real charmers, I know. I was really freaked out and pissed, but we had no choice at this point. We made a run for it up the block, while the other two fools ran down. Naturally the driver decided to go after my friend and I, driving the wrong way on a Bay Ridge side street. We outsmarted him for the moment by pulling a "Ferris Bueller," running through backyards. As we thought all was OK half an hr. later, we get spotted by the driver, we freaked and totally bullshitted the guy by pretending not knowing who he was. We felt bad, so we decided to tell him the truth and send him the money, the dude looked hurt rather than angry and left possibly trusting that we'd send it, but we did and even threw in extra money for all the trouble.

9pm, Wednesday - what are you doing?
Usually watching whatever good is on TV and (or) cleaning

Best celebrity sighting in New York, or personal experience with one if you're that type.
At a WWE event at Madison Square Garden, while on a beer run with my crazy brother, he spotted Steve Austin. As we were passing he pushed me into him, I think I literally bounced back off him. I was so shocked and embarrassed. My bro comments "watch were ya going you fool, you bumped into the nice man." They exchanged nods and both found it amusing.

Describe that low, low moment when you thought you just might have to leave NYC for good.
When I have an hour and change train ride to work, always feeling sick in the morning, and coming across the classic dirtbag who doesn't own a toothbrush. That's when I feel I need to flee to some area where you don't have to become acquainted with someone's breath.

Just after midnight on a Saturday - what are you doing?
Usually going home from an early night out, or just starting to go out to some local Bay Ridge bar like the Salty Dog.

Finish one of the four following sentences:
3) "I hate computers for replacing the card catalog in the New York Public Library and I hate the way..."
Our local public library in Bay Ridge has been temporarily closed for the past year or so, leaving a bus parked outside the library with cement blocks instead of wheels. Too ghetto for me. I thought the library was a place of learning and resources for the youngsters to keep them outta the ghetto. Well, the ghetto's come to them!!

Where do you summer?
Coney Island or Riis Park

Who do you consider to be the greatest New Yorker of all-time?
All New Yorkers, to be the greatest city has taken everyone who has lived here.

What was your best dining experience in NYC?
Somewhere in Bay Ridge, no not because I live here, well OK maybe. It's really a great place for diversity when it comes to the food, prices and type of places to eat. Almost everywhere has that "right at home" feel to it.

What happened the last time you went to L.A.?
I was with friends and we met an annoying guy at the airport who said he was from New York, probably was. He said he was there on business and didn't have a hotel room booked. So one of our lovable dingbat friends recommended the hotel we were staying at. The whole time we were there he followed us around. It took 3 days to finally ditch him.

If you could change one thing about New York, what would it be?
The Mayor

The End of The World is finally happening. What are you going to do with your last 24 hours in NYC?
In my final hours I would eat until I explode and spend it with friends and family, they can eat and explode too.