Liz Norment is The Fall Rut-Buster New Yorkers Need

The woman responsible for the great blog, ‘Brooklyn, I’m Trying’ imparts advice on taking full advantage of NYC

We’re finally back with another Member Spotlight, because our members are FRIGGIN’ AWESOME and always worth bragging about!

It’s been a crazy past few weeks, with New Night and new store openings, but I am so excited to start this series again. This week, I’m more than happy to bring you my interview with Liz Norment, the fantastic human being behind the blog ‘Brooklyn, I’m Trying’.

We all know how difficult this amazing city can be to navigate and take full advantage of, no matter how long we’ve been living here. There is such an overwhelming number of places to visit and things to do, it can be surprisingly easy to fall into a routine — I know I’ve been guilty of letting this happen. But have no fear of the rut, because Liz is here to carry you out of it!

So, without further ado, check out our conversation below and pick up some tips!

How long have you been in Brooklyn and why do you like the city so much that you started writing about it?

So I moved here about seven years ago, but I spent one of those in Spain, so I’ve been here for six years total. I think what I love about living in Brooklyn is that you can kind of do whatever you want here. You have to work hard, but everything is open to you. You can be whoever you want and do whatever you want. You’re always going to be meeting people that are doing something that interests you and be inspired by them.

I’ve found that as the years have gone on that I’ve finally been able to gain my footing and understand this is what I want out of the city and my life here, and if I’m not, then I’m wasting my time and definitely wasting my money. And through that I found that writing about my experiences and my life here has been very fulfilling and also, I hope, is helping people be able to find what it is they want, or to at least have a hell of a good time.

What made you move to New York in the first place?

I always say it was the allure of the city, which is a very sarcastic response. The truth is I studied fashion and international business and I wanted to stay on the East Coast because I’m from Virginia and I wanted to live in a big city. I knew that New York was going to be a challenge, but where was I going to go? This was the best option and it has continued to be.

What led to the inception of the blog?

The reason is twofold. I studied abroad in Barcelona, and when I got back I had to write a travel guide for my best friend who was heading there. I was super sad to be back and kind of exposed to this reverse culture shock. So I finally forced myself to get out all my stuff and write this very extensive travel guide. After she used it — this was in 2008 — I started passing it around to over a hundred people over a three or four year span, and people started contacting me saying they knew others who were using it. So then I realized that this was dumb — I was sending it as a Google Doc, and a lot of people were using it and I was getting some really good feedback, so I figured why not put it online and include other things that would want to bring people to my space.

At the same time I was living in Brooklyn and made myself the sort of social coordinator for my friends, sending out weekly emails saying “OK guys, this is what we’re doing this week. This is what you should sign up for now, this is how much tickets are, etc.” I was aggregating all this information from a lot of different websites, I was subscribed to a million different lists, and putting together what I knew that my people would be interested in.

I was making these national travel guides and also making city guides for the city I live in, so hence the blog was born. It kind of just happened organically and everything else I’ve put in there since is whatever comes out of my brain. I really really enjoy it because I’m constantly writing, constantly thinking, constantly wanting more from this city. I get to see it through different eyes, and receive feedback from my readers, hoping to serve them and challenge them, in a way, and challenge myself. It’s been fantastic; it’s been hard work, but I’m really happy with what it’s become.

Is there anything you’d really like to write about?

I’d have to think on that. My content is so knee jerk sometimes, but I definitely have an ongoing list of what to write.

I’ve been getting a lot more into profiling people who are doing things against all odds, continuing to push until they get their business started or their project going. I recently interviewed Jay Rinsky who created Little Cinema, which is this wild immersive theater experience with live music, aerial performers, and interactive elements with him as the conductor, in a way. They just performed Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain and made it even more psychedelic and obscure than the original. His story and creation is so unbelievably amazing that as I was talking to him, I couldn’t believe that he was taking the time even to speak with me. And so to be able to help promote and expose his art makes me feel so happy about what I’m doing.

I’m most excited about expanding on this “Profile of a Hustler” series, to be able to understand and learn about someone else’s creative hustle, to hear how they’re still pushing and still working and creating is so inspiring. That’s probably the thing I’m most excited about working on right now.

Do you have any favorite posts? What has been one of your favorite things to write about?

I think these international travel guides have been really great. Going to a place and really trying to understand the culture, take in the sights, sounds, tastes, and then putting that together into something that is interesting and digestible for people and that makes them want to hopefully go. My piece on Cappadocia in Turkey meant a lot to me.

I also do a little bit with food, so I wrote a piece on how to make a tortilla. I did all this research, and I talked to people who were speaking about this really simple dish with such reverence that I thought it was kind of a joke. And when I started actually trying to make some, I realized that you have to really engulf yourself into the culture and experience of it all. It’s four ingredients, which is ridiculous, but the whole process is almost religious.

What do you think makes someone a New Yorker? Do you consider yourself one?

I do. I think the pace that I take in my life becomes obvious when I go anywhere else. I was at this supermarket in Hawaii and these people were moving so slowly and I had to think to myself: “Hey, relax, you’re on vacation.” And I couldn’t! I think that things like that are really ridiculous, but that they also pour into this thirst for wanting to do everything, to fill every moment with something significant. And I think the reason why we live here, why we spend all this money on rent, is because we want more, and it’s here for us. All we have to do is grasp it and keep reaching for it.

In that way I can’t imagine leaving this city, because I wouldn’t want that taken from me. I wouldn’t want to have a slower lifestyle. I haven’t had nearly enough of this, even though I’m completely exhausted, as is everyone else. I love that anything that you want is here, you just have to work for it. So yeah, I think I am a true New Yorker!

What do you think makes someone a New Yorker?

Somebody told me once that if you walk through a movie set and you’re more annoyed that it’s fucking up your commute, rather than wondering what it is. I think that is definitive.

But in general not being so mesmerized by the things going on, focusing on your own endeavor, understanding the best way to get from here to there, the best way to manage your time, trying to figure out a way to figure out how to not be so constantly stressed out, to know the hottest places in every neighborhood, to understand all the stupid acronyms the people in New York make for every five block radius. There are a lot of things, but in general, if you can finally figure out how to take deep breaths, make the city your own, not get too overwhelmed by all the stresses and constraints that inevitably occur when you live with this many people.

I read this quote once that “at some point, you’re going to just find yourself crying on the subway.” It helped me realize that you don’t have any privacy, everybody’s lives are completely exposed, so just take all of your pride out of it, just do what you’ve gotta do and keep moving. I think that’s probably what makes a true New Yorker. It happens, everybody just respectfully ignores you, lets you have your moment, and then you move on.

Part of your answer was letting the city lose its luster is what makes you a New Yorker in a certain sense. What sort of advice would you give to people who have been here for several years who are looking to refresh their love for the city?

Take on a different hobby. Find a way somehow to surround yourself with people who are completely different from you, whether it’s a dance lesson, or attempting to learn another language conversationally, finding a group of people who research different restaurants and cuisines, changing your mode of transportation even. Whatever you’re used to doing, whether it’s taking the train everywhere, or driving or, Ubering everywhere, just change it up and try to figure out a way to see the city through different eyes.

Just try to realize that exploring the city doesn’t have to mean seeing the sights, or playing tour guide when people come to visit. Try to figure out your own way to see different neighborhoods and to have no plans, just get lost walking, and… follow my blog!

What advice would you give to people new to the city?

A piece of advice I got when I first moved here was “Try your best to never be in a hurry.” Because if you try to never be in a hurry, then the stresses of living in this city won’t eat away at you and also you’ll be able to stop and listen to the musicians in Union Square, or be able to look up and see things instead of trying to barrel past people on the sidewalk. Have I ever followed that advice? Yes, I’ve tried to, it usually doesn’t work out, but the times I have a free moment in the city are just so magical.

I also encourage people to explore neighborhoods through people they know that are residents of that neighborhood. You have to be able to make this city your own or you won’t be able to enjoy it. If you end up in Park Slope and that’s not your scene, then don’t stay there, explore other places. Try to explore whenever you’re new as much as you can. Go sit in coffee shops, understand who’s coming in and out, see what’s going on so that you can figure out what the best way for you to have a refuge in this town is, because you’ll need it.

Figure out the easiest way to get to the beach in the summer time, buy a warm fucking winter coat, and also don’t let things keep you from going out and experiencing the city. Whether it’s the horrible winters we suffer through, or not having anybody to go out with. Go! Sit in a bar! Pretend you’re traveling in Europe. Just go sit and observe and appreciate the fact that there are billions of people in the world who would kill to have the opportunity to live here; there’s a reason for it and it’s not because it’s the backdrop of every movie, it’s because there’s something magical about this city.

That’s it for this week’s Member Spotlight. Make sure you get all of your New York activity recommendations from ‘Brooklyn, I’m Trying’, and follow Liz’s Instagram for some general inspiration on living a kickass life.