Stacey Brook is a Writer, Blogger, Author

Date and Time of Walk: 9:30am, Saturday, April 9

Over and Back, Or Just Over?: Over and Food and Back

With company, or toute seule?: Avec Monsieur Andrew Erlichmannnnn

Weather: Sunny and 55 degrees.

Bridgewalkin Soundtrack O’ The Day: Excellent early morning conversation.

Williamsburg Food Detour: Simple Cafe on Bedford.  This place is one of my favorites.  The owners are adorable French ladies, and they serve a brunch buffet that always features quiche, potatoes au gratin, scrambled eggs mixed with simmered onions, delicious pound cakes, and a selection of meat and cheeses.  You basically load up a tiny plate with small portions; a menagerie of delicacies.  Not your typical, scoop your mountains of eggs and french toast onto your monster plate full of bacon buffet.  Though they do happen to have delicious bacon, aussi.

Date and Time of Walk: 9:00am, Friday, April 8

Over and Back, Or Just Over?: Over and Back

With company, or toute seule?:  Solo

Weather: Overcast and 45 degrees.

Deep Thoughts: What is that Hasidic man listening to on his headphones?  Torahs on tape?

Bridgewalkin’ Soundtrack O’ The Day: The Secret History, The World That Never Was

Bridgewalkin’ Soundtrack Notes: Last night I went to check out The Secret History at The Rock Shop in Park Slope.  The band is made up of most of the original members of indie cult band, My Favorite, plus the addition of Lisa Ronson, daughter or famed Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, on lead vocals.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the group is every bit as much of a vibrant mash up of styles as I had expected — 60s girl group, 70s punk, 80′s shoegaze, all executed with indie pop panache.  The group played songs off a new record they are currently recording in their Williamsburg studio, in addition to tracks from The World That Never Was, the group’s first LP, which was released last year. I will be covering the band in much greater depth (you’ll find out where soon enough), but for now, enjoy the video from “Johnny Nightmare,” my favorite song off their gorgeous record, and just you try not to indie doo wop along.

Date and Time of Walk: 9:00am, Saturday, April 2

Over and Back, Or Just Over?: Over and Back

With company, or toute seule?:  All by myselfy.

Bridgewalkin’ Soundtrack O’ The Day: Theophilus London, Lovers Holiday and Britney Spears, Femme Fatale

Weather: Sunny and 55 degrees.

Notable Notes: This might have been the nicest day of the year so far.  More please?

Bridgewalkin’ Soundtrack Notes: I started listening to Theophilus London’s rainbow-bedecked EP, Lovers Holiday, last week, and immediately knew I had to experience it while walking over water.  The bookend tracks on this 5-songer are so smooth and catchy, I almost wore out the back button on my iPod, and everything in between these two slick songs is reminiscent of Prince in the danciest way possible.  When I saw London at SXSW, I wasn’t totally convinced he had anything super interesting to offer musically (though he was quite the energetic performer), but what he’s presented on this EP is pure, unadulterated sunny weather jammage – and guess what?  It’s almost Summa summa summa time.  Bonus points for employing Baby Knowles on “Flying Overseas.”  (I’m always in your corner, Solange.)  Gimme a full LP, London.

Britney Spears, Femme Fatale:  The hype for this album has been huge, and I personally have been waiting for Brit Brit to make a real deal comeback.  None of this “Me Against The Music” bullcrap.  So how did she finally do it?  By singing a bunch of songs built for Robyn and Kylie and maybe even Pink.  Her dream team of writers and producers know how to put together a perfectly polished pop package, and I’m up for buying the best of the techno bubblegum.  There is only one track on this entire playlist that gives me the pop crap heebie jeebies (the lyrics to “Criminal” are just too awful).  But opening song, “Till The World Ends” is a musical Powerbar – I literally had to hold myself back from picking up pace and sprinting over the bridge to its melodic danceiness.  And “Inside Out” is a robotic slow jam surprise.  Britney does Usher or R. Kelly. This girl is really singing my song.

I am not sure when I officially fell in love with walking over bridges.  I didn’t have a lightning strikes moment where I felt compelled to express my love to the Pepto Bismol pink bars and graffitied trellises of the suspended Williamsburg crosswalk.  I never really thought about the iron links between land as a kid on Long Island.  And strangely, I very much hate driving over metal architecture that hangs above water.  I can’t even remember why I walked over the Williamsburg Bridge for the first time, or when it happened.  But at some point, while I was still living in everyone’s new favorite borough, it was decided.  A bridgewalker’s life is the life for me.

For almost two years, every day the weather allowed, I traversed Williamsburg’s mid-air pedestrian pathway on the trip from my Greenpoint brownstone, all the way to my workplace at 14^th Street and 6^th Avenue.  The journey took me exactly an hour and fifteen minutes — about thirty minutes to get from Graham Avenue to the bridge, twenty minutes to cross the sky, and another twenty-five to wade through the early bustle of downtown Manhattan.  The trips taught me much about my neighborhoods old (the burg), and new (the LES).  They gave my brain time and space to breathe.  They introduced me to new music, and allowed me to indulge nostalgically in the old.  They made my quad muscles pop.  (Oh, baby.)  They basically helped me accomplished about nine of my nine million life goals in just over an hour, which is pretty amazing for a single activity in a daily routine, very appealing for a productivity junkie.  So, when I moved back to the isle of Manhattan, while I gained many late night dining options (2am pizza from Lil’ Frankies, anyone?), I lost a habitual activity I truly cherished.

Which is why, a year after moving back over the East River, I am determined to inject some bridgewalking back in my life.  It was much easier to incorporate the walk into my day when I had a daily reason to move between the two boroughs, but lately I have taken to walking the bridge’s footpath, looping around the BQE, and walking right back over into Manhattan.  A double bridgewalk if you will.  As thrilling as a double rainbow, but the gasps of excitement are mine alone to hear.

After one such Wham Bam trip this weekend, I started to wonder: How many times can I actually do this walk now that I live in Manhattan?  How many times this week?  This month?  This year?  Thus, Bridegewalk Fest-Match-Challenge-A-Thon was born.  Not only am I going to try to walk over the bridge as many times as possible in 2011, I will be documenting each crossing – who I was with, what I was listening to, and any other pertinent details, including photo evidence of bridge art and activity. I also hope to do a little quick music reviewing and thought-spewing as it comes to me.

I’m starting with the goal of reaching 50 crossings (many of them likely double-crossings), and will see how I do from there.  And though I will likely walk the Williamsburg Bridge most often, I’m leaving open the option of counting Brooklyn and Manhattan bridgewalks (Can you walk over the Manhattan?  I never have…) should the opportunity arise.  So far, including this past Saturday’s double traverse, I’ve been over and back three times.  Let’s see how many more trips I can make, what new gems I will discover in my headphones while my legs climb, and who will be up for joining me.

And now, Williamsburg Bridgewalk Fest-Match-Challenge-A-Thon 2011 begins!  Summary of my first two logged walks are below.  Future walks to be described in better detail:

BRIDGEWALK #1: Sometime in January.  Midday.  Over and back.  No music.  With a boy.

BRIDGEWALK #2: Sometime in February.  Midday.  Over and back.  Thoughtful silence.  Solo trip.