five of my favorite intersections.

1. 13th and 1st (manhattan)
2. summerfield and bennett valley (santa rosa)
3. st. edward's passage and king's road (cambridge)
4. bergen and hoyt (brooklyn)
5. 4th and 5th (brooklyn)

read on if you want to know what and why.

1. detour is a wicked jazz bar in the east village, and one of my favorite bars in the whole city. great music, friendly staff, good drinks and low light all add up to a venue that is my first stop with all out of town guests, and a great place to gather at the beginning of an evening out. even the fact that i got stood up by one of the bartenders here does nothing to diminish its glow in my mind. of course, that might have something to do with the fact that he still gives me lots of free drinks.

2. the intersection about a mile from my mother's house, which marks the beginning of the only stretch of road that i actively enjoy driving. this unlit, winding threat to humanity is a distance i've driven so many times, i could do it with my eyes closed. at 70 miles per hour. both of which i've tried before. this stretch of road is pastoral and exhilarating (just watch out for deer), and an unmistakable sign that i'm almost home.

3. the indigo coffee shop can be found at 8 st. edward's passage, and the time i spent living in cambridge, i found myself in there at least half the morning, reading the paper and nursing a huge hot chocolate with marshmallows. the place is tiny but friendly and lovely; the staff got to know me so well that one of the handsome baristas was able to identify me by my humming when i once walked past his house. it was my home away from home, and i am thrilled to discover that it's still thriving.

4. the brooklyn inn is where i met dom, where he lurked outside with a cigarette waiting for me to stop flirting with the married man and come and talk with him, where he made me laugh, where i played the only decent pool game of my life, where we kissed for the first time and where i decided to give him my phone number and not the false one i usually reserved for men i didn't really want calling me. where i finally decided to get over my obstinate emotional pain and take a chance that i have not regretted for a single second since. also, the bar has a great jukebox.

5. the gate is what roos refers to as the tribe clubhouse, and it's a great place to spend a summer afternoon, with a gaggle of friends and a delicious array of specialty beer.

and that's the story. your turn.