People often come to New York to escape their humble roots. But those who come to Columbia have another hurdle—escaping that un-cool abyss known as the Upper West Side. Many attempt to disengage through an association with Brooklyn, the borough once home to Jay-Z, Hasidic Jews, and Italian families and now home to Alexa Chung and Grizzly Bear.
You don’t have to completely separate your didactic persona from your new DIY tendencies. Rather, arm yourself with the accessories of pseudo-intellectuals the world over—status books. Guaranteed to make you a friend or ten on the long ride into Red Hook (or just Williamsburg, for the lite version). Check out our list after the jump.
