It’s so funny you say that, Lara. I grew up in New York and lived in the SF Bay Area for 30 years before moving back to the East Coast. I didn’t realize I never really fit in there until I moved back to New York. I found people to be much friendlier in New York and more willing to talk to strangers than Bay Area people. A lot of what passes for “nice” on the West Coast is passive aggression.

I went to see “Gone Girl” on Long Island and had a spirited discussion about the movie with three strangers in the ladies room after the show. It was a lightbulb moment for me. This was my tribe. I was home. If I had commented on a movie I’d just seen to a stranger in California, they’d either ignore me or smile nervously and get away as fast as possible.