BROOKLYN, Iowa — There are a few reasons to prefer Brooklyn, Iowa, to the coastal borough that shares its name. For starters, the rents are much cheaper: you can get a two bedroom apartment for around $500 a month. I dated a girl in Williamsburg who I think paid $1,700 a month for a studio with two other roommates.

The people here seem to care more about their community as well. I’m currently standing outside Brooklyn’s Flag Store, an all-volunteer communal consignment store that would make a member of the Democratic Socialists of America party blush.