It really was perfect timing…
It was the fall of 2020, Covid-era New York, a chilly October, and a season of fresh starts. Matt and Nick were newly single, ready to turn the page, enjoy life, and see what might come next.
Matt had only recently moved to New York City that summer and was settling into Brooklyn. Meanwhile, Nick was technically still living at home, but in practice, he was often couch-surfing in the city after late nights at work. Somewhere between rebuilding routines and swiping through Hinge, fate stepped in, courtesy of a shared love of skiing.
Matt made the first move, and not long after, their first date was set.
At the time, Nick was crashing on his wonderful friend MK’s couch, and as Nick set out toward Brooklyn to meet Matt, he casually told MK that he would only be out for a couple of hours. This would prove wildly optimistic.
After a short walk for Matt and a brief train ride for Nick, they met at a neighborhood bar called Endswell. There were introductions, hometowns exchanged, favorite things discussed, and sibling counts tallied—the usual first-date essentials. Then, almost without noticing, the conversation became effortless.
Several drinks and four hours at the bar later, reality set in. It was cold, it was late October, and because it was Covid, outdoor seating was the only option. Hungry and slightly frozen, they ventured off in search of food, only to be reminded that nearly everything was closed. So they did what felt natural and headed back to Matt’s apartment, just a short walk away.
There, the night continued, talking, laughing, and getting to know one another for several more hours. Finally, around 2:00 a.m., it was time to call it a night.
They said goodbye, and before Nick’s Uber whisked him off into the quiet city streets, plans were already being made to see each other again. As Nick drove away and Matt headed back upstairs, both felt it—that quiet, exciting beginning of something special.
Something that, fittingly, began at Endswell and only got better from there.
