The bulkhead is a preference thing, you either like it or hate it, I personally prefer the second row, I fly the route a lot and first is almost always full, 7 days out you will begin to see upgrades clear and the cabin will begin to fill up, in all honesty these days what first gets you is a slightly larger seat, quick access to the door, early boarding. You may or may not get a pre departure beverage this is really crew dependent these days.