Nassau County, Long Island is undoubtably one of the absolute best places to live. If you're from Nassau, you understand.
1. You can't imagine not living near the ocean.
Nassau County is home to the wonderful Jones Beach, among many others. We Long Islanders have been spoiled with having beautiful beaches everywhere we turn, and we definitely do not take that for granted.
2. That being said, you do not consider the bay to be a viable substitute for the ocean.
Even though we love and appreciate the beach areas surrounding the Long Island Sound, such as the Oyster Bay, Centre Island, and Bayville beaches, we are never referring to these places when we say, "the beach."
3. You can't even imagine how much money you've spent on bagels over the years...
Who can blame you, though? Our bagels are to die for.
4. ...Or pizza, for that matter.
It's not our fault that we have the best pizza in the nation.
5. You have approximately 1,000 food establishments, shopping centers, and salons within a 5-mile radius of your house.
As soon as you step out of Nassau County, you immediately think that everything is "far away from each other." You can't believe it when your friends from other areas tell you that they need to travel 30 minutes to get to the nearest Panera, or an hour to get to the mall. You love having a million of everything, all within close quarters.
6. Odds are, you've seen your public school district on a "Best School Districts in America" list.
The great school systems in Nassau County may drive the taxes up like crazy, but they truly do provide incredible education to those of us who attend them.
7. You have become accustomed to the phrase, "camp friends."
Summer camp is simply a part of the Nassau County lifestyle. Not all of us went to sleepaway camp, but many did, leaving those of us who didn't behind for eight weeks during the summer to have the times of their lives at Camp Tioga, Trails End, Timberlake West, or any of the other sleepaway camps that are well-known to Nassau County residents. We day camp kids probably still have an address book somewhere filled with our sleepaway camp friends' camp addresses.
8. You know the struggles of going to Roosevelt Field Mall at Christmastime...or at any time.
Roosevelt Field Mall, the second-largest mall in New York and the ninth-largest in America, is any Nassau County shopper's best friend and worst enemy. Luckily, if we don't feel like fighting our way through enormous crowds of people just to buy a shirt at H&M, we have several other mall options that provide us with a quicker...and more peaceful...shopping experience. But sometimes, we just can't stop ourselves from putting on our brave faces and pulling into one of the nine parking lots at Roosevelt Field for a crazy day of shopping.
9. You've spent hours walking around at the Miracle Mile in Manhasset.
You can't help but laugh at the $6,000 leather jackets you come across.
10. Your weekends in 7th and 8th grade consisted of attending multiple Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
If you are from Nassau, you know how much fun Bar/Bat Mitzvahs are. Jewish families go all out to celebrate this milestone, and whether or not you're Jewish, you were lucky enough to be included in these lavish celebrations. You probably still have a whole drawer dedicated to the many sweatshirts, t-shirts, and sweatpants you received in your goodie bags.
11. Your weekends in 10th and 11th grade were dedicated to attending sweet sixteen parties.
Shortly after the Bar/Bat Mitzvah years were over, the sweet sixteen years began. Those of us who aren't Jewish had to wait a few years to have our own huge celebrations, but it was totally worth the wait. Whether you had a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a sweet sixteen, or both, you know how much fun it is to plan, host, and be the center of attention at the fanciest of the fancy parties.
12. We know the craziness that is the LIRR...
The Long Island Railroad is the most convenient transportation to the city. Each town in Nassau County has its own train station, and the train takes us right to Penn Station. The train ride from any Nassau County town should be less than an hour long, but I think we've all experienced some crazy LIRR delay that has turned a 40-minute train ride into a 3-hour long train ride.
13. But it's still better than driving to the city.
Nassau County may be right outside Manhattan, but driving to the city is, nine out of ten times, a total nightmare. Actually, driving on the LIE in general is a total nightmare.
14. Speaking of the city, you constantly feel blessed to have one of the greatest cities in the world right in your backyard.
New York, New York. The city so nice, they named it twice. You've been going the city regularly your whole life, yet you somehow never lose sight of how truly amazing it is.
15. You constantly have to explain the geography of Long Island to non-Long Islanders.
No, not all Long Islanders know each other. Here's the breakdown: There are two counties, Nassau and Suffolk. Each county is divided into several towns, each of which has its own school district. We don't typically know too many people from other towns...well, besides the ones we know from camp.
16. Your hometown means the world to you.
Your town in Nassau County is so much more than just shopping centers and pizzerias. You feel so lucky to have grown up where you did, and you wouldn't trade your hometown for anything.
