New York is definitely one of the most unique places in the world, bringing together dozens of cultures and overlapping niches that are constantly inspiring and impacting those who live in New York City. Whether you grew up in New York or live there currently there are just some things that you know to be all too true if you live in the boroughs.
1. Endless food choices everywhere.
No matter where you travel in the boroughs, (especially in Manhattan), you know that a single sidewalk can have five different cultural restaurants alone making it feel as if you're jet-setting just by going out for dinner.
Growing up in New York, this was one of the coolest things to have accessible to your home, when you didn't feel like going to the grocery store to do a big shop. Midnight milk runs, midday deli sandwiches made quickly and not to mention the desserts that we would all get there on a whim (okay, more like 90%) like Cosmic Brownies, and Little Debbie snacks.
3. The bodega cat(s) are a well-known symbol
If you went into a bodega, you knew you very likely to see a cat or even two walking around the shop, keeping track of everything going on. Seeing the bodega cats has been a time-honored tradition in New York for generations and their presence has been used to keep pests away.
4. You had a love-hate relationship with the MTA.
Chances were you started traveling on your own or with friends long before you got a license AND a car that you would be regularly allowed to drive. This would ultimately lead to the love-hate relationship with the MTA, as it would give you the first taste of freedom of traveling on your own, but you would also despise the rising metro card prices and the bus routes that were consistently off with the schedule.
5. Fun could come from the simplest things.
During the summer, you could expect to see the fire hydrants opened to be used for a sprinkler fight, you could find hidden art parks, pop-up pianos, or discover murals when traveling down a different block.
6. Street Performers
When you couldn't afford to go to shows on Broadway, or take in the awesome amount of galleries (in the Chelsea district alone) you could expect to find street performers- both regular and new ones- doing anything from juggling, acrobatics, or playing music for the public. But you also knew that tips were greatly appreciated.
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While these are just a handful of well known things to New Yorkers, there are so many things that we both love and sometimes dislike about the city, but no matter what we know there's no place quite like New York.