Let's be real: growing up in any borough in the City That Never Sleeps isn't always as great as it's hyped up to be, but it has its perks. There's a special bond between people who grew up in New York because of quirks people tend to pick up. Keep reading to find out 20 signs you grew up in New York City!
1. New York City? Manhattan? What's that? It's “The City.”
GiphyAnd whenever you mention it to someone out of state, they get very confused. You'll hear a lot of, “Wait...do you mean New York City?”
2. Speaking of The City: Times Square? A no-go.
GiphyWhen you've lived in or close to Manhattan all your life, sometimes the appeal of the bright lights, seeing those creepy characters on the street, and pushing through tons of people fades and gets kind of annoying. Rachel Berry gave us all the wrong idea. SOHO, anyone?
3. Everyone around you is a tourist.
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You can spot them in a crowd and they're so hard to ignore. There's a time and a place to take pictures and it is so not the middle of the sidewalk at 4pm, during rush hour. You can be a tourist in a different country and you'd still say, "Ugh…tourists." That's the toll they've taken on you.
4. People say that you walk to fast.
GiphyYou may be tired of that hustle and bustle, but you can't stop yourself from rushing from one place to the next. If you're going to do things, might as well put a little pep in your step while you're doing them!
5. Taxis? Never heard of her!
GiphySure, taxies are everywhere, but they stop traffic and they're annoying to catch. Why use one when you've got perfectly good legs, subways, or busses to take you places for far less of the price. They're kinda like Uber's grandpa: backed up, but the OG.
6. Cars stop for you, not the other way around.
GiphyI mentioned the rushing around, right? When you're trying to get to your destination in time and beat the “People Traffic”, you have to run when the light is red — and it's a nerve-wracking experience. This bad habit follows a New Yorker wherever we go. Out of state drivers might not feel the same way about your jaywalking as regular New York drivers might.
7. People mention your accent.
It's the perfect NYC stereotype. Everyone thinks of the Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino accent, but you don't hear it. People even say they can see the accent on our lips when we speak.
8. “Coffee” and “Water” are your “trigger words.”
Hiding the accent is pretty easy to do when you need to and when you're not in your home, but some words can be hard and can make you slip up. Those hard o's and a's make it difficult to hide, so maybe you better ask for a glass of "H2O" instead.
9. You're brutally honest.
Maybe this one is just me, but most people here don't have time to sugar coat things. It's just easier to get it all out when someone asks for your opinion on something. It may not be what they want to hear, but the truth is the best.
10. It hurts to hear NY slang used wrong.
Giphy"Brick", "mad", "tight", and "sus", to name a few, are some of those words that nearly every New Yorker knows as basic slang. It's mad irritating when you hear someone butchering it. Wanna learn some more slang words and how to use them? Click here.
11. People from Long Island who say they’re City natives drive you insane.
Meeting people from New York means meeting people who think that a place that's about 2 hours out of NYC means they're still "in the City." It doesn't count. That is far, you don't know what's going down in our town.
12. New York State and New York City lifestyles vary.
Living in Five Burroughs exposes you to so many different cultures and ways of living that there's no real set lifestyle, but rather a mix of many. Being anywhere else could mean maybe getting a little more one tracked and that's no fun!
13. “So you were born there?”
When you say you're from New York, people usually assume you're born there, but that's not always the case. There's a special bond between those who were born and raised there, but we're still willing to help out a newbie when they come around. Everyone's gotta learn the subways at some point!
14. Staten Island is considered “The Forgotten Borough.”
No, I didn't make a mistake. It's not Long Island. Staten Island is that fifth borough that no one really knows about. Sure we have Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, but who really wants to come to a former dump with one mall smack in the center of the island?
15. You go to New Jersey, or “Jersey,” for all your shopping mall needs.
GiphyTake it from someone with a not-so-great shopping mall, we need “Dirty Jers” sometimes. As good as the City is, sometimes you don't want to go all the way there from another borough to do your shopping. Jersey is the best route to go because it's a simple drive to get there and they've got enough outlets and malls to fulfill any shopaholic's dreams.
16. Cop shows’ filming are always making the commute impossible.
GiphyIt's easy to love shows like Law and Order: SVU or Blue Bloods, so when they air it's a great thing to watch. But when they're filming? Well, that's a whole different story. The commute is absolutely atrocious because there are certain streets you can't go on because they're closed! On the bright side, there's an opportunity to be an extra on the next episode!
17. There’s no reason to have a car.
GiphyThere are so many means of transportation in New York that having your own car is kind of a waste. Help the environment a little bit. Public transportation, people!
18. You either like Starbucks or you like Dunkin’ (Donuts).
GiphyDepending on where you are, there's either an abundance of Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, or Dunkin' for short. Different price points mean different tastes, which has led to a battle of which chain is better. (Answer: it's Dunkin').
19. New York pizza is the best kind of pizza.
GiphyNew York has its residents very spoiled when it comes to pizza quality. Not every state makes pizza the same. It all tastes different. There's nothing better than a hot piece of authentic, thin crust, New York style pizza.
20. No matter where you go, you know you’re always a New Yorker at heart.
You rarely ever want to leave your city because it's home to so many diverse groups of people, but when you do, there's always something calling you back. There's something for everyone and you can forever call it home, no matter where life takes you.
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