If you can remember the differences between an H&H bagel and an Ess-a-Bagel without a moment’s hesitation and you actually liked it better when the lower east side had more bums than bôites, you might be a real New Yorker. Check out the other 6 ways to tell you grew up in NYC!
1. You love the bus…
Whether you’re going from LGA back to the City, avoiding the sweaty mess of midtown subway stations at rush hour, or heading out east for the weekend on the Jitney, you know the bus is your easy travel solution. Bonus points if you avoid hailing a cab.
2. …but you know HOW to hail a cab.
Wait at a taxi stand? What on earth for? Just walk a block against traffic and stand at the corner. You’d never dream of waiting with your hand up, because you know all you have to do is wait for the on-duty light to come on and then raise your hand. You also know never to try getting a cab at rush hour. Or when it’s raining. Or when you have to get to the airport.
3. You think the meatpacking district is too crowded.
Sure, the Gansevoort rooftop was pretty cool when it first opened. But who wants to fight a loud crowd of young twentysomethings, or break in your new shoes on those impossible cobblestone streets? You’d rather visit with your friends at the new neighborhood joint that just opened, or check out the hot restaurant in Astoria.
4. Times Square makes you cry.
It’s only a matter of time until someone comes to visit and wants to go to Times Square, or see a musical, or gape at the New Year’s Eve ball. When visiting Times Square makes you want to curl up in a little ball and whimper, you make the best of it by getting discount tickets at the TKTS booth or making a fast rezzie at the Iridium. Problem solved!
5. You go out for Chinese food in Little Italy.
Remember when Little Italy was home to the best Italian food in the City? Neither do we. For Italian, you go to Del Posto in Manhattan, or Areo or Dominick’s in the outer boroughs — when you can get a table, that is.
6. You secretly love the summer.
Hot? Yes. Stinky? Absolutely. But when it comes to enjoying your favorite neighborhood joints in a crowd-free way, nothing beats summer in NYC.
