Out-of-towners just don’t get it, do they? Look at them, all cute and confused waiting for the walk lights, like they’d never heard of jaywalking. Sure, we have our own customs and quirks, but it’s really not that hard to pick up our ways. It requires the same forces that make diamonds, time and pressure. So for those of you looking for the warm feels that come with recognition, or those of you who’ve just arrived in the city, here are 8 questions that only REAL NYers know the answers to.
1. Bodega, liquor store …what’s the difference?
Come on now newbies! It’s simple, a bodega will sell all kinds of produce, and yes, even liquor… a liquor store only sells liquor.
2. Which *insert borough or neighborhood* has the best *insert noun*?
When it comes to what’s going on at street level, most genuine New Yorkers have a a real grasp of where the pest pizza/galleries/live music is at.
3. The subway system? What?! Where?! HEEELP!
It’s easy to forget how complicated our subway system can be for a new comer. It can take months to acclimatize to the correct exits for the correct train etc. Union Station might as well be a hedge maze to a tourist.
4. The correct pronunciation of street names
Houston, Stuyvesant, Kosciuszko and Schermerhorn… *drops mic*
5. How do you ‘make it’ in New York
Between gentrification and a highly competitive job market, New Yorkers have to put the “Hustle” into the hustle and bustle of NYC. Surviving here is an art that can only be learned through a baptism of fire.
6. What that giant countdown clock in Union Square mean?
Firstly, let’s get this right, it’s called the “Metronome”. One half tells what time it is using the 24 hour (military) system (7:38 pm is 19:38) and the other is a countdown to midnight. You’re welcome.
7. Are you waiting “on line” or “in line”?
Online, I’m waiting on line.
8. Why do you fold your pizza?
Why is the grass green? Why is the sky blue? If it doesn’t fold, it’s not Pizza.
featured image source [Dan Nguyen | flickr]