There are New Yorkers, and then there are native New Yorkers—the ones who were born in this city and have never really known what it’s like to live anywhere else. Here are 17 things only natives understand:
1. How to refill your MetroCard in 20 seconds flat
2. How to get around Central Park without a map
3. How to spot a transplant just as easily as a tourist
5. How to give someone flawless directions on the spot
6. How to shut down con artists and scammers before they even get started
7. You never learned to drive a car because there was no reason
8. Now you’re afraid to move to a place where you might need a car
9. OR—you know how to drive and you can parallel park like this:
12. You know the prime times to go to the Met and the Moma
13. You’re not afraid to shake down a washing machine when it eats your quarter
14. If someone tries to feed you a mediocre bagel you will literally spit it back at them
15. You’re not afraid to ask for your money back
16. You never complain about a long walk
17. You’ve got an attitude that absolutely nobody wants to fuck with
Cover photo credit: Several seconds/Flickr