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elleng

(136,055 posts)
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 02:46 PM Oct 2021

from a high school classmate:

Only those who grew up in New York City will understand this.

THERE IS NO NORTH AND SOUTH. IT'S 'UPTOWN' OR 'DOWNTOWN.' IF YOU'RE REALLY FROM NEW YORK, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT OF WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE...AND EAST OR WEST IS 'CROSS-TOWN.'
YOU'RE 35 YEARS OLD AND DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
YOU RIDE IN A SUBWAY CAR WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.
YOU TAKE THE TRAIN HOME AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE ON THE PLATFORM THE DOORS WILL OPEN THAT WILL LEAVE YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT STAIRWAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT A 'REGULAR' COFFEE IS
IT'S NOT MANHATTAN...IT'S THE 'CITY.'
YOU CROSS THE STREET ANY WHERE BUT ON THE CORNERS AND YOU YELL AT CARS FOR NOT RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT TO DO IT.
YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY, SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU'RE FROM BROOKLYN, LONG ISLAND OR THE BRONX THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
YOU RETURN AFTER 10 YEARS AND THE FIRST FOODS YOU WANT ARE A 'REAL' PIZZA AND A 'REAL' BAGEL.
A 500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT IS LARGE.
YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT RAY'S PIZZAS.
YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT ANY HUMAN BEING WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND A P.A. ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE SUBWAY.
YOU WOULDN'T BOTHER ORDERING PIZZA OR CHINESE IN ANY OTHER CITY.
YOU GET READY TO ORDER DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND MUST CHOOSE FROM THE MAJOR FOOD GROUPS WHICH ARE: CHINESE, ITALIAN, MEXICAN OR INDIAN.
YOU'RE NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN GOING TO TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE.
YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS PERMANENTLY SET TO KNOW WHEN ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING REGULATIONS ARE IN EFFECT.
YOU KNOW WHAT A BODEGA IS.
SOMEONE BUMPS INTO YOU AND YOU CHECK FOR YOUR WALLET.
YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THE LADY WALKING DOWN THE ROAD HAVING A PERFECTLY NORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HERSELF.
YOU PAY 'ONLY' $500 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR.
YOU CRINGE AT HEARING PEOPLE PRONOUNCE HOUSTON STREET LIKE THE CITY IN TEXAS.
THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IS A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM, NOT AN HONOR.
YOU HATE SEPTEMBER'S BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC JAMS CAUSED BY THE OPENING OF THE UNITED NATIONS
YOU CAN NAP ON THE SUBWAY AND NEVER MISS YOUR STOP.
THE DELI GUY GIVES YOU A STRAW WITH ANY BEVERAGE YOU BUY, EVEN IF IT'S A BEER.
THAT'S NEW YORK, BABY! YA GOTTA LOVE IT.
IF YOU ARE A TRUE NEW YORKER, SEND THIS TO EVERYONE LIKE YOURSELF, OTHERWISE FUHGEDDABOUDIT.

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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brush

(57,495 posts)
7. If it's not boiled it's not real. I live in Vegas now and many...
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 04:55 PM
Oct 2021

places sell "bread donuts" and call them bagels.

tulipsandroses

(6,216 posts)
5. Lol. So true. I left NY 14 yrs ago and have tried many pizza shops with the name
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 04:48 PM
Oct 2021

Fill in the blank real NY pizza. None of them have lived up their names. Interestingly, there is a Ray’s pizza here and I don’t think it tastes the same.

gainesvillenole

(133 posts)
6. Car?
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 04:52 PM
Oct 2021

Wait…. 2nd one is “YOU'RE 35 YEARS OLD AND DON'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.” Then why would “YOU PAY 'ONLY' $500 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR.”….🤷🏻?♂️💁🏻?♂️😎😂

brush

(57,495 posts)
8. Many adult New Yorkers don't have cars. Some do and need to pay...
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 05:04 PM
Oct 2021

a monthly garage fee to keep their car in, least it get continually towed. This is especially true in Manhattan.

And then there's the alternate side of the street parking law...a real headache.

mitch96

(14,653 posts)
12. ""YOU PAY 'ONLY' $500 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR."..." You live in queens or staten Island
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 07:19 PM
Oct 2021

and drive into "da city" to work.... First time I heard of "condo car park" I was floored...
m

keithbvadu2

(40,106 posts)
10. Trump left all that to become a "dumb southerner" as he called Jeff Sessions.
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 06:05 PM
Oct 2021

Trump left all that to become a "dumb southerner" as he called Jeff Sessions.

Yet they love him in the South.

MyMission

(2,000 posts)
13. About the pizza
Fri Oct 22, 2021, 09:05 PM
Oct 2021

I was back in NYC for 3 days in August, and I had pizza twice! In between fine dining.

And we've got some good wood fired pizza where I live, but being back in NY I couldn't stop myself from grabbing a slice, twice. Lol

We've actually got a NY bagel store where I live too, and we joke that they must import the water from NY because the bagels are just like home. Photos of NYC on their walls.

I really appreciate this post. Thinking about moving back there, reconnecting with an old love.
I left almost 20 years ago, moved to NC to be near my mom. She's gone 5 years now.
I'll always be a New Yorker.



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