They say that after you have lived in NYC for over 10 years, you can surely claim to be a New Yorker. But we all know that to live in NYC and to be a true New Yorker are two completely different things. How can this “true inhabitant”, this YOLO believer, be recognized, then?
There are many characteristic to the locals, but to mention the most iconic ones:
1. Rarely do New Yorkers take yellow cabs, instead they opt for a less comfortable but much more efficient means of transportation. They know that by taking the subway they will avoid traffic jams, and dexterous use of a MetroCard proves no challenge for them, even during packed rush hours.
2. New Yorkers like to take a walk, thanks to which they never get lost and they can show you the right direction on the spot using words such as Uptown/Downtown and West/East (that is why they
will never direct you to a specific address but to an intersection, for example, 46th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue).
3. A true New Yorker knows which museum exhibitions are the most interesting ones and which museum on which days of the week has the “pay what you want” promotions on entry tickets.
4. A New Yorker can say a lot about the nature of each borough and is aware that Rachel and Monica from Friends could never afford an apartment in West Village if it wasn’t for rent stabilization.
5. New Yorkers can multitask – you will see them striding through Manhattan and, at the same time, talking on the phone, running across the street (against the light), eating Halal food, hot dogs, pretzels, drinking sodas or shakes.
Many of you know that I am a huge fan of ice cream and peanut butter ( Shake Shack’s nutty milkshake is an essential dessert). Also, there are those famous $3 pretzels, available on every corner of Manhattan, and until now they have not looked particularly interesting to me. But I have to say, I am quite surprised to have found them, when served with salt and mustard, to be one of the best carbohydrates I have ever tried in my life!
Does this make me a true New Yorker yet? Probably not, however, every time I admire the endless Manhattan skyline, I feel at home.
