As one of the better-known states on the East Coast, New Yorkers often find their characteristics being portrayed by all. Check out the list below to see if you know all of the ways you can REALLY spot someone from the state of New York!
1. They show signs of agitation when they tell you they're from New York and you assume by that they mean New York City.
While we are well-known for the Big Apple, it is simply the size of a crumb when you compare it to all of New York. We promise you the rest of our state isn't filled with empty mountains, we are here too!
2. They take their sports very seriously.
Win or lose, rain or shine, we are always rooting for our home state. Whether or not you were actually born a sports fan will never come into consideration if you’re living in New York. The moment you walk into your closet you know that lying around somewhere is some sort of New York team merchandise.
3. We're in love with the mountains!
While some states may be notorious for being so flat, New York is very far from it. With three major mountain ranges (Adirondack, Catskill and Appalachian) across the state, we're more than willing to get out and hike! Need another way to spot if we're really a New Yorker? We've more than likely brought one of our furry friends alongside us for the adventure.
4. They're totally into the whole measuring distances by hours thing.
That's right! When asking a New Yorker how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B, they'll almost always tell you in the form of hours instead of miles.
5. They almost always know someone with a lake house.
Call it what you want, a cabin, lake house, camp in the woods, you know someone that has one. With the largest state park in the United States, amongst many other beautiful regions, it gets hard to not know someone with a camp!
6. They may be wearing an extra layer at all times.
It's no strange sight to see a person sporting a warm hoodie in the summer months. As New Yorkers, we get to experience all four seasons fully and that means we can get some pretty mixed weather. Whether it be an extra jacket or umbrella stored away in their trunk, they're almost always prepared for a change in climate!
7. Snow days may be a foreign concept to them.
You poor thing, you're from the West Coast and you're racking your brain to figure out exactly how snow days could be a foreign idea to an East Coast state. It's simple, because it snows here so very often, we are more than prepared for the conditions it may bring. All those inches of snow the weatherman promised you last night will be conveniently cleaned up before you even think about waking up.
8. Speaking of snow... we're totally not afraid of it. In fact, we sort of love it.
SNOW! A familiar friend to anyone living in our state. While your whole town may shut down at even the thought of snow coming (we're talking to you, North Carolina), we're all but begging for it! You can find the students of New York during our winter months staring at the clock, counting down the hours until it's time for Ski Club. While there may be some New Yorkers who feel the need to write an angry social media status each and every time snow flakes touch the ground, not all of us feel that way.
9. They're still wearing their flip flops in October and they're breaking them out early in March.
The New Yorkers who don't love the snow are easy to spot. Found outside annually in their natural habitat wearing flip flops for the months of October and March, these select few are clinging onto any warm weather they can manage to find.
10. They're openly shaming some of your most beloved foods.
Ask anyone born in New York, they'll have a hard time disputing the fact that they were unknowingly raised to be pizza and bagel snobs. To all our out-of-state-friends, we apologize for verbally tearing your food to shreds, we were only raised on the tastiest!
11. There's a good chance that they're wearing a "North Face" jacket.
Often seen on the backs of New Yorkers? The North Face gear. While in general we're huge fans of anything that'll keep us warm (ie. Ugg boots or literally anything at the L.L. Bean store, no seriously ANYTHING), we always find ourselves running back into the arms of The North Face. Could it be that we're subconsciously addicted to the brand because it's acknowledging the region of our motherland? We may never find out, but even if we do I'm sure we will all still continue to wear our favorite winter apparel brand.
12. If you see one of these on their car.
A New York State license plate is no necessity for number twelve on our list! This decal can be spotted all over the U.S., although it's most commonly seen throughout New York State. Your drunk uncle visiting for the holidays may make a big commotion about someone having spilled paint on your car, but no worries! What your out-of-state family member meant to say was WOW! Look at that beautiful Lake George decal you have on your car! That's right, with over 32 miles to love, Lake George is an ultimate New York State favorite.
13. At the drop of a dime, they'll be able to tell you several secret spots where you can go to find amazing waterfalls and swimming holes!
After being hidden away all winter long, New Yorkers love to lay out near a good swim spot and soak in all the Vitamin D they've been missing out on. Make a New York friend and you'll instantly having a walking rolodex full of secret waterfalls and spots to swim!
14. If you hear us angrily mumbling something about the "Regents Exams" under our breath.
If you don't need Google to explain what these exams are, than consider yourself more than lucky. Commonly known as "The Regents," the preparation that takes place before these exams could be compared to a long, steady trip to your worst nightmare.
15. They're not the biggest fans of making eye contact with you...or anyone for that matter.
You may be recalling that elementary school field trip you took to New York City, where your teachers taught you to not make eye contact with the taxi drivers charging at you while you were strolling through the crosswalk. While not all of us are unfriendly in New York, there tends to be a common factor all across the board that we aren't total fans of making eye contact with others.
16. They'll always be direct and overly honest with you.
Why waste time sugarcoating your thoughts? We won't! A characteristic often seen in New Yorkers, we'll never hold back from letting you know how we really feel!
17. They're also often a bit impatient.
We want what we want and we want it now! Okay, not to sound like a region of bratty toddlers but most of us in the state tend to move at a very fast pace. This rule applies to all areas, unless you find yourself in the Western zone, then you may be stuck in a world full of people moving at the rate of turtles and sloths.
18. Their solution for going to get ice cream means finding the nearest "Stewart's Shop."
An Upstate favorite, this chain of convenience stores offers you some of the best ice cream you'll be able to find in all of New York.
19. They're bragging about how amazing their home state beverages truly taste.
From Saranac beer to Byrne Dairy, we love all the beverages our home state has to offer!
20. Depending on which area they hail from, there's a good chance they won't be pronouncing some of your favorite "h words" correctly.
Growing up in the Capitol Region and being raised by a mother who originated from Brooklyn, meant my dear hamster Huey was constantly being referred to as some guy named "Yooey." For those of you who never had the pleasure of meeting my partner in school age crime, you can watch New York poster boy Donald Trump try and pronounce the word huge.
There they are! If you’re from out-of-state we hope this helps with your people watching skills and eliminates any doubt you have about whether or not you’ve truly spotted a New Yorker. To our New York readers, we’d love to hear your opinions on our list!
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