What It Means To Be a True New Yorker

One of my best blogger friends asked me a question on Instagram the other day, and I thought it was such a good blog post idea.

Usually when I ask NYC-related questions, I receive a lot of questions around where to go for the holidays, which restaurants to try, Instagram-worthy spots in the City, or favorite places to visit. However, I wanted to approach this post a little differently. I wanted to share what it means to be a true New Yorker, and answer some questions you may all be thinking about the NYC lifestyle.
And in case you missed my previous post, I highlighted 7 COFFEE SPOTS to visit in NYC here. 
Here are the questions you all submitted to me on Instagram Stories last week: If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me via email, in the comments below, or even on Instagram! I'd love to hear from you :)

1. Do I see famous people all the time? Not really. However, I have attended influencer events in the past where I've met Taylor Hill at a Victoria's Secret fragrance launch party, Britney Spears at another fragrance party experience, Saquon Barkley with Dunkin, Victoria Justice and Ciara at a PANDORA Jewelry event, and danced with Ciara and the Rockettes with PANDORA. 
I ran into Dylan Sprouse randomly at a coffee shop in East Village on a weekend in the City and also saw Drew Barrymore casually having dinner at The Campbell with some friends.
2. How can you tell who are locals vs. who are tourists? After you spend day after day walking the streets of New York City, you start to notice similarities in the people around you. For starters, tourists are usually the ones with families, children, or carry luggage with them. They are typically looking at navigations, and maps for subways. When can you really spot tourists? Visit NYC during the holiday season. The top holiday spots are where the tourists are. Also, something interesting is that tourists are usually the ones hailing taxis. 
Locals are usually the ones not in Times Square and Rockefeller Center (unless they are in the office during work hours), usually have on earphones, know where the holiday tourist spots are and how to avoid them at all costs, and also know how to avoid the people trying to grab your attention on the streets walking by.
3. How do you grocery shop? I personally try to grocery shop every other week. It can sometimes be on the weekend (if I'm up for waiting in the longest line), or at odd hours on a weekday to avoid the lines. Typically, you map out the nearest grocery store from your apartment location. I have a Fairway Market close to mine. Or if I'm near my dance class in Brooklyn, I'll visit the Trader Joe's. I then map out which subway lines are close.  Most of us purchase weekly, so you're spacing out your groceries. New Yorkers know how to buy all their groceries in two bags or less because we have to carry them to the subway, up and down flights of stairs, etc. Since you're usually buying for one person, it isn't too much to handle.
When I first moved to New York, I became a Thrive Market member, where they ship organic and fresh produce to you online. It was quick and easy to order, minus the waiting part, and definitely saved a lot of time and money with groceries.
You can also get 25% off your first order here.

4. Does everyone really ride the subway? Most people do ride the subway... unless you are lazy / rich / famous enough to Uber everywhere or have your own car service. True New Yorkers know exactly which subway car to get on and off. They know which subway entrances and exits to go to and which ones are most convenient for their location.
5. Are there really rats everywhere? Occasionally you see them in the subways, but besides that, not really.
Out of sight, out of mind 😉

6. Where is the night scene in NYC? Chelsea has a lot of clubs: Avenue, TAO, PHD, 1 Oak, Park, Electric Room, Troy, Slate. Other fun bars include: Catch, Brass Monkey, The Standard, and more. East Village has a lot of bars which include: One and One, Grayson, the DL, and more. There's also lots of clubs we don't know about because they are more private and cost more money. South Washington Square is more of the college scene and has a lot of late-night quick food / restaurants. If you're more adventurous and want a more dark, grungy, EDM / techno, warehouse clublike scene / vibe and guaranteed to be out until 4 AM, Brooklyn is your move.    7. Which are the actually good spots New Yorkers enjoy?  The great thing about New York is that there are spots for everyone. One of the very reasons we love it here is because... the City is so photogenic and offers locations for anyone and everyone to enjoy. I find myself wanting to visit more "hidden gems" throughout the City versus prime photo locations. Even walking around Central Park makes me happy -- not only for photo purposes, but just to enjoy and breathe it all in.

8. What are a couple of things to know before living in NYC? It is a luxury to have a doorman, elevator, any kind of laundry machine, or a dishwasher in an apartment. My first apartment luckily had a laundry machine in the basement, but my current apartment does not. I realize that I cannot do laundry in bulk because it takes a lot of time for me to carry it up and down five flights of stairs and head to the Laundromat down the street from me. 
9. Is getting around difficult? Not if you know the subway or have an Uber app. Plus, after awhile, you start to learn and how easy it is to take the subway. Most people are intimidated to take the subway when they first move here. I remember feeling the same way, and getting lost far more times than I can care to recall. The lines are usually easy to remember, and the more you start to familiarize yourself with the stops and the locations, the easier it gets: Blue = A, C, E Orange = F, D, B, M etc.  Most New Yorkers don't own cars.  At the end of the day... a true New Yorker might not even live in Manhattan.
Truth be told, a lot of New Yorkers don't actually live here because the rent is ridiculously high, a lot commute in from Connecticut, Queens, Long Island, etc. Basically, from anywhere. Their work is located in New York City, so a lot of the people working here don't actually live here.
To wrap up this post, I wanted to ask you a question: if so many New Yorkers don't even live in Manhattan... does that still make them a New Yorker? Something to think about. 😉
I hope this post was helpful! Thanks for reading!