1. You Expect Everything to Be Open Late
You’re shocked to discover the diner closes at 9 p.m.—and genuinely confused. In NYC, it’s not unusual for places to stay open until midnight or later, even on weeknights, according to Emma Orlow and Luke Fortney of Eater. Outside the city, especially in suburban or rural areas, things wind down early. Your face when you hear “kitchen closes at 8” says it all.
You’ll wander the streets at 11 p.m. looking for snacks, baffled that everything’s shut down. When you ask, “Isn’t there anything open?” people will look at you like you’re a vampire. Your night-owl expectations just don’t match the local lifestyle. And that midnight craving for halal is going unfulfilled.
2. You Assume Public Transit Exists Everywhere
You’re fresh off the plane and immediately ask where the subway station is—only to be met with confused stares. Most U.S. cities don’t have anything close to NYC’s extensive public transit system, according to Farhad Manjoo of The New York Times. You might be standing in a suburb where a car is practically required to get a gallon of milk. The expectation that you can hop on a train or bus every ten minutes is a very New Yorker thing.
In many states, public transportation is limited or non-existent, and it’s not uncommon for people to have never ridden a subway. Your confusion when you realize Uber is your only option is a dead giveaway. Worse still is asking someone how to get somewhere “by train” when no such option exists. Outside New York, driving is life, and your MetroCard won’t save you here.
3. You Walk Too Fast—Even in 100°F Heat
You hit the sidewalk like it owes you money, speed-walking past bewildered locals just trying to enjoy a sunny day, Alia Arafeh of NYU News shares. New Yorkers average about 3.5 mph on foot, significantly faster than the national average. The urgency is baked in, even if you’re just headed to a diner. You don’t meander; you move with purpose.
In most other states, people walk more slowly and treat strolling as a leisure activity. Your pavement-pounding pace, especially if paired with weaving through “slow walkers,” is unmistakably NYC. And if you’re breaking a sweat in business attire because “this is just how I walk,” you’re outing yourself instantly. Bonus points if you mutter under your breath about tourists who are “in your way.”
4. You Think $15 for a Sandwich Is Normal
You walk into a cute local deli, see a $9 turkey sandwich, and think, “Wow, that’s a steal!” You’ve been conditioned by NYC prices to think anything under $15 is a bargain, Nicole Hong of The New York Times explains. But outside the city, lunch rarely costs that much unless you’re in an upscale café. People will notice your shock when you call standard prices “cheap.”
In places where $5 footlongs still roam free, your warped price perception stands out. Locals may joke that you’re “not from around here,” especially if you throw down a $20 without blinking. The same goes for coffee, where your regular $6 oat milk latte becomes a luxury splurge in smaller towns. Welcome to a world where pricing isn’t dictated by Midtown rent.
5. You Complain About the Silence at Night
Your first night in a quiet town, you lie awake wondering if something’s wrong. Where are the sirens? The honking? The couple arguing outside your window at 2 a.m.?
New York never sleeps, and neither do its sounds. If you’re weirded out by how “creepy quiet” everything is, you’re definitely not from around here. Locals will laugh when you say you “miss the noise.” Most people prefer hearing crickets over car alarms.
6. You Refer to Bodegas Like Everyone Has Them
You ask someone where the nearest bodega is, assuming they’ll know what you mean. But outside of NYC, that word doesn’t always translate. You might get directed to a 7-Eleven or a gas station convenience store, which is not what you were hoping for. You probably meant a 24-hour corner store with a cat, a guy named Mo behind the counter, and perfect bacon, egg, and cheese.
Bodegas are uniquely New York—other cities have similar stores, but not the culture. You’ll realize this quickly when you can’t find a spot to buy a sandwich, a kombucha, and a phone charger all in one place at 3 a.m. It’s even more obvious when you try to explain why your favorite bodega guy is basically family. The moment you say “bodega cat,” they know you’re from the five boroughs.
7. You Assume Bagels and Pizza Are Universal Standards
You bite into a bagel and immediately judge it—too fluffy, too soft, not “real.” Outside NYC, the doughy perfection you’re used to just isn’t the standard. The water, the process, the expectations—it’s all different. And you’re not shy about pointing it out.
The same goes for pizza. When someone offers you a thick, cheesy square slice and calls it “New York-style,” you flinch. Your loyalty to a proper thin, foldable slice is unwavering. And when you mention “Joe’s on Carmine” or “Ess-a-Bagel” like they’re national landmarks, the jig is up.
8. You Try to Pay with a MetroCard
You spot a bus or train and instinctively reach for your MetroCard. It’s a knee-jerk move, deeply ingrained. But outside NYC, most transit systems use completely different cards—or, more likely, don’t exist at all. The confused look on the driver’s face is your first clue.
Even if there’s a transit system, it often requires exact change or a smartphone app. Your trusty yellow card is useless here, and you’ll probably blurt out, “Wait, you don’t take MetroCard?” like it’s some national standard. It’s not. In fact, most people have never seen one in real life.
9. You Yell “I’m Walkin’ Here” Unironically
It slips out when a car cuts you off mid-crosswalk. It’s a reflex, not a line from a movie (though it is that, too). But to everyone else, it’s hilariously on-the-nose. Outside NYC, people don’t talk like extras in a Scorsese film.
That mix of sarcasm and aggression doesn’t always translate. In other states, yelling at cars is more likely to get you side-eyed—or worse. You might even be the one getting honked at for jaywalking, something you’ve done daily without thinking twice. Your big city bravado doesn’t always fly in smaller places.
10. You Get Visibly Anxious in a Drive-Thru
You’re sitting in your friend’s car at a fast-food drive-thru and you start to panic. You’re not used to ordering from a speaker, let alone having to make small talk with the person behind the glass. In NYC, if you want food, you walk into a restaurant or get it delivered. Car culture just isn’t your thing.
You fumble your order, speak too loudly, and forget to pull up fast enough. This isn’t your natural habitat, and it shows. Meanwhile, everyone else is casually sipping sodas and rolling their windows down like it’s no big deal. You, on the other hand, are low-key sweating it.
11. You Refer to the Subway as “The Train”
In NYC, “the train” always means the subway. Outside the city, people assume you’re talking about Amtrak or a commuter rail. When you say, “I took the train here,” they’re picturing you arriving from a major hub hours away. You meant you hopped on the F for three stops.
This bit of local lingo often causes confusion. Most regions don’t have a transit system robust enough to warrant casual references. When you have to explain what “the Q” is, it becomes clear you’re from the city. Especially if you say, “It was only delayed like 15 minutes, not bad!”
12. You Casually Name-Drop Neighborhoods Like They’re Universally Known
You mention you live in Astoria or used to work in Flatiron, and people nod politely—because they have no idea what you’re talking about. In NYC, neighborhoods carry a lot of weight and identity. But to most Americans, “Bushwick” sounds like a kind of shrub. You assume everyone knows the boroughs like the back of their hand.
When someone asks, “Is that near Manhattan?” and you respond, “No, it’s off the L,” you’ve officially outed yourself. It’s not that people are clueless—it’s that NYC geography is its own language. Unless they’ve lived there or watch a lot of “Law & Order,” they’re probably lost. And your casual name-dropping only deepens the mystery.
13. You Get Excited by Seeing the Sky
You stop mid-sentence because—wow, is that the actual horizon? You’re momentarily stunned by the uninterrupted sky, trees, and the fact that you can see more than 30 feet in front of you. In NYC, views are often framed by concrete, brick, and scaffolding. Natural expanses aren’t exactly part of the daily grind.
When you comment on how “blue” the sky looks or how “weirdly quiet” it is, locals notice. To them, it’s just a regular Tuesday. But to you, it feels like an episode of Planet Earth. And nothing says “I’m from New York” quite like treating nature like a novelty.
