People who live in New York develop distinctive habits.

These are the kinds of things that New Yorkers used to laugh at but now do on a regular basis.

Francesca Atzori/istockphoto

Everyone has an idea of what a New Yorker is like, what they do, and how they spend their days before they ever set foot in the city. Everyone knows that once they move to New York, they'll be exemp to the stereotypes about New Yorkers, such as shouting "I'm walkin' here" at rude drivers, dressing in all black (which is accurate), and jaywalking in front of moving traffic. However, as a person becomes familiar with the norms of the city, they alter their behavior. They internalize the culture's norms and values, even if they first found them annoying or bizarre, and become a reflection of the environment around them.

In an online post, one New Yorker asked their peers a question "What ‘typical’ New Yorker behavior did you initially scoff at but has now become a regular part of your life?"

The top 15 responses are as follows:

Ordering takeout most days. The reality is that we're all really busy with our careers, making home-cooked meals a rare and expensive treat. To save time and sanity rather than money, ordering in is a common practice.

“For me when I moved here I heard about how much people order delivery and takeout and I thought there was no way I’d ever do that more than once a week tops, now I order a majority of the days of the week,” the original poster wrote.

Directly inquiring about people's monthly rent costs. Rent and other financial details are generally taboo subjects to discuss in public. But in New York City, where rents are so outrageously costly, good manners take a back seat to survival. They're fascinated by the difference between what one person pays and what another pays, and they're always on the lookout for a good deal. User SavageMutilation claims that they are really upfront about it.

Negatively dismissing Times Square and making every effort to avoid it. Times Square used to be so magical to them when they moved there. The bright lights, flashy ads, and people staring up in awe all caught their attention... They tried to get through it until they had spent enough time on it. Times Square has a gravitational pull that makes you get stuck behind tourists who never stop walking and puts you in an unwelcome crowd with disorganized Disney characters.

“Literally on the second day of going to the CUNY Graduate Center, I was like ‘Oh wait this f**king s*cks…’” said user HilariousConsequence.

Walking at maximum speed everywhere. Who is in that much of a hurry?

“it’s not necessarily that i’m in a rush. it’s just that walking fast cuts down on time, and i’ve budgeted getting from point A to B according to my fast walking speed. i didn’t accommodate for your -1,000mph walking pace so move b*tch get out the way!” said Throwaway21202021.

Dining later. Before moving New York, dinnertimes of 8:30 or 9 p.m. seemed late, but they now understand why. Dinnertime in New York is later than in many European countries since people there are either working late or out exploring the city.

“I’m surprised no one has said this, but I never thought I would change my meal times. But sure enough, after like a month here I found myself sitting down to dinner at like 8:30 or 9:00, would look at the clock, and be shocked,” wrote Aljowoods103.

Leaving the subway through the door designated for use in case of an emergency. Everyone is taught that emergency exits are only to be used in the event of an emergency; nevertheless, all it takes is one trip through the subway with a lot of luggage or a particularly large crowd of commuters to learn that emergency exits can be used at any time.

“Yea I once told a tourist family that they could use the emergency door to get their stroller through when I saw them struggling with the turnstiles,” wrote smallmacaroni. “They said ‘but the alarm’ and I said ‘it doesn’t do anything’ as I helped them get the stroller through. They were genuinely concerned.”

Getting used to bizarre circumstances. New Yorkers are famously unaffected, but there are times when they should be outraged. Not in their lifetimes, no. In New York, they've seen it all, and it's just another day.

“Saw a drunk middle schooler on the bus a couple days ago, not even the weirdest thing I’ve seen on the crosstown bus,” redqueenhypo admitted.

Having the expectation that everything will be within walking distance. You get used to the New York way of convenience when you stay in the city for any length of time. What do you need? There is a location close enough for a stroll to it. They feel irritated when that isn't the case.

“This still shocks me in other cities that it’s not available,” said jenbarkley.

Carrying a heavy canvas bag from place to place. The significance of their reusable canvas bags is sometimes overlooked. They might look flimsy, but they are the ideal size for holding all of the assorted items, plus they are easy to transport and don't weigh much.

Stepping out into the crosswalk to jaywalk. This action could come as a surprise to a first-timer or observer, but it will soon become routine. They shouldn't wait for the signal to change before crossing the street. If there is no approaching traffic, they will go down the street.

“The aggressive way people cross the street - I always have to take a couple steps forward to be just ahead of everyone else waiting at the corner, until the street is sufficiently void of cars to jaywalk,” said laa-deedaa.

Not venturing far from home except for special events or important people. At first, it may seem that venturing to different parts of the city on the weekend is no big deal when you live in New York City. However, after a while, they start basing their weekend plans on how far away they are from the neighborhoods.

“The not leaving my neighborhood is so true. I almost dislike that part of living here. On my first visit I was all ‘oh, if I live in HK… sunset park isn’t very far! I’ll go a few times a week.’ Now I’m lucky to go south of 42nd,” wrote thesearemypringles.

Brunch. It might appear pointless and expensive at first, but it quickly turns into a ritual that New Yorkers take part in every Sunday (or Saturday), when they celebrate by eating, drinking, and being merry. During these occasions, they frequently offer sacrifices to the alcohol gods and pray that the buzz will wear off before Monday arrives.

“Brunch, never did it before moving to NYC, now it’s at least once a month, also $18+ cocktails don’t phase me anymore. Also going to the bodega in the middle of the night for something,” said LittleMexicant.

Taking shoes off at the door. At the main door, New Yorkers will take their shoes off regardless of whether they are of a different culture or come from a different background. There is no turning back after you have witnessed firsthand how disgustingly filthy the sidewalks really are. When you reach home in New York City, it is common habit to remove what are known as your "train clothes." This is a custom that is not widely known.

“Shoes are absolutely no no. N Idk if it’s just me but I refuse to sit on my couch or bed in what I call my ‘train clothes’ after being out all day,” wrote Psilosalmon.

Complaining about missing the subway. It makes no difference that there's another train on its way. To everybody who will listen, they coonstantly express their displeasure at having missed the subway. People from out of town may find this frustrating, but locals know that the next one is probably not coming for quite some time. They're grumpy because trains rarely arrive on schedule.

"conductor: ‘there’s a train right behind this one’ SUUUUUUUUUUUUURE,” wrote throwaway21202021.

Inserting themselves into emergency situations. People from New York are known for being helpful when it really matters and there's a good reason for it. They don't pry until it's really necessary.

“An old lady needs help carrying heavy shit across the street? I gotchu, Grandma. A drunk NYU student is trying to exit a cab and it starts moving before she’s fully out? Jump in front of that cab to stop it before she loses a limb!” said queenservingfacts. “I think this is why New Yorkers have a reputation of being kind, but not nice.”

Source: Timeout

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