Because I’ve lived in NYC part time for 3 years and full time for another 3 years I feel fully qualified to pontificate about some habits of NYC dwellers -here are a few of my initial observations:

1. They don’t like to walk on sidewalk grates. I’ve often seen large groups of people who would, at any other time, leave slower pedestrians in the dust, fall into line behind the slow walking texters to avoid walking on the grates.

2.      After patiently and politely waiting for passengers to exit a subway car some NYers  will mercilessly elbow aside anyone, parents with small children included, to board first.

3.    The undisputed best seat in any subway car is at the end of  the bench. This seat   side allows for elbow room on at least one side and less crowded access to the door.

4.     It’s easy to spot a NYer crossing the street, they watch the traffic, not the light and often do so in unison.

5.    NYC dogs have a culture worth writing an entire blog about and I will, soon!

6.    NYers often wear all black (at least the real ones do!) Perfect example, I sometimes use a car service to get home from the airport-the first time I called for my pickup the dispatcher asked me what color clothing I was wearing so the driver could identify me. I immediately replied “I live in NYC, what color do you think I’m wearing?”-fortunately he had a sense of humor and we  both laughed at my cleverness (which is probably the same clever  answer he hears from every NYC passenger!)

7.   There is a sense of casual acceptance of things that create amazement and wonder in the likes of a transplant like me. Events such as outdoor operas shown on a jumbo-tron on the Lincoln Center Plaza for 10 days every summer, the free New Years’ Eve party in Central Park including music, dancing and incredible fireworks and the Winters Eve Festival on November 30^th when entire blocks of Broadway are turned into a holiday party and include the lighting of the Lincoln Center Christmas tree, food tents selling tasty morsels from local restaurants and live music on almost every corner providing a sense of  togetherness and sheer fun.

8.    Then there is the unusual and unique tradition of waiting “on” line (NYers never wait “in” line like Midwesterners) for up to 6 hours on a Saturday morning in July or August to get 2 free tickets to attend an outdoor production of Shakespeare in the Park for that evening. Full disclosure, my friend Nicole arrived at 6am, I brought lunch at 11! By the time I arrived to entertain her everyone was on first name basis, total strangers were deep in conversation and saving eachothers places for a bathroom  break or coffee run. NYers find a reason to party even at 6am! Ya gotta love it!