Long Island may only be 118 miles long, but it is home to over 7,800,00 people. Long Island is considered to be separate from the rest of New York but everyone on Long Island loves it and never thinks about leaving. Living on such a small island like Long Island, you know what it takes to be a true long islander. You know all the good things about living on Long Island and you also know about all the bad things. Here are the signs of a true Long Islander:
1. Bagels are very special to you
No matter what town you live in, you have a favorite bagel shop right near your house. You love bagels so much that the place near you starts to learn your order. Your passion for bagels is so high that you can't resist making the bagel into an egg sandwich. As a Long Islander you probably have traveled outside the island and have learned that bagels anywhere else just isn't the same as the bagels in your hometown.
2. Pizza is just as special as bagels
Usually, in your town, your favorite pizza place is in the same shopping center as your favorite bagel place. Every town claims that they have the best pizza on Long Island. Pizza isn't the same at other pizza parlors outside of Long Island.
3. You know the difference between the North Shore and South Shore
You know that the South Shore is where you want to be in the summer because you have so many beaches to pick from. You can pick between Fire Island, Jones Beach, Smiths Point. South Shore beaches are very small and private and on the South Shore, you could take a ferry from Port Jefferson to Connecticut.
4. You have been to Montauk at least once
No matter where you live on Long Island, you have been to Montauk. You have been to the lighthouse and the little town that surrounds it.
5. Everyone asks if you know Billy Joel
Just because you are from Long Island doesn't mean you know everyone on the island especially celebrities such as Billy Joel.
6. Everyone asks if you know the Long Island Medium
Just like people asking if you know Billy Joel, odds are that you don't know anyone famous on Long Island.
7. Diners are the best thing since sliced bread
Want a good burger at 1 pm? Go to the diner. Want a milkshake at 2 am? Go to the diner. Going to a diner on Long Island means that they are usually open 24 hours so you can get whatever food you want at any time of the day or night. Most diners are reasonably priced on Long Island too.
8. You've been to a concert at Jones Beach or Nassau Coliseum
Whether it was BLI summer jam at Jones Beach or another concert at Nassau Coliseum, as Long Islander's you can say that you have been to either of these places once in your life.
9. Everyone asks if you've been to the Amityville Horror House
10. You know how 106.1 BLI plays the same songs over every hour
11. High school rivalries are taken very seriously
12. Beaches are something you don't miss out on
13. Suffolk County and Nassau County have a rivarlry
Whether you are from the 631 or 516, both counties think that they are better than the other.
14. You have waited for a delayed train on the LIRR
No matter what station you go to across the island, you have learned that "On or close" really means that you have time to get food and use the bathroom before it leaves.
15. You hate the Long Island Expressway
The Long Island Expressway is living hell to everyone who lives on the island. The expressway runs almost right in the middle of the island and gets you to basically every part of the island. You know that the only safe time to drive without traffic is between the hours of 10 and 3.
Living on Long Island means that you know all these signs all too well and that means tou are a true Long Islander.
