Whenever I tell someone I am from Long Island, they immediately go “Wow, that's far” and wonder what it is like there. And I basically explain it by saying it’s close to New York City but it’s on an island and everything around me is 10 minutes away max. And then they usually go, “Oh, that's nice, but I thought Long Island was the city…” And then I feel obligated to explain how it is different from the city, because there's a lot to it.
So, I decided to write a beginners guide to Long Island for everyone who wants to come here and knows nothing about this wonderful little place I, and many others, call home.
1. Pizza and Bagels
Here on Long Island, we don't mess around with bagels or pizza. These are like prized possessions, and you don't understand how blessed you are to have these until you go away to college (me) and have weird versions of them that are very, very bad. Pizza and bagels are the best carbs you can eat, and if you ever come to LI you need to have both of these foods because nothing else will compare. The pizza is better than New Jersey, better than Manhattan, better than the rest of the country and you’ll never see more pizzerias anywhere else. As for the bagels, same deal, they are bomb, especially when they are loaded with cream cheese or topped with an egg.
2. Beaches
Probably one of my favorite things about Long Island is the beaches. Although the water is nasty half the time, there's always seaweed, and you have to pay to get in, I never have a bad time at the beach. When it hits 75 degrees here, everyone runs to the beaches, and they are pretty much packed to the point where you can be laying right next to a stranger on the sand. Plus, there's so many beaches to choose from, so whenever you get sick of one beach, you can go to another. Even the ride to the beach is pretty. Once you get on Loop Parkway, you can smell the ocean and instantly you get in the mood for a daylong beach day.
3. Accents
Although none of us will admit it, yes we might have a slight, minor accent, but you don't notice until you hear someone speak that isn't from here. Yes we say dog, mall, coffee and water weird, but so do you so don't be baffled when you hear us speak. Oh and by the way, it's soda, not pop.
4. The Mall
If you wanna go shopping, and I mean shopping, you must go to Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City. The stores are endless, plus it's beautiful and has whatever you need surrounding it, like Target. Not only is it a mall, but it also has a gym, countless restaurants and tons of parking (although half the time you feel like you can't find one spot). This is the second largest mall in New York, and it is definitely worth the trip if you've never been here before.
5. Ralph's Italian Ices
Well, everyone and anyone from LI knows this great place. Ralph's is an awesome ice shop that has tons of locations and has tons of flavors. They range from water ices, to cream ices to ice cream plus shakes and much more, which makes this place one of the most known ices place on Long Island. They have so many unique flavors too, like graham cracker and cheesecake. This is one of my favorite spots, and I bring everyone who has never been during the summer because who doesn't love ices in the summer time?
