Whether you've lived here your whole life or just moved here, living in New York City has a set of commandments (a combination of unwritten rules and things all New Yorkers know to be true) that everyone follows regardless of how long you've lived here. Hopefully my interpretation of these commandments will help you get around NYC if you're visiting or better understand what's going on if you're still confused why you still feel like a tourist.
Thou shall always have good subway etiquette.
This commandment breaks down into the separate rules for riding the subway. 1. Always let people off before you get on. 2. Limit how much room you take up by taking backpacks off, placing things in your lap or between your legs. And 3. Giving up your seat to elderly, disabled and pregnant women. Trust me, you will not die from standing for a little bit, so give up your seat to the person who needs it more than you.
Thou shall not clog the packed street with your slow paced walking.
If you're the kind of walker who likes to take it at your own leisurely pace, unfortunately the streets of NYC are not for you. Everyone is trying to get somewhere and fast. If people are zooming by you while walking on the street, then you're most likely walking too slow. If you need to stop for minute to reorient yourself or take a phone call, pull over the side and chill by the side of a building. But if you are looking for a place to walk around at a more calming pace, I suggest a park or museum.
Thou shall always cross the street at her/his own risk.
Let's be honest, NYC drivers are reckless, especially cab drivers. From my experience, they show no mercy for pedestrians even if you have the right of way. That being said, always cross the streets with caution and do not solely rely on the crossing sign to tell you when it's safe to cross. If you think you can run across before the oncoming car can get to you, go for it. Just remember the cars will be trying to beat the light at the same time and 98 percent of the time it involves running a red light. So proceed at your own risk.
Thou shall remember that horrible smell is not you, it's New York.
The streets of New York all have one thing in common: their wonderfully putrid smell. Trust me, you won't be able to escape that lovely mixture of garbage, smoke, gasoline and a few other smells that I'll spare to mention. Just remember it's luckily not you.
Thou shall never worry about needing something because the bodega down the street will have it.
Maybe you've seen Taylor Swift explain what a bodega is in her "Welcome to New York" video. Yet despite her awkwardness, she still manages to explain what a bodega is in its simplest form. So have no fear! There bodega is literally right here.
Thou shall not let a sanitary inspection grade below an "A" stop you from trying that restaurant.
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene requires all New York City restaurants to be inspected for sanitation and post their grade to the public. But just remember that a "below par" sanitation grade most of time has little to do with how good the food tastes. So don't be scared and if a restaurant sounds good to you, eat there!
Thou shall not think that taking a cab is faster than the subway, especially during rush hour or going uptown.
It sounds tempting but don't do it. It may seem like the instantaneous act of being able to hail a cab right away is faster than going underground and waiting for the subway but it all comes down to the fact that subways run into way less traffic than cars do. And if it's close to 5 p.m. or you're going uptown or from Manhattan to another burrow, forget about it. Taking the subway is not only faster, but way more cost effective.
Thou shall remember that underground cell service is mostly nonexistent.
So if you're going some place new and are not 100 percent sure how to get there on the subway, look it up before you go underground. Otherwise, you may have to resurface to access your map app and that means another $2.75 to go back underground.
Thou shall know better than to go to a museum or any other tourist attraction on the weekend.
For those of you who are just looking to visit New York, try to schedule your plans on the weekdays if possible. While places will still be busy, they will be much less crowded and you can actually enjoy the things you are doing instead of trying to fight your way through a sea of people at the MoMa to get a glimpse of Van Gogh's "Starry Night."
Thou shall not immediately buy into the mega touristy things to do on holidays right away.
To be fair, doing these types of things (i.e. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade) can be fun and some people even make going to these events a tradition. But if you're look to do something cool on a holiday, you should not resort to doing the most touristy thing you can think of. It's New York City. The possibilities are endless, so try something outside the box and you will probably have more fun than standing for hours on the side of the street in the freezing cold waiting for floats to come by or doing the same thing but late at night and waiting for a conspicuous silver ball to drop that will probably be the most anticlimactic thing you've ever experienced.
