It’s not Long Island. It’s not upstate. It’s the greatest goddamn place in New York!
1. You grew up “just outside the city”
Whether it was 15 minutes or an hour away, you could still see the glow from the Manhattan lights on a clear night.
2. By “The City”, you mean Manhattan.
You met people who refer to Buffalo as “The City”, and they’re just wrong. There is only one city and it’s the city that never sleeps!
3. You went there for countless school field trips...
Usually to museums or Broadway shows.
5. You’re not from Long Island, but you sure spent a lot of time there.
You get frustrated when people confuse Westchester with Long Island, but you took many car rides to Robert Moses beach every summer (‘cause you know it’s better than Jones).
6. Taking the Metro-North to the city (or anywhere else) was an event in and of itself.
Whether you were going to a concert in the city, or heading to White Plains for a night out, the MTA was always where the night began.
7. You know where to get the best pizza and bagels around.
You even had heated arguments about it.
8. You understand that baconeggandcheese is one word and they’re a staple part of your diet.
“Canigetabaconeggandcheese” is the biggest word in your vocabulary and it’s almost upsetting that it doesn't count as an SAT word.
9. The best place for a midnight snack was always Rocky’s Deli.
Everyone has their go-to order: the Millwood, the Hash Tag, the Rocyburger, or just a chicken parm on a wedge. Speaking of which…
10. It’s called a wedge
I don’t know what a grinder is. I don’t know what a hoagie is. I’ll take a wedge, thanks.
11. You did all your shopping in White Plains or at Ridge Hill.
You did this in part because you couldn’t afford to buy anything at the Westchester, but also because it was usually hard to find someone who was willing to drive across the river to the Palisades. Shopping at the Galleria scared your parents, but when you couldn’t cross the Tappan Zee it was the next best thing.
12. Stew Leonard’s is one of your favorite places.
They have singing cows and a dancing banana. What more could you ask for?
13. You always knew the perfect spot to catch the sunset...
And you love watching the sun set over the Hudson.
14. You had friends who transferred to Ursuline, Hackley, Iona, or Fordham Prep after eighth grade.
A large portion of your class claimed that they were going to do this, but in reality only about five percent of your classmates left.
15. Sweet 16 season = Wedding season
It wasn’t unheard of for kids to walk through an actual wedding reception to get to the hall where their friend's Sweet 16 was being held…
16. You went to more birthday parties at Sportime USA than you can count on one hand...
And they were always the best birthday parties, TBH.
17. Playland was the best way to start the summer.
It wasn’t uncommon to go to Playland in Rye after class let out on that last half day of school. Chances are, you ran into at least three other groups from your school there-- and it wasn’t until you got older that you realized just how sketchy Playland really is… but that never stopped you from going back!
18. There was nothing more intense than school rivalries.
Because Westchester is filled with small towns, most teams only played the schools in the surrounding area. This results in intense team rivalries-- especially during homecoming season.
19. Spending a night out with your friends meant running into everyone you knew.
Eventually you accepted the fact that going out on a Friday night with your friends meant going out on a Friday night with your entire class…
20. It’s a place that you’ll always call home.
No matter how far you go, no matter how long you stay away, Westchester will always be the place you call home. You could even see yourself moving back there to raise a family someday!
