“Looking across the East River towards Midtown Manhattan from Long Island City, NY”byApoorva Jinkais licensed underCC BY 2.0
The geographical setup of NYC is always confusing for out-of-towners. However, understanding Long Island will be much easy once they realize that Brooklyn and Queens are part of this island. It’s made up of 4 counties including Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk.
“Nassau and Pine Street, Manhattan NY”byJay Gormanis licensed underCC BY 2.0
While Brooklyn and Queens are technically part of Long Island, if a local is talking about either of those, they’ll just say the name of the borough. Most of the time, the term “Long Island” is referring to the two easternmost counties, Nassau and Suffolk.
If someone on Long Island says they’re heading to “the city” it means they’re headed to Manhattan. While this whole area is part of the NYC metro, Manhattan is typically the center of the action.
With both LaGuardia and JFK international airports in Queens, nearly every visitor to New York City starts out on Long Island. From there, it’s incredibly easy to get to the rest of the city.
With 9 Bridges and 13 tunnels connecting Long Island to the other boroughs, it’s one of the most accessible islands in the world. Its ease of access makes it ideal for people that want to experience life in Manhattan on a regular basis without the huge amount of stress from living in the city that never sleeps.
With 7.5 million people living on Long Island, the roads can get pretty backed up. Due to the unique shape of this island that’s no wider than 23 miles, roadways tend to get pretty congested come rush hour.
The idea of actually driving into the city is pretty crazy. Not only is the traffic insane during almost any hour of the day, but parking is absolutely miserable. The best way to get from Long Island to Manhattan is by public transportation. Get used to learning all of the quickest subway routes.
Drinking on the Long Island Railroad is pretty common. Don’t be surprised to find yourself sitting next to someone with a brown-bagged beer in hand.
The public transportation system to and from Manhattan is pretty awesome, especially after a night of partying in the city. If you’re planning on coming back to Long Island after a night of booze, make sure you catch the last train out of the city, often called the “drunk train.” Otherwise, you’ll have a long, miserable wait to endure before the first morning train takes off.
People live “in” New Jersey. They live “on” Long Island. There’s no easier way to spot an out-of-towner than when they get this wrong.
There’s a huge Italian influence on Long Island, meaning lots of lively people and awesome food. It’s not a bad thing by any means.
The pizza on Long Island is better than any of that cardboard found in Manhattan. With tons of locally owned mom & pop establishments, the pies on this little stretch of land can’t be beat.
Every Long Islander knows that the only way to start off your day right is with a bagel and schmear. New York bagels are best on Long Island and you don’t have to wait in the huge lines that often form outside bagel spots in the city.
When most out-of-towners hear “Adventureland”, they’ll probably think of the movie featuring Emma Stone and that guy who played Mark Zuckerberg. To Long Islanders, Adventureland was the theme park they grew up with and the backdrop to many of their best childhood memories.
On Long Island, diners reign supreme. These 24 hour food stops have something for everyone and almost be found on every corner. Every Long Islander has their favorite place to stop and will defend the awesomeness of that diner to the death.
Most out-of-towners don’t really think of New York as a beach destination, despite its location right on the ocean. With awesome shorelines at places like Tobay Beach and Robert Moses Beach, the Long Island coastline during the summer months will give you some of the best beach days around.
The tip of Long Island splits into two distinct areas, the North Fork and the South Fork. While the North Fork is famous for its many wineries, the South Fork is home to the Hamptons.
If a Long Islander is drinking half & half, it’s probably not just a cup of the common coffee creamer. On Long Island, people love to mix lemonade and tea together, making the popular “Arnold Palmer” summertime drink, dubbed “half & half” after the blend of ingredients.
In a place with so much history, everywhere on Long Island seems to have a ghost story to tell. Out-of-towners shouldn’t be too shocked if they hear something go bump in the night.
Famous for her conversations with the dead, Theresa Caputo, also known as the Long Island Medium, calls this area her home. Whether the show is legitimate or not, it’s always exciting to see this native-Hicksvillian around town.
While Amityville Horror Story is based on a “true story”, enthusiasts might be a little let down if they go searching for the house. Current owners have changed the numbers from the famous 112 Ocean Avenue address and the appearance of the house has been altered so that it doesn’t have the same look as the homes featured in the famous movies.
Long Island practically wrote the book on throwing a party that might be featured in MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16.” Many families here go all out celebrating their child’s 16th birthday with tons of fanfare and a huge price tag to match.
Most Long Island heroes are just chilling at the deli waiting to be snacked on. They’re huge sandwiches filled with tons of Italian meat and cheese. Out-of-towners might say “grinder,” or “hoagie,” or “submarine.” But Long Islanders know you’re really just talking about a hero.
While both New York City professional football teams might play their games in a different state, that doesn’t stop Long Islanders from showing the love. Everyone on Long Island has cheered for either the Giants or the Jets since birth, and they’ll never change their ways.
Though most of the country seems to be fighting over whether or not soft drinks should be called “pop” or “coke”, Long Islanders take the more rational approach, simply calling these carbonated, sugary beverages “soda.” Calling this drink anything else will make an out-of-towner stick out like a sore thumb.
Many Long Islanders have a peculiar way of pronouncing the place they’re from saying “lawn guy land” instead of simply “Long Island.” Even though a Long Islander won’t admit they pronounce it this way, an out-of-towner will pick up on it pretty quickly.
A drink now famous throughout the country, the Long Island Iced Tea is famous for the huge quantity of booze it stealthily hides inside. Make sure an out-of-towner knows this before they start to order a drink at dinner.
Famous for his song “Piano Man”, Billy Joel hails from Hicksville, New York and the locals love to talk about it. Long Islanders can’t help but smile when he comes on the radio.
Long Island has a bit of a tick problem, especially in the wooded areas. Make sure out-of-towners know to check themselves after they been outside, otherwise they might end up being allergic to red-meats, a condition that ticks on Long Island are currently spreading.
Another thing that Long Island is famous for are buttered Kaiser rolls served up at breakfast. Make sure an out-of-towner doesn’t leave without trying one.
Lacrosse is a huge deal on Long Island, and while everyone might not have played lacrosse on an organized team, most Long Islanders will probably have a stick to throw the ball around.
It’s an estuary that’s part of the Atlantic Ocean filling the space between Connecticut and New York.
With awesome food, great beaches, and Manhattan next door, Long Island is one of the coolest places to live in America. If an out-of-towner visits, especially during the summertime, there’s a good chance they’ll fall in love and never want to leave. What have you had to explain to out-of-towners about Long Island? Tell us in the comments below!
