1. New York And NYC Are Two Different Worlds
There’s a tendency for visitors to New York to think of it as one cohesive unit, but the reality is New York City and the rest of New York State are two completely separate worlds, that rarely intersect.
When you consider that more than 40 percent of New York State’s entire population lives in New York City, and that New York City’s population is greater than that of 39 of the 50 states, you can just begin to imagine just how vast the regional differences are.
2. They’re Not Called Buffalo Wings
Calling chicken wings “Buffalo wings” or even “hot wings” in New York just isn’t something that’s done, and if you say it, you might as well be wearing a sign that says, “I’m not from here.” They’re “wings” in New York… period.
3. New York State Has The Best Food On Earth, Period
You like pizza, right? Well New York pizza will ruin all other pizzas for you. Obviously. But I haven’t even mentioned Dinosaur BBQ, speidies, salt potatoes, white hots...I could go on but you’re probably already salivating. New Yorkers never settle for less than the best.
4. We Have A Snowfall Competition
While other states dread the coming of the white stuff, New York’s cities welcome it. That’s because the city with the most snowfall in New York actually wins a prize – the Golden Snowball. And more often than not, Syracuse wins.
5. New York Doesn’t Have As Many Sports Teams As You Think
Of New York’s active sports teams, three of them (the Giants, Jets and Red Bulls) actually play in New Jersey.
New York may also be the state with the greatest number of its teams now playing permanently in other states as well. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants once played in New York City, and the former Buffalo Braves now play in Los Angeles as the LA Clippers.
6. New York University Is Not A Public School
Since almost every other state has a major public university bearing the name of the state, outsiders are usually surprised to learn that New York University is a private school. New York’s major public universities, the State University of New York (SUNY) schools, tend to carry the names of the cities that host them, like the University of Buffalo and University of Albany.
7. New York Has One Quarter Of The Ivy League
New York is the only state with more than one Ivy League schools, and those two schools couldn’t be in locations that are any more different. Columbia University is located in the heart of New York City, in Upper Manhattan. Meanwhile, Cornell is nestled in the Finger Lakes region of central New York.
Similarly, the differences between the schools are evident in their choices in athletic rivals. Cornell’s Big Red are the chief adversaries to Dartmouth’s (New Hampshire) Big Green, while Columbia travels down I-95 to battle the Tigers of Princeton University.
8. One Of New York’s National Monuments Is An African Burial Ground
What is an African burial ground doing in New York of all places? Well, and old burial ground for colonial New Yorkers of African descent was discovered during the archeological survey of land set aside for a new federal office building.
Rather than build the $275 million building, the land was instead preserved as a National Monument, and a memorial to the buried Africans now stands at the site.
9. There Are 10 Different Types Of New Yorker
Compared with the only two U.S. states with more residents, California and Texas, New York packs quite a lot of people into a much smaller space. In reality, New York State is split into ten different regions, which leads to New York having a very culturally diverse group of characters.
Folks in Buffalo are very different from the people of Long Island, and as far as the people in Syracuse or Albany are concerned, Binghamton might as well be a part of Pennsylvania.
10. New York Has 11 Fingers
The Finger Lakes (which look more like fingernail scratches) adorn the central New York area. The area surrounding these lakes is a wine-producing juggernaut with more than 100 wineries and breweries, and there is no better place within the borders of New York to enjoy a nice glass of Cabernet while out on the water.
11. The Champ Is Here
Lake Champlain is known for its legendary monster, affectionately known as Champ.” Although the creature’s existence has yet to be officially confirmed, that hasn’t prevented New York life from revolving around him. On the opposite side of the lake, Vermont’s minor league affiliate actually changed its mascot from the Expos to the Lake Monsters in Champ’s honor.
12. New York Is The Center Of The Comic Universe
Die-hard Marvel Comics fans recognize that New York State, and more often than not, New York City, is the fictional birthplace of just about anything related to the Marvel Universe.
And Marvel’s chief rival, DC Comics, also has a New-York-based world. The stomping grounds of Batman and Superman, Gotham City and Metropolis, are both modeled after NYC and feature modified versions of several New York landmarks.
13. The Amityville Horror House Is Real
“The Amityville Horror” is one of the iconic scary movies from the 1980s, and although they changed the street address to discourage visitors, you can still see the actual site of the murders and the alleged haunting at 108 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York.
However, don’t expect it to look exactly like it did in the movie. Authorities refused to let the movie’s producers film on location at the actual murder house, so the movie was filmed in Toms River, New Jersey instead.
14. And So Is Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow was the name of the secluded glen to the north of Tarrytown, New York, and Washington Irving used it as the setting for the famous and highly influential work, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Finally in 1996, North Tarrytown officially changed its name to match that of the story that made it famous, a full 176 years after the story’s publication. If you happen to hear the sound of a horse’s hooves late at night while walking through town, you should probably pick up the pace.
15. Hip Hop Was Born In New York
Hip Hop music was officially born in New York, specifically in the South Bronx. And if you make a song even hinting that it was born anywhere else, expect to have a KRS ONE diss record directed toward you playing on Power 106 before the end of the week.
16. One-Third Of The Revolutionary War Was Fought In New York
When the American colonies went to war for independence, the state of New York became a full-fledged battleground. One-third of the battles fought during the war were fought on New York soil.
Americans from coast to coast owe a huge debt of gratitude to the ancestors of the modern New Yorkers, for the defeat of the British and the establishment of the U.S. democracy.
17. No One Knows Where The Empire State Nickname Came From
Some attribute its naming to the father of the country, George Washington. Others attribute New York’s nickname to the era when New York was the most populous state in the nation.
Whatever the reasoning is behind the name, many of the landmarks in the state bear the “Empire State” tag, and no one can deny that it made for a great duet by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.
18. Manhattan Clam Chowder Still Counts
Yes, Manhattan-style clam chowder is actually clam chowder whether New Englanders like it or not. No, it may not be as creamy as the variety found further east, but the fact that it has a tomato base doesn’t mean it isn’t chowder, and that certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t amazing.
19. New York Used To Be New Netherland
Before they were known as New York City and New York State, they were known as New Amsterdam and New Netherland, respectively. The lingering sign of New York’s ancient past is the flag of New York City, which retains the blue, white and orange colors of the old Dutch Republic, along with the Dutch windmill, Dutch West India Company Beaver, and the year the Dutch founded the New Netherland.
20. There’s One Mountain With An… Interesting Name
This unusually named “B**ch Mountain” of the Adirondack’s is listed in the book “Unusually Stupid Americans: A Compendium of All-American Stupidity” for its rather unusual name. There’s no truth to the rumor that a man named it after his ex-wife following a rather costly divorce, however.
21. There are two different cities call Niagara Falls
When you say you’re going to Niagara Falls, you have to be very specific about it, because that can mean any of three different things. You probably mean you’re going to see the majestic Niagara Falls, but the best viewing locations for the falls are in fact in two cities, both named “Niagara Falls.” But even diehard New York loyalists will admit that the Canadians have the best view of the falls. Can’t win ‘em all.
What have you had to explain to out-of-towners about New York State? Tell us in the comments below!
