What Makes a New Yorker?

Most people you ask will tell you that you’re only a New Yorker after you have lived in the city for 10 years. A good friend of mine recently celebrated this momentous milestone, and it got me thinking: What truly makes someone a New Yorker? Surely there are experiences before the 10-year mark that carry some weight. In my opinion, here are a few that have gotten me (a Maryland native) a bit closer to the title …

1. Catching a music show at 11pm on a weeknight. This is one of my favorite things about this city – on any given night, you can hear jazz, bluegrass, indie rock, or “hard core” (not my personal taste, but it’s out there!) at venues both large and small all over the city.

• The Living Room, Webster Hall, Rockwood Music Hall, Smalls Jazz Club and 55 Bar are some of my personal favorites. Still on my list: Blue Note, Village Vanguard and Birdland.

2. Getting a NY Driver’s License. After three years of living in the Big Apple, I finally took the leap of legally committing to the state as my official place of residence. (Disclaimer: Don’t try this at home. NY law states you must get a NY license within 30 days of moving here. Three years was definitely a major “no-no” on my part.)

3. Referring to the city, rather than where you grew up, as “home”.

4. Not getting lost in Central Park and knowing where to find your friends if they tell you they’re at “The Pond,” “The Mall” or “The Lawn.”

5. Sampling the “best” of the foods we all love:

• Savoring a pie at Lombardi’s/Grimaldi’s (I’ll leave it to you to debate which is better)
• Sinking your teeth into a burger at Corner Bistro (NY Magazine agrees with me on this one; if you haven’t had one of these juicy burgers – and by the way, they’re one of the better deals in the city at $6 a pop with a $3 mugs of beer to boot – you haven’t really lived)
• Treating yourself to a cupcake at Magnolia (personally, I prefer Crumbs, but Magnolia is definitely an institution not to be missed)
• Having a steak at Peter Luger’s (ok, I admit – this is still on my list. I guess I do still have a way to go before New Yorker status)

  What experiences do you carry as your New Yorker badges?