15 Things Everyone From NYC Takes for Granted

3. We will never come back from a night out smelling like smoke.

Since smoking was banned in all bars, restaurants, and venues by the Clean Indoor Act in 2003, our hair, clothes, and bodies no longer reek of someone else’s nasty cigarette smoke.

4. Finding a bathroom is always easy.

I hate the times I am out and about when suddenly, the feeling comes upon me that I need to go to the bathroom. But in New York, bathrooms are everywhere. You can pop into a bar, go to a food market, or a big retailer and find a public bathroom. Even if you are driving, a gas station will always have one. At the beaches, there are porta potties and bathroom stands to accommodate everyone. Even if it is not the most sanitary, you’ll always have a place “to go”.

5. We’ve got free outdoor concerts in droves.

Being able to witness a super hot band perform for free at Central Park or Lincoln Center has to be one of the best perks of living in New York City.

6. We also get free movies.

We’ve even got variety. Some are played out on a huge screen or projector such as at McCarren Park. Others are held on rooftops at swanky hotels such as the Sanctuary Hotel.

7. Our tap water is pretty damn great.

I love drinking the tap water in New York and am always reminded how great the quality is when someone asks “Can I drink the water in New York?” More than 1 billion gallons of our fresh water comes from upstate reservoirs. It is safe, clean, and accessible. In many buildings and outdoors, you will find water fountains to drink from or fill up your water bottle.

8. We have our own wineries.

There is no need to fly out of state for wine and vineyard hopping when we have over 1,600 vineyards within our state. We can choose to visit wineries in the boroughs such as City Winery or Brooklyn Oenology Winery Tasting Room. Day or weekend getaways to wine trails include Long Island wineries, the Hudson wine trail, and the Finger Lakes. Sorry Napa, guess we will be staying in our home state to get wined up.

9. The Ice Cream Man drives around constantly.

Yes, his jingle may be a bit annoying but knowing that you can find ice cream easily for yourself or for your children is something that is not always available elsewhere. If you haven’t seen him yet, just head to any park. The options are ones we can’t get at all stores, such as the Firecracker.

10. Our graffiti is world class.

Even though graffiti is illegal in New York, I dare say we have the best graffiti in the world. These great art murals have livened up our streets and are great for photo taking. I stand beside the artists and cannot imagine New York without their contribution to the community.

11. Our access to the world continues to expand.

With multiple airports, train and bus stations, and ports, New Yorkers can decide how they want to travel. Our options are affordable and new routes continue being added on every year to help us travel more efficiently.

12. We have every sport accessible to us.

We can strap ourselves in and climb up a wall at Brooklyn Boulders. We can go surfing at Surfset Fitness. We can kayak for free on the Hudson and practically anything we want to do to workout, we can.

13. We get serious about our parades.

Floats, performers, and bar specials are only the beginning of our celebrating. New Yorkers take it to the next level. If there is a parade in Manhattan, the celebrations reach out miles away. We will fly our flags. We will drive our cars and blast our music. We will dress up and let the world know what an blast we are having. Whether it is for a holiday, such as Thanksgiving, or for a race, such as Puerto Rican Day, or for having pride, such as the Gay Pride Parade, our parades beat all.

14. You can get almost anything delivered to your home.

I’m one for doing my own grocery shopping but the help I get when I place a delivery cannot be beat. I’m not only talking Seamless, but being able to place orders for groceries from Freshdirect, or wine, beer, and liquor from Minibar Delivery. There are so many outlets open to us online and even my local delis are beginning to deliver sandwiches to me.

15. We can experience other cultures within New York.

It possible for me eat Indonesian food without going to Indonesia. It is possible for me to enter an authentic South American community in Queens. I can go see traditional Japanese dances, or eat fish and chips at the British bar, or get some amazing Halal food from the food truck on the street. In New York, we all come together and we can choose to experience any culture we want.