I need New York Natives!

Hello, everyone! So as the title of this thread implies, I need people who have been to/live in the State of New York. (Or New York City, if possible!)

I am writing about a young teen who lives in NYC, but I've never been there myself. Can you tell me anything about your state/city? Things that people who have never been there might not know? What is the vibe there? Anything I should make sure to get right for it to believable? Basically, any information you can give me about my setting would be GREATLY appreciated! <3

(Sneaks in to stalk for examples of the big city atmosphere in general cause of street rat character…)

Honestly all I know from a friend who has passed through NY is that New Yorkees do not have the ridiculous accent we all think they have.

However, I can tell you that there are a TON of people in NY. You can't drive on the main streets, it's that busy. The blocks are super short and there's a lot of restaurants. But if you take one turn, you might find yourself smack dab in the middle of a fuckin ghetto.

My parents have gone, and the previous paragraph is what they have told me. We're getting ready to go to NY for my birthday in October, so if you still need help by then… well I'll have the info.

@The-Moral-Ambiguity-of-102-Protons That would be great, if you could. Thanks!

You're welcome! What do you specifically need to know?

@The-Moral-Ambiguity-of-102-Protons

I don't need too much information, since I've done a lot of research prior to making the thread, but there are a couple things I couldn't find too much information on. :)

• What are local customs like there? Is there anything that you noticed people did that made you think something along the lines of 'This person knows their way around here!' Or anything similar?

• Would you say there's a difference between the people who like to hang around in the mornings vs nighttime? How would you feel walking around at night/early morning? Does it feel safe or is there uneasiness going about?

• Would you choose to live there? Why or why not?

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it! I live in a small city, so I really couldn't even begin trying to imagine visiting (Let alone living in) the monster that is NYC! I apologize if these questions are funky or hard to decode. Please do not feel bad if you're unable to answer them! The cool thing about writing is that you're free to take some liberties. b-(uwu)-b

Alrighty! I'll write those down in a notebook of some sort I'll take with me prior of my trip. I might not be able to look too closely at the people for the traditions thing, (considering my eyes might be up the whole time!) but I'll try my best. Also, I will be going in October of this year, so you might have found someone who came from NY by that time. If you haven't, I'd absolutely love to help you out.

Nah, the questions are fine! I totally understand them.

Hi there! Born and raised in Central New York, but I can definitely tell you what I feel like could be helpful based on what I know. I have close family and friends in NYC, so I visit often enough to also have my own view on it if you're interested. As far as NYC goes…

• Local customs! There's a huge difference in customs between boroughs and even in the separate towns and villages in each borough. If you're looking to write in a particular area, I'd recommend looking up demographic information for that area, ie. if you're writing a character in Queens, but you'll be focusing more in the Kew Gardens or Astoria neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has their own history when it comes to immigrant stories, prominent religions or cultures, and the like.

• You can definitely tell someone knows their way around, in my opinion, if you can navigate the subway system and knows the street layouts. It's probably one of the hardest things I could imagine getting used to if I lived in NYC longterm, especially in the more heavily populated boroughs that rely on the subway. I don't think I can personally say what time is best to walk around, though, since I don't know the city that well.

• Would I live there? In a less populated borough or one with a little more merge between the suburbs and city, yeah. This is only because I'm more used to suburban/rural living, so it's a good way to have the exposure to the city, but not be surrounded by ultra tall buildings and noise all the time! NYC feels like it moves and lives 100mph faster than we do upstate, so it's a bit of an adjustment when visiting!

If you want, I can give some details on Upstate NY, too, but my knowledge would probably draw mostly from living in Central New York specifically or areas in the North Country. "Upstate NY" means different things to different people who live in the state, after all! :^)

@kipdidthat

Oh my gosh, all the information there is already a gold mine! If you'd be alright giving some details about upstate NY that would be phenomenal. Thank you so much! <3

Sure thing!! If you want, shoot me a PM and I’ll fill you in with whatever info you need that I can give! :)

As far as I know, Upstate New York can mean anything from outside of Manhattan to north of Albany.