It’s safe to say that there’s no state quite like New York. We may have similar qualities to our surrounding states, but there’s something different about New York that once you visit here you’ll immediately understand. Proud of each and every quirk, here are 14 ways the Empire State is America’s black sheep and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

1. New York belongs in its own category.
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Our state border may be lined with New England states but we don't quite fit in with that region and we cant seem to relate to our Mid-Atlantic neighbors either. New York is just a black sheep walking to the beat of its own drum!
2. Our cities and towns don't have your average Plain Jane name's that will roll right off of your tongue nice and easy.
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From the tongue-twisters out on Long Island to the mouthfuls waiting for you in the Finger Lakes, these names don't come easy to out-of-state visitors. If you've ever looked at one of our local signs and thought it resembled a alphabet magnet-covered fridge that was just terrorized by a toddler trying to spell out its thoughts, we absolutely would not blame you.
3. We guess you could say that we run for the hills at the sight of a storm.
Jason Eppink/Flickr
And by storm we mean blizzard and by hills we mean literally any hill because we're 110% ready to go sledding no matter how cold it is. Other states may have get-togethers on their front decks as they watch tornadoes fly by, but we sit right by the front window with our cup of hot cocoa waiting until the time is just right to dive into the mounds of snow Mother Nature has graced us with.
4. Our state is an unusual one, filled with unique and various regions that feel like individual states of their own to us.
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With a state this size and so densely populated, it's easy to imagine all of the different lifestyles our regions lead. Western New York and Long Island to our North Country and the Catskills, not all of us have the same New York experiences!
5. We sometimes can be a bit anti-social, only wanting the company of fresh air and panoramic views from the mountaintop.
Geoffrey Williams/Flickr
6. And if you thought that our heinous amounts of snow would stop us from visiting our favorite places? Then you've underestimated this black sheep once again.
Jeff P/Flickr
We may be chanting for summer all winter long, but don't think that that stops us from having fun. No matter how freezing our temperatures get, we're almost always willing to bundle up for an adventure no matter what time of year it is.
7. Did you say black sheep? Because we think you meant Big Duck.
Paul C./Yelp
If you have no idea what we're referring to or don't recognize this gem of Flanders, New York, then we can only assume you live upstate or have never lived in our whimsical state.

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8. Say it with us now, all in harmony! New York does not mean New York City.
Travis Wise/Flickr
Roughly 99% of the Empire State feels like a black sheep when we speak to out-of-towners who are so quick to assume that when we say we're from New York we mean the Big Apple. Guess again my dear friend! There is much more to see here.
9. Call us what you will, but these jackets will never not have a place in our hearts and a hanger waiting for them in our closets.
Andy/Flickr
The North Face jacket addiction is real, so real in fact that we'll never stop wearing them...ever.
10. Speaking of extra layers... New Yorkers begin taking their winter attire out of storage before you can even finish saying telling us that it's only September.
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That is in fact if we ever put our winter clothes away at all. With all four seasons in New York, our weather tends to stay a bit wacky all throughout the year. Often leaving our residents with cars full of random extra layers that we always end up bringing with us "just in case".
11. It's okay to naturally feel scared of us. I mean, our state is so haunted we literally have legal documents to prove it.
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The Empire State isn't just filled with beautiful waterfalls and picturesque mountains, we're also home to a ton of haunted locations that will scare the socks right off of you. There's even a location that's so spooky, it's been declared legally haunted.
12. We have too many sports teams for our own good.
Keith Allison/Flickr
When it comes to football you'll hear almost all of our residents say that the Buffalo Bills are our only true New York team. But that doesn't meant that we still don't have the Jets and Giants repping our the Empire State!
13, No YOU have the accent!
Coast Guard News/Flickr
I don't know about you, but if I hang out with my Long Island family for too long I begin to sound like I'm from another planet. While not all of our residents have distinguishing accents, travel around outline of New York and go near our state borders and you may find an accent or two pop up!
14. An unhealthy relationship with a grocery store? You must be talking about someplace else.
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What exactly defines unhealthy? Because dreaming about Wegmans every night until you return for your next visit just sounds like a typical day in the life of a lucky New Yorker. There's no place like Wegmans, there's no place like Wegmans!

What’s your favorite thing about being a New Yorker? To enjoy another feel-good post, read about these 15 Undeniable Reasons Why New York Will Always Be Home!

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