14 Surprising Things You May Not Expect When Moving To New York
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Lea Monroe
Author
Everyone has their own stereotypical views of each state throughout the country, we can’t help it! There are just certain things we relate to some states more than we do others. For most people who have never called the Empire State their home, they think of things like New York City, Niagara Falls and our mouthwatering pizza when they dream about New York. But if you do plan on making the move to this amazing state of ours, there’s a handful of things you’ll want to know about before you really dig in your feet.
When it comes to outdoor attractions, New York's most popular ones usually involve a waterfall or two. But it isn't until you live in the Empire State that you start to digest just how many waterfalls there are here. From towering falls that attract crowds to small town gems you won't find on maps, there's so many to be seen.
The fans of New York teams in the sports world are nearly just as famous as the actual teams themselves. We've earned quite a reputation for ourselves. Whether you look to the stands of Yankee Stadium or the parking lots surrounding New Era Field where you can find us all tailgating, we're a prideful bunch.
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Some states may not care much about holidays like St. Patrick's Day. But in regions (specifically like Central New York) where you have large populations of residents with Irish roots, you can find us turning this holiday into a full day celebration. One of our favorite New York companies, Byrne Dairy pumps out their annual green milk for St. Patrick's Day that we just can't get enough of.
New York isn't quite like all the other states that you'll find up here in the northeast corner of the country. All of our regions are overflowing with character, and you might be surprised to see how many quirky destinations you can find outside of the colorful New York City.
New York's lack of eerie desert settings and abandoned ghost towns may result in it being at the bottom of your list when it comes to states that you think of for haunted attractions and paranormal activity. But don't let our friendly faces distract you from the fact that there is actually quite a laundry list of haunted and abandoned places that will spook you to your core!
Stanley Zimny (Thank You for 25 Million views)/Flickr
New Yorkers can understand more than anyone that with a state as large and unique as ours, it frequently feels as though each region is its own little state. Long Island and Western New York feel like different universes, while the same can be said for comparing almost every other region to each other in our state.
Depending on where exactly you live in New York, you can get to places like Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and even Ontario and Quebec in just a matter of hours. It's more exciting than you may think to have such wonderful neighbors!
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Just because you make the great decision to move to New York doesn't mean that you'll have all of its wonderful regions and attractions right at your finger tips. Oftentimes you'll find that it's quicker to travel to a different state or country than it is to make your way to another area of New York. Making your way from the top of New York all the way down to Long Island will take you nearly 8 hours, while driving across the state from the east to the west will usually take you about 5 hours.
If you're from another state in our country where you aren't familiar with potholes and have the advantage of having fancy reflectors decorating your roads, then buckle up, buster! You're in for a ride. New York's intense winters involve lots of salt and snow plows, tearing up our roads every year and doing a number on our tires every spring.
Don't be shocked if you move to the Empire State and find yourself having a moment where you've realized that you've experienced all four seasons in one day. New York's weather often can't make up it's mind, and it's always handy to have extra layers on hand.
Many people find themselves initially attracted to our state's big cities, but once you move here you might be surprised that you'll find yourself loving our small towns just as much if not more.
It isn't just our classics like our bagels, pizzas and wings that will meet your expectations, it's all of the delicious and spectacular restaurants that you'll find throughout New York that will leave your taste buds feeling complete.
If you thought New Yorkers were being dramatic and couldn't stand a bit of cold weather, think again! Our winters really can get quite intense. Areas like Central and Western New York tend to be hit with the worst amounts of snowfall throughout our coldest parts of the year, something you might not have the easiest time adjusting to.
Like I said, it's quite easy to find yourself attracted to New York. But most people won't fully understand all that our state has to offer and just how beautiful it truly is until they move here and get settled down. With a state this scenic, you're never going to want to stop exploring.
If you’re someone that wasn’t originally from New York, tell us what surprised you most about moving here! To feel more state pride, check out these 13 Things That Will Always Make New Yorkers Think Of Home!
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