Sadly in life, not everyone is born into the magnificent luxury of living in New York. With many of our neighbors being originally from out of state, it’s always interesting to hear what people make note of first when they decide to make the big move here. Made up of fascinating places and unique residents, we’ve put together a list of things that you’ll quickly come to learn once you start calling the Empire State your home.

1. Each region in New York feels like its own world.
Kai Schreiber/Flickr
One of the most amazing things about living in New York is that each region offers its own attractions that are unlike any other in our state. Residents living out on Long Island vary from those who live up north in the Adirondacks, and people living out in Buffalo can't relate to those stationed in the Capital District. Every region is different and we love it that way!
2. There's so much more to the Empire State than New York City.
Anthony Quintano/Flickr
There's no denying the appeal that the Big Apple offers, drawing in endless visitors each and every year. But for those of us who call New York home, we know that there's so much more that our state has to offer than what you'll find in this tiny corner.
3. Yet when you tell people you've moved to New York, they'll always assume you mean New York City.
John Cunniff/Flickr
Personally speaking, there's never been a time when I was sitting on a plane and told the passenger next to me that I was from New York without having the following statement that came out of their mouth be "New York City?". It will become your greatest pet peeve once you move here.
4. Our state is every true adventurer's paradise.
Peter/Flickr
Insanely gorgeous mountains, unbelievable hiking trails and serene forests will win your heart over if you love exploring. New York is like one large backyard that's perfect to play in and explore. So if you love spending your time outside, seeing all there is to see, you'll love it here.
5. New York is quite haunted.
Stuart McAlpine/Flickr
Something most people won't realize until they move here is that all over New York you can find abandoned places and haunted locations that will make your skin crawl. From deserted insane asylums to forgotten subway systems, our state knows how to get spooky!
6. Fascinating pieces of history can be found everywhere you turn.
Ryan Hyde/Flickr
Rich with history, New York has an assortment of well-preserved locations that help keep the roots of our regions alive. From intriguing museums to charming historical homes, there's a wide variety of ways that you can dive into our state's history.
7. Making the trip out to our famous waterfront destinations is always worth the effort.
Erik Anestad/Flickr
Breathtaking destinations like the 1000 Islands or Long Island can be a bit of a trip to get to for the majority of our residents. But once you get there? You won't regret the time or effort it took to reach these getaways. There's nothing like them!
8. Our small towns are the heart of our state.
Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr
If you're looking to explore what many consider to be the real New York, then take a step inside one of our many charming small towns.
9. We're home to some of the most beautiful parks that you'll ever explore.
DisneyPrincess1418/TripAdvisor
From legendary locations like our Adirondack Park to local state parks that you'll wish you knew about sooner, there's always a secluded area worth adventuring to in New York.
10. No matter which state you originally hailed from, new residents will learn that New York's pizza is simply better than anywhere else. And the same can be said for our wings and bagels!
m01229/Flickr
The list of "our food is better than yours" could go on for quite awhile when it comes to our state's finest delicacies. But to be specific, it's our pizza, bagels and wings that will have your stomach pleased you made the move to New York.

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11. We love going all out for the holidays.
Anthony Quintano/Flickr
From Halloween to St. Patrick's Day, there isn't a holiday in New York that we don't love going all out for. We love having an excuse to be festive!
12. No matter what sport, we go hard when it comes to supporting our state teams.
Brandon Weight/Flickr
From local teams to the major leagues, we love cheering on our home state! It's just one of the many things that we do best.
13. You can find waterfalls hiding in plain sight all over the state.
Rohit Ravindran/Flickr
If you're unfamiliar with the vast collection of waterfalls that can be found in New York, then one of the first things you'll want to do is to go chasing them!
14. We have all four seasons and winter is undoubtedly the longest of them all.
Anthony Quintano/Flickr
It's definitely nice to live in the Northeast where we get a taste of all four seasons, but don't kid yourself into thinking that they're all evenly divided. Winter likes to arrive and go whenever it pleases, making surprise appearances all throughout the year.
15. You'll come to love summers in the Empire State, but will quickly realize that things get a bit humid around here.
Guian Bolisay/Flickr
Summer on the East Coast feels much different that summer on the West Coast... or anywhere really! So grab a fan and enjoy the sun while it's here because once winter come's you'll be begging for this humidity.
16. And as much as we appreciate the invitation to your backyard fiesta, we much prefer cooling off in natural bodies of water.
stillwellmike/Flickr
Dearest friends, we love your manmade pools! But there's no comparing what you have to the unbelievable swimming spots that we have hiding all around our state.
17. Because the weather can change at any moment, you'll learn to keep a spare hoodie lying around.
Nate Grigg/Flickr
Whether we keep a spare in the car or just know to bring one with us on adventures, New York's unpredictable weather means that you'll learn to carry an extra layer with you no matter what season it is.
18. Sooner or later you'll learn what it means to deal with New York taxes.
401(K) 2012/Flickr
Get use to taking out-of-town day trips to our neighboring states that won't tax you for everything while you're shopping, that's what our residents do!
19. The Empire State is much more whimsical than you had previously imagined.
Sharon_zz/TripAdvisor
From themed restaurants that will charm the socks right off of you to unusual locations that will have your head turning twice, our state has more personality shining through than you may have thought.
20. You'll find out that there's no need to spend money on bottled water, what comes out of your tap is all you'll need!
Emily/Flickr
New York has such great water that even you'll be able to pour yourself a glass straight from your kitchen faucet!
21. Once you arrive, you'll never want to leave.
Kyle Taylor/Flickr
New transplants will never want to leave New York once they settle in and learn to call this place home! Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker.

Are you a New York transplant? Is there anything that you would add to this list? If you’re looking to move to our state, then you’ll want to make sure you read about these 11 Reasons Why Small Town New York Is Actually The Best Place To Grow Up!

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