10 Terms I Learned After I Moved to NYC

What terms have learned since you move to NYC? {credit}

Whenever I travel or move to a new city, I make it a point to embrace the culture and learn the local slang as fast as possible. And like any region with a strong cultural identity, New York is home to a collection of words and phrases one only hears while living in or visiting NYC. Even though it took a while for me to hear everything on this list during casual conversation, eventually, each word became part of my vocabulary. These are the most popular words I learned since I moved to NYC.

Bodega – n. A local convenience store
Bodegas are like Starbucks in NYC. Locate the one nearest your apartment, and it’ll be your go-to stop for quick items like bottled beverages, magazines, and lottery tickets. Some bodegas even make amazing (and cheap) breakfast sandwiches. Don’t worry, if you see a cat sleeping on a loaf of bread in the back – it’s the store cat, and most likely belongs to the owner.

Every New Yorker needs a bodega? {credit}

Bridge-And-Tunnel – a. Term describing people who use bridges and tunnels to commute to Manhattan.
There’s some controversy as to whether “bridge-and-tunnel” refers to anyone outside Manhattan or only those in certain communities. Currently, the term is used most often towards people who live in New Jersey and Long Island. And in regards to nightlife, B&T typically alludes to frat boys and underage college kids trying to sneak into clubs with fake IDs. Example: “I don’t like partying in the Meatpacking District on weekends, because the crowd is all bridge-and-tunnel.”

Gentrification – n. The purchasing and renovating of buildings by middle or upper-class people, resulting in higher rent prices and the displacement of local families and businesses.
Obviously, I knew what this concept was. But until I moved to NYC, I didn’t know the exact term or that gentrification was such a big issue.

Grandma Pie – n.  According to the Serious Eats pizza blog, Slice, “…. a thin layer of dough is stretched into an oiled, square “Sicilian” pan, topped sparingly with shredded mozzarella, crushed uncooked canned tomatoes, chopped garlic and olive oil, and baked until the top bubbles and the bottom is crisp.”
I knew you could find this style of pizza in Rome, but when I moved here, “grandma pie” was definitely a new term for me. Honestly, I don’t care what anyone calls it – it’s the bomb dot com.

L&B Spumoni Gardens is supposed to make the best Grandma Pie in NYC. {credit}

Hot Garbage – n. A distinct smell that rises in certain pockets of NYC’s streets, particularly during the summer.
This phrase means nothing to anyone until they actually experience that signature aroma for themselves. Could this be why I love when autumn in New York arrives?

J.A.P. – n. Jewish American Princess – Stereotype that implies being spoiled, materialistic, and selfish.
I’ll chock this one up to being one of NYC’s many hilarious stereotypes. But if I met one in real life, I definitely wouldn’t want to be besties with her. Hint: There’s a reason why Bravo’s “Princesses: Long Island” only lasted one season.

The J.A.P. is one of NYC’s hilarious stereotypes. {credit}

Nuyorican – n. A Puerto Rican New Yorker
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.

Pocketbook – n. A purse
I always considered a pocketbook to be either a day planner, wallet, or some type of billfold. In New York, however, most people use the term when referring to their purse.

Schlep – v. To carry OR n. a tedious journey
This word has definitely become part of my regular vocab over the years. Example: “I love placing grocery orders on Fresh Direct, so I don’t have to schlep all those bags home from the store.”

Upstreaming – v. To hail a cab in front of someone who was trying to hail a cab first.
There’s another word for people who upstream in New York City – jerks. Upstreaming oozes with inconsideration, poor manners, and entitlement. Don’t do it.

Don’t be an upstreamer!

Posted on October 7, 2015