# Explain New York to an Angelina **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 10, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799 "2011-09-10T05:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/1 "2011-09-10T05:29:46Z")
So…I’ve never lived outside of Southern CA, and never been to NYC. What is it like there? I’m mostly interested in the small cultural differences that add up. From the movies, I’ve gotten the impression that, in New York: Everyone lives in really tiny really expensive apartments in super tall buildings (over 3 stories). Even in the nice buildings, there are bugs and mice. Nobody has a lawn, and hardly anyone has a car. A lot of people don’t have a driver’s license at all. People seem to get mugged all the time. (Mugging is when you’re a pedestrian and another pedestrian robs you, right? I’ve never been certain, exactly.) There are lots of Europeans-from-Europe and Puerto Ricans, but not as many Asians and hardly any Mexicans. Lots more people seem to smoke there. Schools have numbers (like P.S. 273) instead of names (like Luther Burbank Elementary). People talk a lot faster, move quicker, and get angry more easily. There is a bigger variety of street food. Street gangs are different somehow? Not sure about this one. Maybe more likely for white kids to be in them? Plays are considered more important and interesting than movies. I know a lot of this is stereotype and at least some of it is out of date, but it’s very interesting to me. I’d especially like to hear from people who have lived in both places for at least a few years. Note: It may be inevitable, but I would like if possible to avoid turning this into a “my-city-is-better-than-yours” thread. Different from =/= better than! ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/2 "2011-09-10T05:59:26Z")
There are a ton of Asians (I live in Flushing, which could double as Hong Kong in a cheapie chop-sockey action movie) and a hella lot of Hispanics. Quite a few Mexicans, but they’re not the overwhelming majority like they are in SoCal. Basically, people from everywhere. Never been mugged here, and haven’t seen many street gangs. White kids seem to be hipsters more than gang members. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/3 "2011-09-10T08:48:19Z")
I wouldn’t say that about plays and movies. It is true that NYC has a vibrant and varied theater community. Broadway is just the tip of the iceberg. ‘China Town’ down by Little Italy is growing. It’s true that schools have number names but they frequently have name names as well. I didn’t grow up here so I don’t really know the story behind that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/4 "2011-09-10T14:18:13Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > From the movies, I’ve gotten the impression that, in New York: > > Everyone lives in really tiny really expensive apartments in **super tall buildings (over 3 stories)**. (Bolding mine.) Hahahaha! That’s cute. 😃 > [@](#): > > Even in the nice buildings, there are bugs and mice. Yes. > [@](#): > > Nobody has a lawn, and hardly anyone has a car. As far as Manhattan goes, yes this is also true. > [@](#): > > A lot of people don’t have a driver’s license at all. I don’t, and I know others who don’t as well, but I think the majority of people still would, as many people have moved here from other places. > [@](#): > > People seem to get mugged all the time. No. Not anymore. Maybe back in the '70s and '80s, but NYC is currently the safest large city in the US. > [@](#): > > There are lots of Europeans-from-Europe and Puerto Ricans, but not as many Asians and hardly any Mexicans. There are many Asians & Mexicans here! > [@](#): > > Lots more people seem to smoke there. Hmm, I’d have to say no to this one, especially with all the smoking bans that are now in effect, including many outdoor ones. > [@](#): > > Schools have numbers (like P.S. 273) instead of names (like Luther Burbank Elementary). They have numbers but they have names as well. > [@](#): > > People talk a lot faster, move quicker, and get angry more easily. Yeah. > [@](#): > > There is a bigger variety of street food. Definitely yes on this one! > [@](#): > > Street gangs are different somehow? Not sure about this one. Maybe more likely for white kids to be in them? Our street gangs compete with each other through song & dance! > [@](#): > > Plays are considered more important and interesting than movies. Not really, no. We have a lot of theatre here, Broadway, Off-Broadway, and smaller theatre companies, but that kind of \*theatuh \*snobbery isn’t really around much anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/5 "2011-09-10T16:00:49Z")
Wow. I really hope you don’t think TV has any bearing on reality whatsoever. Please stop getting your ideas about anything in real life from what you see on TV (this is general advice, not just about NYC). ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/6 "2011-09-10T16:26:09Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > So…I’ve never lived outside of Southern CA, and never been to NYC. > > What is it like there? I’m mostly interested in the small cultural differences that add up. > > From the movies, I’ve gotten the impression that, in New York: > > Everyone lives in really tiny really expensive apartments in super tall buildings (over 3 stories). Even in the nice buildings, there are bugs and mice. ok, over 3 stories is Supertall? LOL! If that’s how you define it, yes it is true. Apartments in Manhattan tend to be small and expensive. There are 4 other boroughs though. Mice are rare. Bugs are not. Nice buildings have a regular extermination schedule, you sign up if you need it and its free. This is also true of all rent controlled buildings in NYC. > [@](#): > > Nobody has a lawn, and hardly anyone has a car. A lot of people don’t have a driver’s license at all. the lawn thing depends on where you live. Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens are more likely to have single family homes, or 4 story apartment buildings where the Garden apartment is an option. As for driving, True. 54% of NYC households own a car. In Manhattan only 22% of households own a car. > [@](#): > > People seem to get mugged all the time. (Mugging is when you’re a pedestrian and another pedestrian robs you, right? I’ve never been certain, exactly.) Totally untrue. NYC is the safest large city in the US by a large margin. > [@](#): > > There are lots of Europeans-from-Europe and Puerto Ricans, but not as many Asians and hardly any Mexicans. There’s plenty of everyone in NYC. The Puerto Ricans came in a huge influx in, I think the 50s, but are not a significant source of recent immigration. Same for Europeans. Not that many new ones coming anymore, except for former Soviet Bloc: Russia, Ukraine, etc. I think of Asians, there is more Korean and Vietnamese, less Japanese and Chinese. There are plenty of Asian immigrants. Dominicans and Haitians are significant immigrant groups, as well as latino Central Americans. Of Mexicans specifically, not so much. > [@](#): > > Lots more people seem to smoke there. Probably true > [@](#): > > Schools have numbers (like P.S. 273) instead of names (like Luther Burbank Elementary). The school have names, they just aren’t used. My elementary was William Penn Elementary school, better known as PS 321. > [@](#): > > People talk a lot faster, move quicker, and get angry more easily. Probably true, to talking faster and walking faster. BTW I read there is a sign language “NYC Accent” and part of it is signing much faster than normal. I don’t know about get angry more easily. It is more socially acceptable, and does not provoke a fight, to tell off someone in the street, flip them off, or just ignore them completely. > [@](#): > > There is a bigger variety of street food. Probably true: more people on the streets. Certain other US cities have a pretty good reputation for street food though. It’s not like NYC is the only one. > [@](#): > > Street gangs are different somehow? Not sure about this one. Maybe more likely for white kids to be in them? Street gangs are just not that common or a significant part of the NYC experience. I’m sure they exist. Most NYCers will never encounter a member of a gang or even know how to tell if someone is a member. > [@](#): > > Plays are considered more important and interesting than movies. Broadway is an important cultural focal point for the City but plays are not automatically more interesting than movies. They are more… “cultural” than movies, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/7 "2011-09-10T16:32:25Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Everyone lives in really tiny really expensive apartments in super tall buildings (over 3 stories). This is adorable. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/8 "2011-09-10T16:40:05Z")
What’s an Angelina? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/9 "2011-09-10T16:42:33Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What’s an Angelina? A female person from Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/10 "2011-09-10T16:45:18Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What’s an Angelina? Female, likely but not necessarily Latina, resident of Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/11 "2011-09-10T16:45:40Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > A female person from Los Angeles. Or the girl I had a crush on in 4th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/12 "2011-09-10T16:46:28Z")
Makes sense. I urban dictionary-ed it and got Jersey Shore references… ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/13 "2011-09-10T16:51:56Z")
New Yorkers enjoy standing in lines. (except that they call it standing _on_ line \*). It’s possible to meet native, lifelong New Yorkers who are fully functioning adults, but have never driven a car in their life. \*(is there anywhere else in the US where they use that phrase?) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/14 "2011-09-10T16:52:40Z")
BTW, to give you an idea of the most common immigrant groups in NYC, the “quasi-official” languages of NYC are: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Arabic and Haitian Creole. All official documents and signage and anything important related to city administration is offered in these 6 languages. However, I work for a city agency, and we have a real time translation service that translates into 40 languages. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/15 "2011-09-10T16:56:56Z")
“super tall buildings (over 3 stories).” > [@friedo](#): > > This is adorable. hey,…that’s a great example of the NY attitude. (seriously—no snark intended…you’re so used to living in high rise, that the idea of people living in buildings with less than 3 storeys is so unrealistic that it can only be cute and adorable. Like a fairy tale.) ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/16 "2011-09-10T17:04:17Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > New Yorkers enjoy standing in lines. (except that they call it standing _on_ line \*). > > It’s possible to meet native, lifelong New Yorkers who are fully functioning adults, but have never driven a car in their life. > > \*(is there anywhere else in the US where they use that phrase?) I don’t know about “enjoy” standing on line, but we sure are good at it. (Technology has made waiting for things a lot more fun, though.) I’ve never heard “on” line anywhere else, you’re right about that. I am a native New Yorker who got my license at age 28. Growing up, I knew exactly one family that owned a car. I had peers who took drivers ed in high school who had to take it again many years later because they never got any _practice_ driving even though they may have had a license. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/17 "2011-09-10T17:13:59Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > hey,…that’s a great example of the NY attitude. > (seriously—no snark intended…you’re so used to living in high rise, that the idea of people living in buildings with less than 3 storeys is so unrealistic that it can only be cute and adorable. Like a fairy tale.) No, all New Yorkers know that many people in the US - and even some in NYC - live in single family homes. It’s the idea that over three stories is “supertall” that is funny and cute. A 5 story apartment building, typical of apartments built in the 30s-60s, is considered a “low-rise.” It is your misconception of NYC that living in a single family home is “like a fairy tale.” They are common in the boroughs of Queens and Staten Island. In Brooklyn, 4 story rowhouses, known as “Brownstones” because that is a common building material, are quite common and extremely desireable. The West Village in Manhattan, is also a rowhouse neighborhood (although the buildings are more commonly built of brick than brownstone). The most recognizable image of a brownstone in popular culture is the house on The Cosby Show, it’s in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Chris Rock’s family, in “Everybody Hates Chris” also lives in a rowhouse in Brooklyn, set up in a familiar-to-New Yorkers configuration of a 2-story apartment (a “duplex”) used by the building’s owners, with a rental on the top floor. Actually, The Cobys also lived in a duplex, though the exterior shows 4 floors. They must have 2 rentals, though their tenants are never discussed. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/18 "2011-09-10T17:25:26Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > super tall buildings (over 3 stories) Are 4+ story buildings really that rare in LA? Even just for apartments? I grew up in a town where they were (if not unknown…I think the tallest apartment building in my hometown was 3 stories when I lived there…may be bigger ones, now, but I’ve never seen 'em when visiting), but where I live now (a mid-sized city), they’re not at all uncommon - 4 and 5 are very common, 6+ not as common, but there are areas where there’s clusters of them. (2 story apartment buildings, the actual apartments are usually 2 stories, more like townhouses that have common parking than anything else.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/19 "2011-09-10T17:35:46Z")
Outside of downtown, yeah. Out here we spread out rather than build up. If the rest are like me, we get oogy in tall buildings. Earthquakes, you know. New York built up because it’s constrained to dinky little islands. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799/20 "2011-09-10T17:39:57Z")
You’re safer in a skyscraper than a low-rise concrete building in an earthquake. Steel frame buildings are flexible; concrete breaks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-new-york-to-an-angelina/595799.md?page=2)