A Long Island forward...ah memories.

[java]

You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the
world, but you almost
never go there.

When you're away from Long Island, you love it; and
when you're there, you
don't.

You think if you're not from Long Island or NYC,
you're not really from New
York

You know the exact point at which Queens turns into
Nassau simply on
intuition.

You don't go to Manhattan, you go to "The City".

You never realize you have an accent till you leave.

Everything north of the Bronx is "upstate"; and New
Jersey simply sucks!

At some point in your life you've gone clamming.

Either your parents or your grandparents lived in
the city.

You'd pay $11.50 for a movie.

You know we don't live in Long Island; we live ON
Long Island

Your future might involve the state of Florida.

You can correctly pronounce places like Ronkonkoma,
Hauppauge, Wantagh,
Mineola, Islandia, Massapequa, and Copiague.

You know the location of 6 malls, a dozen McDonalds
and 36 7-11's.

You never, ever want to "change at Jamaica ..."

You've tried to find the Amityville Horror house.

No, you don't want mustard on that burger!!

You can't understand why a diner would ever close.

You've had a seagull crap on your car.

You have (or someone you know has) fallen asleep on
the LIRR and ended up in
one of these three places; Babylon, Port Washington
or Hicksville.

You know White Castle is terrible for you and the
food sucks but you
periodically "Get the Crave".

You want the Yankees to stay in the Bronx, but would
probably go to more
games if they moved to Manhattan.

You think that somehow, the Jets and Giants still
play in New York.

You've missed the scheduled Drunk Train- the 2:42am
out of Penn- and have
had the dreaded wait until the 5:30am.

You or some one you know has owned an animal that
came from North Shore
Animal League.

Quick! Who's your County Executive? Don't know do
you?!

You've never taken an MTA bus. For that matter, city
public transportation
is a mystery.

The Long Island Expressway isn't really as bad as
everybody thinks.

You don't associate Fire Island with gay men.

You know which parts of "The Godfather" were filmed
on Long Island.

You think Islip MacArthur airport is cute and you
enjoy watching it grow up.

Billy Joel said it best, "either you date a rich
girl from The North Shore,
or a cool girl from the South Shore ".

You don't really see the big deal about the
Hamptons.



When people ask "where are you from?" you answer
'Lawn Guyland' and
automatically assume everyone in the world knows
that answer means New York!

You've always liked Billy Joel and you own several
of his "records."

The Belt Parkway sucks! You've been stuck in a
traffic jam for more than 2
hours (without moving).

Your parents took you to All American, Nathan's or
Carvel (on the way home
from the beach).

Regular gas - $3.29 and you still pay it!!!

You hate paying tolls.

You don't have to go far to see your family.

You remember Grumman.

You know the color of the water at Jones Beach is
not BLUE!

You were upset when the Roy Rogers turned into
Wendy's!


You can spout off all the LIRR stops between Penn
Station and Huntington.

Paying $35 for a haircut doesn't surprise you.

You think the people from Brooklyn are "da wunz dat
tawk wit a accent."

You went sledding in the sumps.

You knew of Massapequa before the Amy Fisher-Joey
Buttafuoco nightmare.

The first time you heard the term "Long Island Iced
Tea" you were somewhere
else and you laughed.

When you visit somewhere else and are astounded to
see that people actually
stop at yellow lights.

You just sort of presume that wherever you live,
you'll be able to find good
delis, good pizza, and good bagels.

You can name at least three bands that came from
Long Island.

When you walk in the city and you see two men
holding hands it doesn't faze
you.

No word ends in an ER, just "AH".

 

[Jaclynfett]

Funny! Never gone clamming but I relate to just about everything else.

What town are you in Java? I'm in Levittown.

 

[java]

Levittown!!! I spent many many nights at that levittown movie theater.
I am in NJ now- but I grew up in Massapequa- and lived in Amityville for about a year then Garden City for 8 years.
This time of year I really miss being there- spent everyday at Tobay. We would ride bikes to the beach all summer. I think it had to be about 10 miles? No wonder I was skinny then.
We are going back for a Graduation in a couple weeks and my dh only cares about one thing....Are we going to get to go to All American?

 

[MinnieFan]

Love this! I can relate to almost all of it, except for the clamming - oh, and we didn't have to look for the Amityville Horror house because DH's aunt lives right down the street.

 

[Mishetta]

Well, being that I lived on Long Island for several years (after moving there from Brooklyn), I can also relate to just about everything....except the Grumman. I remember Northrop (since I worked for them when I lived in CA) & had never heard of Grumman till they merged. I do miss the pizza & the bagels there. Nothing like 'em anywhere else! Now I'm in MI but who knows where we'll end up next. I have a cousin in Massapequa.

Also, small world but I connected with a woman who lives in Centereach on a Bon Jovi forum. That's where I lived. So I gave her my old address & she drove by & took pics of my old home & e-mailed them to me!! I cried! My Dad built that house so it had some pretty fine memories for me.

 

[mrsltg]

I grew up in Merrick and escaped 10 years ago..... I still go back to visit family and always stop for a black & white at the local bakery. That's the only thing I get nostalgic for!

 

[NYPOOH]

I can definitely relate to this too!! Well except the clamming part.

 

[java]

Clamming must have been a south shore thing. I went once. Not my kind of thing at all. I was more a sunning girl vs. a clamming girl.

 

[ziggystardust]

I'm orginally from Merrick. Moving to Long Beach soon.

Clamming no - but know plenty of people that have. Everything on that list is very very true.

I'm up for All American. Who's gonna make a run?

 

[mackeysmom]

Hi -

I'm from Franklin Square - but my sister lives in Massapequa - about 10 houses away from All American!!!

Who's up for a Double Double??

-- Laura

 

[DISUNC]

 

[cybrkitn]

Well, being that I lived on Long Island for several years (after moving there from Brooklyn), I can also relate to just about everything....except the Grumman. I remember Northrop (since I worked for them when I lived in CA) & had never heard of Grumman till they merged. I do miss the pizza & the bagels there. Nothing like 'em anywhere else! Now I'm in MI but who knows where we'll end up next. I have a cousin in Massapequa.

Also, small world but I connected with a woman who lives in Centereach on a Bon Jovi forum. That's where I lived. So I gave her my old address & she drove by & took pics of my old home & e-mailed them to me!! I cried! My Dad built that house so it had some pretty fine memories for me.

I'm just the opposite! I remember Grumman prior to the merger with Northrop and I work for the company! Anyone from LI go to the Grumman picnics back in the day when they used to have them? I did with my friends whose grandfather worked for Grumman at the time. All the hot dogs and ice cream you could eat! Us kids were in heaven! They even had rides and a few competitions like boxing.


Java, so many things you have said are so true ! Especially the line about the accent. I just came back from visiting Rochester over the weekend and everyone practically knew my friend and I were from downstate b/c of our heavy LI accent. Although my friend's accent is much heavier than mine

As far as County Executive, Steve Levy's name immediately came to mind

 

[kerrynic78]

Originally from LI (East End) and we would go clamming all the time!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I'm just the opposite! I remember Grumman prior to the merger with Northrop and I work for the company! Anyone from LI go to the Grumman picnics back in the day when they used to have them? I did with my friends whose grandfather worked for Grumman at the time. All the hot dogs and ice cream you could eat! Us kids were in heaven! They even had rides and a few competitions like boxing.

I went to them all the time as a kid! They were so much fun. And btw, Grumman is still here, just not as big.

I've never been clamming. I've only gone out for fluke.

I thought everyone knew where the Amityville horror house is. It is pretty easy to find.

Another thing I've been realizing recently is that I can repeat the morning rush hour and afternoon rush hour traffic before they even do. "LIE slow by exit 55...Southern State slow by exit 18..."

 

[castleview]

Lived in Levittown as a child. Did just about everything on the list except try and get to the Amityville Horror house...too much traffic! I remember Roy Rogers - heck, I remember Jolly Rogers! Don't get to go very much now since most of my family has left and my farmboy DH just doesn't get the allure of Long Island.

 

[cybrkitn]

I went to them all the time as a kid! They were so much fun. And btw, Grumman is still here, just not as big.

I went to the Calverton site a couple of years ago and the buildings they had for the picnics are still there.

Another thing I've been realizing recently is that I can repeat the morning rush hour and afternoon rush hour traffic before they even do. "LIE slow by exit 55...Southern State slow by exit 18..."

How 'bout, "Long Island Railroad running on or close to schedule."
Usually when I hear the same delays on the traffic reports I'm always saying to myself, "So what else is new. There are always delays there!"

 

[Poohnatic]

I can relate, I had a link to that on my blog for a while. Born in Franklin Square, grew up in Merrick. Hubby's from "Matzoh Pizza".

We met working in a gas station where everyone came by on Friday nights to get directions to the Amityville Horror House. It was lots of fun to send them on a wild goose chase down the wrong channels!

http://www.blogthings.com/hownycareyouquiz/

it's funny. I'm 68% NYC, which means I'm probably from LI.


Suzanne

 

[amy4bruce]

I live in Pittsburgh now, but I grew up in New Hyde Park (just over the border from the city - the lighting changes).

Nevermind All American or Roy Rogers - remember Wetsons? Or Jahns?

I was back two years ago for my parents' funeral (both killed in a car accident). Everything changed, but nothing really did.

 

[java]

I live in Pittsburgh now, but I grew up in New Hyde Park (just over the border from the city - the lighting changes).

Nevermind All American or Roy Rogers - remember Wetsons? Or Jahns?

I was back two years ago for my parents' funeral (both killed in a car accident). Everything changed, but nothing really did.

so sorry about your parents. and everytime we go back I feel like we are stepping back in time.
A Carvel story.

There was a Carvel right next to All American. My brother was the kid that drove through the Carvel. Anyone remember that one? Not the big one where people were killed. The little one where he took out the entire front of the store!

Oh and I am 84% NYC! Who knew?
I was rolling laughing about Staten Island!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I went to the Calverton site a couple of years ago and the buildings they had for the picnics are still there.

Isn't it kind of sad? All that land just sitting there. I know I heard maybe a year or so ago they were looking to put a golf course there. Then I heard a community. I haven't heard anything since though. They did put up an F-14 and another plane on display. (I can't for the life of me remember the other plane.)

How 'bout, "Long Island Railroad running on or close to schedule."
Usually when I hear the same delays on the traffic reports I'm always saying to myself, "So what else is new. There are always delays there!"

I say the same thing! I think its funny that the channel 7 morning news boasts they have the traffic announced every 7 minutes. What's the point? Other than an accident, the traffic is the same everyday. LI'ers know it already.