June 30, 2012

Part 4: The ultimate "You know you're from Long Island when . . ." list


The Natives hanging out at the North Village Green in 1961. Included are Bobby Lombardi, Tommy Byrne, Doug Duffy, Artie Reiersen, Ira Nerzig and George Vine.

Click on picture to enlarge

By Dan Chapman and Phil Ebel IV

From Hey Long Island... Do U Remember....?

151. You know what diners stay open all night long.

152. Theodore Roosevelt lived here.

153. You've walked along the beach from Robert Moses to Kismet.

154. You've been on both the North and South Shelter Island ferries.

155. You know Southampton is EAST of Westhampton and WEST of Easthampton because SOUTH is the Ocean.

156. You know several Yiddish words even if you are not Jewish.

157. You've been in a trailer or at the beach at Hither Hills.

158. If you haven't used the Spa at Guerney's, at least you know where Guerney's is.

159. You've people-watched at Ocean Beach.

160. You know Blue Oyster Cult and Soft White Underbelly were the same band.

161. You know that BROOKLYN is part of Long Island, even though Brooklynites think they're part of The City and everyone else is "Out on the Island".

162. You've driven from Bridgeport, Connecticut to your home faster than it would have taken to sit on line and take the Port Jefferson Ferry.

163. You know someone who (at least claims) to have gone to high school with Billy Joel, Lou Reed, Sienfeld or one of the Baldwins.

164. You called in, not out, when you were sick.

165. You Miss Crazy Eddie’s "IN-SANE".

166. You shopped at TSS, Models & Genovese Drugs long before there were K-Marts, WalMarts and CVS Drugs.

167. You went to “General Admission” concerts at the Commack Arena.

168. You shopped at Mays and Grants.

169. You have seen empty Billy Blake Stores but may never have seen one open.

170. You remember when 7-Eleven opened at 7 and closed at 11.

171. You know someone who went to Hicksville High School.

172. You know a jock who went to Hicksville High School.

173. You know how to catch a crab from the docks with a line a flashlight and a crab net.

174. You know what a "Buttered Roll" and a "Breakfast Special" is and get pissed when the waitress does not.

175. You know that "Shirley and The Mastics" is not a bar band!

176. You refer to anywhere west of Riverhead as "Up Island".

177. We look out the winda and sleep on a pilla.

178. You plan all your trips around the traffic on the LIE.

179. What the %uck is a "Freeway"?

180. You remember when 7-Elevens used to be staffed by Americans? Don't read the magazines! "Touch it, you buy it!"

181. You cut out of school, drove 90 miles per hour up River Road with the top down and spent the day at Short Beach or Little Africa.

182. At the bank you stand "on" line, not "in" line. (dead giveaway for spotting a NYer who thinks he/she lost their accent).

183. You NEVER EVER EVER EVER EEEVVVVEEERRRR put Mustard on a Hamburger!

184. You know where the "BULL" is.

185. We drink SODA, Not POP!

186. Asking for pizza, you just say "I'll have a 'Slice'", or "I'll have a 'slice wit......'"

187. If you ever went fishing on the Great South Bay, no matter what you were trying to catch, you caught at least one Sea-Robin (and freaked over the legs).

188. You know (hopefully) that Routes 107, 110, 111 and 112 only travel North & South.

189. You know better than to speed in Asharoken. Ever. Not even a couple of miles. You'd probably get a ticket for even THINKING of speeding!

190. Chickens ran around the Maine Maid Inn. Yes. Real chickens.

191. You roll your pizza before you eat it.

192. Cheddar cheese on pizza? Why? Why? Worse - Pineapple?

193. You miss walking around on a harbor dock and looking out on the water at sunset.

194. You know where the rocky beaches are and where the sandy beaches are.

195. You actually do remember "those days hanging out at the village green".

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Photo courtesy of Jackie Bernstein Karp