Things Only People In Big Cities Say Slideshow
Sure, you can't have a big, old fluffy dog in your tiny studio apartment, but you do have Seamless and endless ways to get from place to place (which is important, since you probably don't have a car or driver's license). So call an Uber and get ready to hear these 20 phrases... only in the big city, of course.
“Can you believe how little it costs to live in [insert small town here]?”
If you're a city transplant, looking at the cost of renting an apartment (or buying a house) will severely make you question your life choices. So looking at apartments in your hometown as a pastime is a little torturous, but it makes for good conversation.
“How was your commute?”
Unlike most of the country, people living in big cities often rely on public transportation for their daily commute. As anyone who relies on this knows, public transportation lends itself to breakdowns, delays, and cancellations (not to mention people eating smelly food and sticking up the car). Talking about your nightmarish trip to work is all you can do about it.
“I don’t have a license.”
When you walk everywhere or take cabs and public transportation, you can get by without a driver's license really easily. For people who grew up in big cities, not getting your license until your twenties or thirties is actually pretty normal.
“I want a dog, but I don’t have the space.”
Living in one-bedroom apartments and studio spaces doesn't make for an ideal living situation for a dog; at most you can hang out with a cat. Whenever you see someone walking around the park with a basset hound, you can't help but wonder what palace they must live in.
“It’s only a mile and a half away; let’s walk.”
People in big cities are used to walking long distances, thanks to plentiful sidewalks and the aforementioned unreliable public transportation. Distances that are insurmountable to suburbanites are nothing to city folk.
“Let’s call an Uber.”
Uber (and Lyft) are integral to traveling longer distances in the city. It's like hailing a cab, except you barely have to talk to anyone.
“Let’s take the bus.”
Uber is convenient, but for people who buy an unlimited transportation pass, paying money to get across town is a complete and total waste. Thus, the mass transportation debate begins.
“Let’s hail a cab.”
Forget Uber and the bus, some people only believe you're a true city dweller if you take a classic, old-school cab. Put those arms up and hope you get a driver's attention. And who knows? He may be a good Samaritan.
“Let’s take the train.”
Ubers and cabs are pricey, and traffic is too insane for the bus. Can't you just take the metro/subway/tube?
“No, I have not met [insert famous person here].”
Family members and friends who live in smaller cities, suburbs, and the country have to believe you're constantly kicking it with the rich and famous. They do all live in New York and LA after all! But, no, you haven't gotten drunk with Taylor Swift. You did, however, see a B-list actor at Shake Shack once. You were just too busy and tired to care.
“No, I haven’t been to [insert major tourist attraction here].”
The Statue of Liberty, Griffith Observatory, and Shedd Aquarium are all amazing places to visit... you guess. You wouldn't know. You haven't been yet and aren't that interested in going.
*Nothing*
In the big city, you don't really know your neighbor and you don't necessarily care to. And you certainly aren't going to wave to others in the park or make eye contact on the bus. You never know — anyone you encounter could be a crazy person.
“Order dinner from Seamless.”
Seamless is a wonderful online food ordering service that allows you to order food from takeout restaurants in your area on your cell phone or laptop. But since it's only available in 12 major cities worldwide, this phrase is a total wonder to people outside of major metropolitan areas.
“Swipe me?”
When your MetroCard or bus pass is just a little short on fare, you can trust a nearby friend (or maybe even stranger) to help you out... you just have to be bothered enough to actually talk to someone.
“The neighborhood is really changing.”
Gentrification is real, and it happens fast. You can go on vacation, and the next thing you know, construction on a 12-story luxury condo building has started on your block.
“This [hip, trendy spot] used to be a [cooler local spot].”
That juice bar used to be a dive bar. That avocado restaurant used to serve nothing but jerk chicken. Old-timers will always insist that the neighborhood used to be way better, and maybe it was.
“Ugh, hipsters.”
You know hipsters... those crazy millennials dressed in mis-matched clothes who are artists or something? Even if you are a hipster, every city-dweller dreads these head-in-the-clouds "artists" who somehow afford $3,000 a month in rent.
“Ugh, tourists.”
Sure, everyone wants a taste of the city life. But residents don't necessarily love when tourists flood into town and bump into them because their heads are pointed upward. It's only worse when they stop in the middle of the sidewalk to take a photo.
“Want to rent a car this weekend?”
If you have a driver's license, you probably don't own a car in the city. If you want to get out of town and maybe, I don't know, see a forest or something to clear your head, you have to fork over some cash and rent a car.
“What’s your rent?”
In many places, it's rude to ask how much someone pays in their bills every month. Not in the city. Inevitably whenever this question is asked, someone will pop in with their friend who lives in an insanely large, rent-controlled apartment in a pricey neighborhood for, like, $500 a month.