1. “Oh, you’re from Pennsylvania?”
We get it. There’s a town called West Chester in Pennsylvania. We’re a county. Westchester County. One of the richest counties in the United States. We have the classiest people living here, and not gonna lie, we’re just goddamn beautiful.
2. You get weird looks from people when you order a sandwich outside of Westchester.
We call ’em wedges. Grinders? Hoagies? Are you kidding me? They’re a wedge. Chicken parm on a wedge. Who says chicken parm on a grinder?
3. When people ask where you’re from, you say…
“Oh, I live just outside of NYC.” Follow up questions usually vary from: “Ah, Long Island?” or “New Jersey?” Never do they ask if you’re from Westchester. We’re the little-known best thing about New York state.
4. Pregaming was done on the Metro North.
Yeah, you can drink on the Metro North. If you didn’t know that, you know now. Drink up! But don’t puke, be obnoxious, or be loud (it’s hard, but try to keep it down) because with drinking comes responsibilities. That and conductors can call the police and they will kick your ass off the train. I’ve seen it happen (and it’s really embarrassing).
5. You have at least one friend that left the town’s school system to go to private school.
They ended up at Hackley, Masters or Ursuline.
6. You know where to get the best bagels.
Sunshine Bagels, you know I love you.
7. The Tappan Zee is the silk road to the Palisades Mall.
And laser tag.
8. Every single town has the “best sandwiches in town.”
- Ardsley – Starr’s
- Tarrytown – Wedged Inn
- Scarsdale –
Mona LisaLange’s - White Plains – Melt
- Dobbs Ferry – Scaperrottas Deli
- Yonkers – Gino’s
I’m sure there are more, so please let me know! (Update: Looks like people are really into where they get their sandwiches. Being that I lived on one of the rivertowns below the Tappan Zee, I haven’t had many opportunities to go Katonah or Chappaqua or Cortlandt to hang out or out far east — and honestly, who really hangs out in Edgemont ;) — so please, people, enlighten me with your local sandwich shops. I might just hit them all up one summer and rate them all.)
9. House parties? Check.
Drinking by the reservoir? Check. Drinking in the woods? Check. What the hell was wrong with us? But know that your years of drinking puts your alcohol tolerance well above the countless others that you may come across in life. And once you bring those new friends to Westchester to meet your hometown friends, they won’t be able to keep up with you and your Westchester buddies.
10. You went to the mall to kill time.
Whether it be the Palisades, Westchester Mall, or The Galleria, you and your group of friends wandered through its halls, laughing, eating ice cream, hanging out at food courts. (But you tried to avoid The Galleria as much as possible, because you didn’t want to get stabbed.)
11. Growing up, going to Playland was the best thing.
Remember Starship 2000? Or The Whip? And you can’t forget the Dragon Coaster!
12. You celebrated a birthday at Sportime USA.
And it was the most expensive, best birthday ever because you got tickets to buy things you’d lose in an hour.
13. You’ve been to a bar/bat mitzvah more than once.
And you’re not even Jewish.
14. When in doubt, Starbucks.
Everyone seems to go to Starbucks when there’s nothing to do. Caramel macchiato is the most popular choice of drink for those still in their transitory high school phase.
15. Someone you know plays tennis.
And they take weekly lessons.
16. Ice skating was the place to be on Friday nights.
Westchester Skating Academy. Need I say more?
17. Channel 12 was to go-to for snow closings
Thanks Joe Rao, Rob Eisenson, and Brysen Van Eck!
18. There was that one kid that dressed gangster…
…talked like a thug, but his family made over six figures and he drove a BMW to school. 
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