“How can anyone not love New York?”
"How can anyone not love New York?" was said in the American teen drama television series Gossip Girl by the character Serena van der Woodsen (played by Blake Lively), on the episode…
“How far is it from midtown and how late is it open?” (existential New York question)
American actor, writer, director, comedian and playwright Woody Allen wrote in "Examining Psychic Phenomena" (The New Yorker magazine on October 7, 1972, reprinted in the 1975 bookWithout…
“How many donkeys are there in NYC?”/“Five burros.”
New York City had five boroughs. It's sometimes joked that New York has five burros. A restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens, called "5 Burro Cafe" opened in 1990. "The Five…
“How many New Yorkers does it take to change a light bulb?” (joke)
The "light bulb joke" has a New York City version: Q: How many New Yorkers does it take to change a light bulb?A: None of your business!A: Go fuck yourself! New York City versions of the…
“How sweet it is!” & Brooklyn street signs
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz began adding "Brooklynisms" to some street signs in his borough in 2002. The most famous is probably: "Leaving Brooklyn?…
“I bet Spider-Man could make a lot of money putting up Christmas lights in New York”
The fictional comic superhero Spider-Man climbs buildings and shoots his spider webs across New York City, but perhaps he could have a second career hanging Christmas lights? "Dear spiderman…
“I don’t date below 14th Street” (dating adage)
Below 14th Street in Manhattan (New York City) is Greenwich Village. "I don't date below 14th Street" is a New York City saying of uncertain origin. The song "Light My…
“I fell in love. His name is New York”
"I fell in love. His name is New York" is a New York City saying that has been printed on several images. "I'm so in love... and his name is New York" was posted on Twitter…
“I had to prove I was a citizen of New York, so I stabbed him” (joke)
New York City has a reputation as a violent place (or at least it had that reputation in the 1970s and 1980s). The comedian Emo Phillips told this joke on his album, E=MO² (1985): "New…
“I like cities, and New York is the only real city-city” (Truman Capote)
"New York is the only real city-city" is a saying that has been printed on many images. American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor Truman Capote (1924-1984) was interviewed by…
“I miss New York so much, sometimes I fill my humidifier with urine”
American actor and stand-up comedian Emo Phillips once lived and worked in New York City, and his act included a joke about the city's smell. "When I leave new york I get homesick, so i…
“I moved to New York for my health. I’m paranoid and my fears were justified”
Anita Weiss was credited in 1993 for having said: "I moved to New York City for my health. I'm paranoid and it was the only place where my fears were justified." The quotation has…
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” (Nathan Hale)
Nathan Hale is celebrated as America's first spy. He was hung by British forces in New York City on September 22, 1776, and various memorials in the city celebrate his story. His now-famous…
“I saw a bumper sticker that said ‘I miss New York,’ so I broke the window and stole the radio”
A bumper sticker joke was posted on Twitter on May 18, 2011: "I saw a bumper stcker that read 'I miss NY' so I broke their wndow & stole the radio, I like helping ppl feel like…
“I saw a robin redbreast in Central Park, but it turned out to be a sparrow with an exit wound”
Many people in Manhattan visit Central Park in the spring. David Letterman, host of the New York city-based late-night television talk show Late Show with David Letterman, said in March 2001:…
“I saw the acronym NYFW (New York Fashion Week) and read it as Not Yafe For Work”
"NYFW" (New York Fashion Week) shouldn't be confused with "NSFW" (Not Safe For Work), but people looking at it quickly sometimes make the wrong association. "New York…
“I saw your shirt. Who’s NY?” -Overly Attached Girlfriend
"I Love NY" is a slogan that has been printed on many shirts. A joke is: "'I saw your shirt. Who's NY?' -Overly Attached Girlfriend." "RT @Obsessive_GF: I…
“I spent a year in that town, one Sunday”
"I spent a year in that town, one Sunday" is what someone from a big city might say about a small town. The quote has been cited in print since at least 1937 and has been credited to…
“I survived the NYC earthquake” (April 5, 2024)
New York City doesn't have earthquakes often. On April 25, 2024, at 10:23 AM, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck New Jersey and was felt in New York City. Almost immediately, "I survived…
“I think New York has reached the point where it can finally be called York”
"I think New York has reached the point where it can finally be called York" is a jocular line that is similar to other lines used about other "new" places, including "New…