Acquaintances usually think I’m from NYC when I tell them that I’m from New York. Not all New Yorkers natives are from NYC. I grew up in Rockland County which is a 30-45 minute drive from the city. If you grew in Rockland, you definitely got to experience of suburban and city living. Here are 15 signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
People who live outside of NY are clueless about the towns in New York State. Most people from Rockland just say they’re from the city because explaining where you’re from will confuse people. Most important, people from the city just say you’re from Upstate because you didn’t live the city lifestyle. This is an obvious sign that you grew up in Rockland.
Living in Rockland means there was always the opportunity escape suburban living by going to NYC. Since we’re so close to the city, it usually takes 45 minutes to go to Manhattan and go back home when you’re tired. You can either take a train or drive and struggle to find parking.
Growing up in Rockland means you’ll be driving a lot! Majority of my friends got cars in high school, unlike the city there isn’t much reliable transportation other than the bus. You could take a taxi but expect to get scammed with prices! This is definitely a sign you grew up in Rockland. Check out these signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
Rockland has a large Caribbean community. Majority of your friends will either be Haitian, Jamaican, or Dominican. Living in Rockland does expose you to different cultures and the many personalities that come with that culture. Rockland is just as diverse as some boroughs in NYC.
Since Rockland is diverse, there’s a chance you’ll be able to understand other languages. As someone who’s trilingual, I’ve had friends ask me to teach them curse words or the basics. You’ll know if someone is talking shit about you, if you’re from Rockland. But people who speak multiple languages will still do it in your face, I’m guilty of doing that! This is a absolutely a sign you grew up in Rockland County. This is another one of the signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
New Yorkers from the city think that NYC is the “real” New York, but act like the lower New York State cities are another country. I personally laugh at that because there were plenty of people who moved or commuted to Rockland because we had a slightly better education district. Anyone from Rockland will acknowledge the fact they lived the suburban and city lifestyle because of its close proximity to the city. You never felt left out of the city trends.
Depending on the high school you attended there was a chance you wanted to transfer. Whether it was Valley or Ramapo, you wanted to transfer because of drama or looking to attend classes with your friends who went to the neighboring school. If you were a student athlete, the desire to transfer was to get exposure from college sports recruiters. This is another one of the signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
Rockland Bakery was the best thing to come out of Rockland. It’s the spot to get fresh bagels that just came out of the oven! Don’t get me started on that red velvet cake! If you worked out at the planet fitness 3 buildings away from the bakery, there’s a chance you went to load up on carbs after a workout.
Depending on your friend group in high school, there was a chance you’d sneak out of school during lunch hours. Some of the high schools in Rockland have a bus stop located right across the street. If you were friends with security guards, they would be lenient and let you get away with sneaking out. I snuck out of school but I knew people who did it because a limited edition clothing item or lipgloss was dropping and they were determined to buy it. This is also a sign that you grew up in Rockland.
Rockland sounds like a farm area but it’s actually pretty suburban. Depending on what part of Rockland you’re located, some houses will be around areas with a high frequency of deer and skunks. If you live in Nyack, you’ll experience a city suburb living because it resembles a mini Brooklyn filled with teenage hipsters and old people experiencing a midlife crisis. This is another one of the signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
Nanuet Diner is the oldest diner in Rockland. Expect it to be packed with families enjoying brunch after attending church or old friends catching up during brunch. They have the best pancakes! Although there’s an IHop literally 5 mins away, people usually pick the Nanuet Diner for breakfast.
If you were raised in Rockland before 2013, you remembered the Nanuet mall that struggled once Palisades Mall opened! It had the only Sears and promenade in town, you’d only go there to dodge large crowds and parking. Once they changed it to The Shops At Nanuet, the area has become crowded and filled with people from Jersey who are lazy to go to the city to shop for designer items. This is another one of the signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
Monsey pedestrians are BOLD! Majority of them are older people who are trying to cross the street to shop the latest shoprite sale or pick up some items from Walmart. Imagine having to dodge hitting animals and people! This is one of the cautious signs that you grew up in Rockland!
The Palisades Mall is the 4th biggest mall in America! People travel from other states to do their holiday shopping there. The wait time is around 2 hours just to find parking. People in NY are vicious so you will fight for parking. Just stay home and order everything on Amazon or shop a month ahead. This is another one of the signs you grew up in Rockland New York.
Regardless where you currently live, there’s a chance you’ll miss Rockland for some specific reasons. Whether its missing family or the memories of growing up, Rockland has shaped you into the person you are today. Yes I have many reasons why I dislike Rockland but its home at the end of the day!
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