The Best Transportation Tips To Blend In Like A Local On Your Trip To New York City

Whenever you visit a new place, locals will likely recognize you as a tourist. Multiple tells will give you away, including how you dress, staring at your phone directions, not skipping the tourist traps in Times Square, and struggling to maneuver through public transit. Little will reveal your out-of-towner status in a place like New York City than clumsily attempting to board a crowded train car. But what difference does it make if you don't understand public transportation?

It might matter a lot — perhaps not in the grand scheme of your vacation, but in helping you blend in rather than sticking out as a tourist (and an obvious mark for pickpockets). NYC has one of the world's largest (and oldest) public transit systems, and millions of people utilize it every day. The subway system has 472 train stations, which you might find intimidating if you don't take the train regularly. Plus, tourists will likely traverse some of the busiest stops, such as Times Sq-42 St.

Don't let the vastness of NYC frighten you, though! The fascinating city is far too magnificent to brush aside so easily. Instead, learn to navigate the Big Apple like a New Yorker. Who knows, maybe someone will even ask you for directions to Herald Square or a list of the best celebrity-spotting locations.

Aside from knowing how to get to your destination, navigating a new transportation system can be tricky, especially with unspoken rules for behavior. Even if you don't have a firm grasp on subway etiquette, a little will take you a long way. Many big city public transit users will quickly identify their two biggest pet peeves: passengers who don't let people get off the train before boarding and those who take up seat space with their belongings. These two grievances alone will indicate that you're in from out of town, not a good transit user, or both.

Arrive in New York City prepared for your best shot at blending in. You know the stereotype that New Yorkers are always in a hurry? Well, this concept may have gotten its start in the subway system. The biggest red flag? Approaching the turnstile without an easy way to pay for your passage. Before you arrive at this crucial step, purchase and load a MetroCard so you can quickly get through the entrance and not create a traffic jam.

Best of all, you don't even need a physical card. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has an optional contactless payment system set up in the train stations. That means you can skip the MetroCard altogether and tap to pay as you would anywhere else. Put those train skills to the test to get to this underrated NYC neighborhood!

Remember the scenes in "Sex and the City" when Carrie walks down the center of an empty NYC street? Maybe don't try to follow in her footsteps. However, as you'll probably notice right away, New Yorkers aren't afraid to go for it when they need to cross the road. Sure, the city has plenty of crosswalks, yet jaywalking is as common as hot dog stands. While jaywalking technically breaks the law, it's an old hat for locals who engage in the shortcut even at crosswalks. "No one cares if you jaywalk, so don't worry about running into the law. But do worry about crazy drivers who won't yield to you automatically. Most people cross at the cross walk, but often against the light," explained one Redditor.

Others in the thread about jaywalking in NYC echoed that drivers, not the threat of getting a ticket, posed the greatest risk to jaywalkers. If you choose to engage in the local custom, even against a light, it's better to do so with a crowd; the Redditors largely agreed. That's because accidents happen. In fact, according to Forbes, thousands of car accidents involving pedestrians occurred in 2022 in NYC, resulting in over 100 deaths. Even when trying to fit in with the bustling New Yorkers, always exercise caution.