New York slang is a mash-up of subway stops, deli code, and geography debates that start with “what counts as Upstate?” and end with someone drawing a map on a napkin. If these feel obvious, you didn’t just visit—you’ve folded a slice on a windy corner and argued whether the Tapp will ever stop being the Tappan Zee.
The City
Always means New York City. If you’re anywhere in the state and say “going to the City,” no one asks which one.
Upstate
Everything north of wherever the speaker lives (hotly debated). Westchester folks mean Putnam; Buffalo laughs quietly.
The Island / Out East
Long Island (Nassau & Suffolk); “Out East” means the Hamptons/Montauk direction.
The Thruway
The New York State Thruway (I-87/I-90). “On the Thruway” = set your cruise and your expectations…