In about a month from today, I will have been a resident of New York City for four years. Soon I will have lived in New York for longer than I was in college and it has certainly been a learning experience like no other. I’m seriously considering writing a book. As I continue to grow into a woman about Manhattan, I’ve learned to embrace the challenges (i.e. rent, finding a job, saving money, etc.) and make the most of the fun including Sunday Brunch, Central Park, Fashion Week, and random celebrity sightings. Seeing that so many others can relate to my New York experience, here are 10 signs you’ve become a true New York girl set to make it in the Big Apple.

10. You don’t drive. You prefer to be driven.

9. The HBO series, Girls, hits far too close to home, as does Sex and the City. Sadly, however, your life is nothing like Gossip Girl.

8. You don’t have the time, desire, or proper facilities to cook an actual meal so you mostly eat at restaurants or order delivery.

7. You have a pair of heels that you bought on an impulse and cost more than a month’s rent. Even though you rarely wear them, they are your pride and joy.

6. Starbucks is an essential food group.

5. Tourists annoy you more than anything, but once in a great while, they amuse you.

4. You’re serious about your career, but you’re in no hurry to grow up and settle down. In fact, you’d rather not.

3. Sunday brunch is a sacred occasion. Anything less than at least two hours of unlimited mimosas is completely unacceptable.

2. You spend most of your money on rent and the rest at sample sales and on coffee.

1. You have a resilient spirit that refuses to take no for an answer. Without it, you’d never survive New York.

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