You Know You’re From Binghamton When

From time to time while at area festivals, I've seen people buy a spiedie sandwich and then put ketchup on it. What the hell! My immediate assumption is that person is not from this area, and has no idea that for Binghamton area folks, it's meat cubes, marinade and bread...as it should be. Yes, there can be some additions, like cheese and/or mushrooms, but ketchup? No.

Yes we pee in Binghamton, but we don't have 'P' in Binghamton. I learned that the hard way when I first moved here. For people who are not from the area, they most likely add that dreaded 'P.'

My friends at the NYS DMV refer to this Route 17/I-81 curve as Prospect Mountain, and they are correct, but we Binghamton area residents love to call it Kamikaze Curve. Mention Kamikaze Curve to a non local and you'll get an odd and scared look!

Correct pronunciation is Endicott, as in En-Di-Cott just like it's spelled, right? If you're a local, you pronounce it En-Dee-Cott. Not sure why, but that's how I know the person is a true local, especially from Endeecott.

Binghamton area residents love a parade, and we have many, but the most popular is the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade. It's not even on St. Patrick's Day, rather the first Saturday in March when it's usually very cold and snowing. But we don't care. There are more marching units, floats and local organizations in this parade than any other. And we get to invite marching units from other New York and Pennsylvania cities, so it's a really cool and fun parade. Plus it brings out the students from Binghamton University so there are thousands of partying people converging on the Downtown Binghamton area for the day. Party on!