I'm aware you're from NY. You've mentioned it many times on here. Many.
I think some of your posts on NY sound cliché in a sense. Not trying to insult you in that but real NYers don't play with the cliches. They just act it if that makes sense. It's like it's ingrained in them enough that they don't usually talk like that in my experience. I don't know maybe it's because you're younger. My wife is just different in her mannerisms but you can tell she grew up in queens by the way she acts to certain things.
Just my observation. Don't take it as an insult because it's not meant that way. I don't think you're "whistling Dixie at all" I just think you're trying too hard to show everyone you're fromNYC. We know. It's a cool place. I get it. Been there many times and we have family there still. It's awesome to grow up there and it has many great things about it.
But even as my wife says, the world is bigger than just NY.