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50 Conversations People Overheard In New York That Are So Wild People Just Had To Share (New Pics)
"Most cities are nouns. New York is a verb." This quote is often attributed to John F. Kennedy, but even if he didn't say it, it still rings true today. New York is one of the world's most diverse cities, with a population of over eight million people and each one of them is a character all their own.
If you don't believe it, just check out the things Instagram page Overheard New York shares on their page. It's an ever-growing collection of conversation snippets people have overheard from actual New Yorkers. So, if you're curious, scroll down and see the wildest things people in The Big Apple talk about.
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#2
The Overheard (OH) project shares conversations from urbanites who live in other big U.S. cities, not just New York. Although The Overheard New York page is the most popular with 1.7M fans (followed closely by Overheard LA with 1.6M), their eavesdroppers operate in five altogether. The other U.S. cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin.
Surprisingly, the franchise also crossed the Atlantic ocean and serves some British humor on the Overheard London page. There's also the Overheard University page, where people share the convos that can only happen in college and university halls and dorms. And if that's not enough for you, you can check out their page that also documents the funniest and most absurd dating mishaps, Overheard Dating.
But wait, are these actual conversations that people have overheard someone having in one of the cities? We know some of these conversation snippets are so ridiculous it might be hard to believe they're true. The creators of OH don't really give a straight answer, only writing, "Yes, you cynical monster" in their website FAQ section.
Interestingly, the New York account wasn't the one that started the whole franchise. In 2015, LA resident Jesse Margolis created the Overheard LA account after witnessing a ridiculous conversation at Erewhon on Beverly Boulevard. "I wasn't part of the Instagram culture, and I didn't even really know what an influencer was," Margolis told LA Times in 2018. "But I knew this was a cool thing, a reflection of me making fun of the city I love."
In an interview for the New York Times, Jesse said that the Overheard team doesn't exactly have a vetting system. "We aren't journalists — we basically do our best. I think half of the overheard stuff is legit overheard strangers. I think a lot of it is like a group of five friends drinking and talking. And someone spontaneously says something funny and the friends send it in."
#10
The creator of OH Margolis doesn't really want the fame that comes along with owning such a franchise. Until today, there's not much information online about him, except that he was a casting director for documentaries and reality TV shows in LA. "I think assigning an ego and a personality to the brand just diminishes it. It's just a much bigger idea if it's not about a person."
#13
BeesEelsAndPups 4 months ago
I mean, maybe his dad is a VP at a trading company or his mom is a major real estate investor. I know a 25 year old who has his own apartment in the Upper West Side. It costs $6000/month, but his dad pays the bills. The apartment is in his dad's building.
#15
In a previous interview for Bored Panda, the representatives of Overheard said that their criteria about what conversations to feature mostly depends on whether it's a shared experience. It can be about "dating, finance, spirituality, food, or local knowledge," their spokesperson said.
#16
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago (edited)
Sounds like something I would do... (Don't downvote me. It's just the way I'm. Necessity over Luxury.)
#18
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 4 months ago (edited)
"Engine 5, Engine 7, Engine 11, Engine 21, Truck 7, Truck 8, Tower 16, Rescue 4, Rescue 6, Med 1, Med 3, Med 9, Battalion 10, Battalion 12, Chief 5; We have a Five Alarm fire..."🔥
Interestingly, there's a website of the same name and a similar mission. Started around 2005, it's a project that even has its own Wikipedia page and other spinoffs like Overheard in the Office, Overheard at the Beach, Overheard Everywhere, and Celebrity Wit. This and similar websites use the format popularized by the website In Passing, which also documents snippets of conversations.
#21
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago (edited)
To me it's sounds like an adorable exchange. Something they might get stuck in their memories. In the best way possible.
But what is it about eavesdropping that we like so much? Are we just nosy and intrusive by nature? When we're children, eavesdropping is actually a crucial part of our development. One study found that our ability to listen to conversations and glean information from them improves between the ages of 3 and 5. Even if we don't tell kids to listen to others' conversations for instructions, they're able to use the information they overhear to solve problems.
#22
Professor of language science and author of Eavesdropping: An Intimate History John Locke says that eavesdropping is a necessary habit. Sometimes, it can act as a self-preservation method. "We live in extremely complicated social arrangements in which there are lots of people who are competing with us for the things that we want and they want. We have to be somewhat geared up to do eavesdropping."
#27
We're also tempted to eavesdrop because we like to know what people are really like inside. When a person thinks you can't hear them, they're not adhering to their public persona. Locke calls this "intimacy be theft" and can be justified by some as attempts to get to know people. "We love it when we get something that's truly genuinely true about others and so we still prefer taking it, or if not taking it, extracting clues on our own."
#29
#30
Nizumi 4 months ago (edited)
Small town Europe will have transportation links to major city centres - buses, trains, trams, whatever. Small town Europe will have everything you really need on a daily basis within walking distance, as well as at least two cafés where they also serve wine / beer. Small town USA and Canada will require you to have a car to drive 30 to 45 minutes to go get basic groceries that you can no longer afford because you had to pay for gas.
What truth about New Yorkers did you get from this list, Pandas? Were some of them relatable, or do you think you have to be a New Yorker to truly get what these urbanites are talking about? Let us know your opinion in the comments! And if you'd like to see more overheard conversations from New York, check out our previous posts here, here, and here!
#32
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago (edited)
Who overheard me? 🤨🤨 How dare you expose my secret!!🤨
#34
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 4 months ago
Ahhh... now there are so many ways to that this conversation could have ended a potential friendship/relationship.
#35
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
Therapy for a cat? Maybe it just needs to be confused -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzi3k7K0lFA
#36
Family's_disappointment 4 months ago
Awwwwww ❤️❤️ "Babe." Out of context but that sounded so sweet
#39
BeesEelsAndPups 4 months ago
OMG, can you imagine living next to the guy with the Husky? Very sweet dogs, but they don't shut up
#43
#47
The Goo King 4 months ago
It's kinda silly when you edit out the actual punchline. It this a "make your own joke" sort of post?
#51
royal crablets 4 months ago
It's magical how so many people who live around trees all year 'round spend thousands to stand in the cold to look at a tree.
#53
David Morgan 4 months ago
Yeah, you aren't dating, you're just hooking up. Accept it or ditch now before you waste time.
#55
#57
quentariel 4 months ago (edited)
But girls going to bar bathroom together is more practical, not to mention safer. Friends are there to hold my purse if the place it's dirty, see that I can do my business in peace without worrying about anyone interrupting, possibly helping closing that last inch of a stubborn dress zipper and check that I look presentable afterwards. And then after ten minutes we do the whole thing again the other way round. (I go to bars really rarely, but when I do, never without a good friend(s).)
#60
Midoribird Aoi 4 months ago
"At 6'9", you can beat me and keep me from my friends and family, and I would still marry you." /s
#61
Michael Largey 4 months ago
Equal? Your mom will be back to normal eventually. But Absolute Bagels is absolutely gone!
#64
#68
BeesEelsAndPups 4 months ago
I'd actually say the opposite. A NYC 21 is an everywhere else 30. 1) They have way more experience with people from around the world than the average person from elsewhere. 2) The amount of smog has done serious damage to their skin. Now a Miami 21 is an everywhere else 45, simply because of the skin damage. An LA 30 is an everywhere else 21 totally because of the plastic surgery and utter lack of social skills
#70
George S Gurchinoff III 4 months ago
Having a high tolerance does not absolutely equal alcohol abuse
#75
Vivian McBride 4 months ago (edited)
All Americans abroad, "Oh, I'm from, (insert state or ciythere)."
#76
Michael Largey 4 months ago (edited)
If you ask for a Gemini, blame yourself if you get twins.
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What do you think ?
Janissary35680 4 months ago
So many of these would be New Yorker magazine cartoon captions. Some of them probably are.🗽
Mimi M 4 months ago
Even better: https://www.nytimes.com/column/metropolitan-diary (use archive.is if you get paywalled). Also this story: https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/the-making-of-a-new-yorker and this modern take on the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIRBd05eYrM&pp=ygUhdGhlIG1ha2luZyBvZiBhIG5ldyB5b3JrZXIgb2hlbnJ5
Janissary35680 4 months ago
So many of these would be New Yorker magazine cartoon captions. Some of them probably are.🗽
Mimi M 4 months ago
Even better: https://www.nytimes.com/column/metropolitan-diary (use archive.is if you get paywalled). Also this story: https://americanliterature.com/author/o-henry/short-story/the-making-of-a-new-yorker and this modern take on the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIRBd05eYrM&pp=ygUhdGhlIG1ha2luZyBvZiBhIG5ldyB5b3JrZXIgb2hlbnJ5
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