Simply put, Medina is home. When we made the decision to finally move back, what surprised us was the apparent jealousy voiced by former community members. When the topic of the day is Medina, both current and former residents have stories to tell – and we love hearing every single one. 

Something we started to realize is that there are many small conversation starters based on inside stories, locations, and memories. Whether it’s where the old bar was located, or past traditions, there are several ways to detect whether or not someone is from Medina.

We crowdsourced Facebook, and here is a comprehensive (but certainly not complete) list of ways you know you’re from Medina: 

-You’ve had to correct your friends on the pronunciation of “Medina.” No, it’s not Ma-DEEN-Ah.
-You know your high school band is better than others.
-You, friends, or family, left a high school football game after halftime, because the band’s show had concluded.
-You, a friend, or family member have their name on the wall at Rudy’s.
-You’ve been below the Erie Canal, because you know the only road that runs underneath is just around the corner.
-Trick or treating was often done in a winter coat, and you always knew which streets offered the best candy bars.
-You occasionally identify people by their elementary school or little league baseball team.
-The term “cafetorium” immediately indicates which elementary school you attended. 
-You’ve purchased pizza from students on a Saturday morning, and quite possibly stopped some on the side of the road fearing you’d miss the delivery at your door.
-Every couple of months you run into someone who was your little league coach or former teacher.
-If you graduated in the early 2000’s you lived for Friday at 2:30pm, when you’d hear “Pizza, only one dollar!”
-Swim lessons and the park program were part of your summers.
-Dance parties at the bowling alley were completely acceptable, even if you didn’t bowl.
-You know where the “Four Corners” of Medina are, or you’re currently calling your parents to find out.
-You still reference the bands that existed in high school, possibly have their CDs or tapes, and may have seen a sticker on a stop sign.
-Remember how dangerous bridge jumping reports are, you didn’t care, because you probably still did it.
-You still remember the Apple Grove as though it just closed. You’re probably also holding out hope that it re-opens, and let’s be honest, no matter who occupies that location it’ll always be the Apple Grove.
-You’re quick to remind people the Finger Lakes isn’t the only wine region of NY wine.
-The Erie Canal is kind of a big deal, and more importantly, it runs through Medina.
-You still refer to Ames, Bells, and Jubilee, even if they’ve all been gone for years.
-You know if you mention Club 31 or the Silver Dollar around a group of locals, many stories are guaranteed to follow.
-April snow is something you remember (and let’s face it, EXPECT)
-When discussing snowstorms you relate over the Blizzard of ’77, even if you weren’t born yet.
-You know about the church in the middle of a street.
-A trip to the grocery store is extended by the conversations you’re bound to have when you run into everyone you know
-When you apologize for being late because of traffic, everyone knows you were stuck behind a tractor
-You’ve had to wait for a boat to pass before driving over a bridge.
-It didn’t get better than sledding on Gallagher’s Hill.
-You’ve exercised by walking around Boxwood Cemetery.
-You often refer to roads by the farms or individuals that live on them.
-You know sandstone is kind of a huge deal.
-You remember barn and field parties.
-You know the best cider comes from your hometown.
-When it comes to late night food, you know the Greasy Spoon is where you want to be.
-While it’s not located in Medina, you consider Mr. Ed’s an honorary member of the community. (Additionally, you know people who refer to it as Pony’s haven’t been in the area long)
– Fridays during Lent mean fish fries for everyone.
-You were a faithful reader of the Journal Register, and wish it still existed
-You remember the best haunted house was at Fisher Price.
-When discussing local businesses, you also refer to the previous occupant.
-You can name at least one former client of the Robert E. Newell Shirt Factory.
-Your parents drove you around the village and to State Street Park to see the holiday lights and decorations.
-You didn’t need to go to the mall to see Santa, because you knew he frequently visited Medina.
-You know the Old Tyme Christmas Parade is the real kick-off to the holiday season.

What did we miss? And yes, we will keep adding to this throughout the day! Leave a comment!