How Does a New Yawker Tawk? To find out, @newyorknico hosted an #BestNYAccent Instagram contest that attracted smack-talking Gotham residents, and the press, in droves. As reported in the New York Times, the iconic accent is a character-defining source of pride and place. It also represents a unique form of expression and an opportunity to unite us in the celebration of what makes us all both different and the same.