You lived in NY for only a couple of years. I'd hardly call you a NYer. Reminds me of an old joke about a woman who moves to Maine next door to a Mainer.
I think calling everything a "joint" is something from the pretty faraway past now.
Don't think if you don't know. The word was used today in the NYT regarding a burger joint.
Paul’s da Burger Joint, East Village I have never brought anyone, from anywhere in the world, to Paul’s without them being astonished by how great the burger is or the gritty old-school New York City vibe of the place. It’s the kind of New York “dive” real New Yorkers wax nostalgic about when they talk about places that don’t exist anymore. Except it does. And it’s awesome. — Deanna Wallach, Bedford-Stuyvesant