Difference between New York strip and a first cut strip
From Huffington Post:


  Strip steak: The multiplicity of names — New York strip, club steak, Kansas City steak, shell steak — attests to the popularity of this steak. Tender (but not too tender); well-marbled (i.e., generously endowed with fat); and richly flavored — what more could you ask for in a steak? Not that you asked, but a center cut New York strip is Steven Raichlen’s favorite cut. Tip: Sometimes you’ll find supermarket strip steaks labeled “first cut.” This makes them sound more exclusive, but actually the “first cut” has a visible line of gristle running through the meat. That’s why “first cut” strips cost about half the price of the more desirable center cuts of the short loin.


(Emphasis mine.)