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I'd say Charlotte, Phoenix, and Denver. To me it's a good thing to have all of the big city amenities without the break-neck, cut-throat speed of life. You actually get to enjoy the fruits of what you work for. Good thread.
Ah, the old "blacks aren't real liberals" bit. Gotcha.
Nope a good amount are. I'm black, just stating most of us are self defined democrats, not liberals. I myself am liberal just stating observations growing up with in a black family lol.
Black people might be "culturally conservative" but they really aren't socially conservative. I've posted links about this before, and I'm too lazy at the moment to find them again, but black people are:
1. Somewhat more likely to be pro-choice
2. More concerned about global warming
3. In favor of gun control
4. Opposed to the death penalty
5. Generally opposed to "tough on crime" measures
6. Supportive of affirmative action
7. Less approving of an interventionist U.S. foreign policy
The only social issue that black Americans tend to be right of center on is same sex marriage. On absolutely every other social issue I have seen polling on, they fall to the center-left or the far left. They are of course leftists on economic issues broadly, and vote for the more liberal party in overwhelming numbers. I really find the claim that black people are not, on the whole, more liberal than whites pretty baseless. I wonder if people tend to associate "liberal" with things which don't really have much to do with politics at all, like listening to NPR, going to Starbucks, or driving a Subaru. As if it's some lifestyle brand rather than a political outlook.
Interesting. They basically are social democrats and overwhelmingly agree with Bernie Sanders on everything, not only economic issues, but foreign policy, criminal justice, global warming etc etc.
Wow lots of replies..I kind of quit checking back after all the Jacksonville talk. Let me define what I mean by fast paced. I currently live in Chicago and it is NOT slower paced. I hate it. I try so hard to like it because there is so much to do but I just can't get on bored with the hustle and bustle. By fast paced I mean I feel like I am always in a hurry even in situations where I don't need to be, like grocery shopping for an example. A lot of my coworkers and friends work outside of office hours at home and are always connected and answer work emails at night. When I get to work in the mornings no one even says good morning. The first thing I hear from someone is something like "did you get that email? Did you have a chance to do that purchase order? Did you hear back from blah blah blah?" I grew up in Illinois but 3 hours south of Chicago. Yes...the Midwest is a slower pace in general but Chicago is most definitely not.
This was my experience the 2 years I lived in Chicago. It was very fast paced, in my opinion. Everyone was rushed, running down the stairs to train platforms, pushing their way into crowded places on the train, obnoxious cab drivers honking for no reason, rude cashiers. Chicago apparently has a reputation on this board of being "polite" and "midwestern," but I didn't see it. I found Chicagoans to be surly, bitter and unfriendly. Your description of the office environment was mine exactly. It took me a while to get used to co-workers who never smiled and refused to exchange pleasantries, e.g. "Good morning," or "Excuse me" when they almost walked into you while you're carrying your hot coffee. There was just a self-centered attitude that I didn't like in Chicago.
I'm in Denver and I like the pace here better. People are productive, but they also value their free time. There's plenty to do, so I don't get bored. Just less of a rat race.
Another city that is super laid back (and beautiful I might add) is San Diego.
A lot of people at my place of employment are in no hurry to return from lunch.
I too don't really know what "pace" means. From what I gather, it tends to just be another word for "density." I guess the northeast somehow seems "faster" because there are more people out on the streets? Or maybe some people are impatient waiting to get into trains because they don't want to be standing for their 45 minute 3.5 mile commute downtown?
Given how much people in Boston are constantly on their cell phone, certainly doesn't seem like they have a whole lot to do.
Okay, how are several of you guys not getting the pace thing, acting like it doesn't exist. Have you only ever lived in one place?
Let me frame it for you. I went from living from a city that is one extreme to the other. I went from living in Portland, OR, a good sized but super laid back city to Washington, DC a fast paced, type A workaholic northeastern city.
Portland. I worked for a innovative tech company where a bunch of smart, capable, highly educated, well paid people from all over the country worked, by no means slackers. The company in a very west coast, and Portland style had a workplace that exemplified the "spoil and make the workers happy to make them produce great things ethic." If employees were stupid enough to abuse any of this they were simply gotten rid of. They regularly served ice cream outside. There was an unlimited sick leave. Employees FLEW KITES and PLAYED FRIZBEE and went on leisurely nature walks at lunch time in full view of the building's glass windows. Imagine that in DC, New York, managers would have heart attacks. They would be on a firing frenzy. On Thursdays and Fridays almost everyone had kayaks, skiis, canoes, etc on top of their cars and left early. The entire time I lived there it felt like I was on vacation, even when I was at work. It was amazing. Work hours were extremely loose. They mainly cared that you got your work done, acted professionally and produced amazing things. You almost NEVER and I mean never heard car horns in the metro area. No one ever rammed up your behind in traffic. Northeasterns would say they drive like grandparents and I think they'd burst a blood vessel in this environment. Road rage didn't exist. Quality of life is extremely important. A true work-to-live culture (similar to Europe and Canada).
I moved to the DC area. This is one example of a typical work environment I've worked here, and the people I know all have comparable situations. My project manager was the stereotypical type A northeastern workaholic. She acted like she was constantly under an extreme amount of stress and used fear tactics to manipulate employees to work. Her stress was like a virus and spread to employees making them all seem like scared mice. I produced a lot of great work, but I acted very calm and even-keeled and it drove her up the wall. I'd learned from working at a lot of different places around the country that there was value in performing with grace under pressure. Getting things done without acting like you are having a nervous breakdown. To her (and other managers that I've worked for in the DC area) this translates that you are acting like "you don't have drive" or "passion" or some other such garbage. It doesn't matter that you are producing great things. You have to act like the same neurotic, basketcase as them. The IT director and CEO of the company acted like everyone was constantly in trouble and they were itching to fire everyone. (As an aside, I've actually learned in well known leadership books that this is a sign of bad management, trying to manipulate people with fear, the great leaders actually inspire, lead by example, mentor and coach. Lead by confidence, patience and grace). In the few times that my scared, stressed out coworkers dared to eat lunch out, they'd cram down lunch like they were in a race. I was used to taking time and having a pleasant, social lunch. I had to get used to eating East Coast style, shoveling in food so fast that you don't taste it and racing back to work. In traffic, people are constantly up you a$$ honking their horns. No one lets anyone in, they actively rush up to block anyone else from getting in the space ahead of them. Road rage is something you see within 10 minutes of leaving your home, even if you're in the suburbs. I can time the first type A, aggressive a-hole behavior that begins the cumulative stress of the day as I leave the house with a stopwatch. In contrast to feeling like I was on constant vacation out west, in Northern Va / DC even on days off I feel like I'm at work.. and indeed many in the area crow about how they work extra hours, skip vacations, sacrifice family events to put in extra time for their sacred job. The fools actually brag about it. And when they are old, I'm sure they will be very proud of all the extra work they put in, that wasn't appreciated, and the time they missed time with their kids, wives and relatives. A true live-to-work culture. The crush of overpopulated humanity in the northeast megalopolis is palpable. There's a reason they call it the "rat race". It isn't made up. Give me a break.
Last edited by VASpaceMan; 04-01-2016 at 06:59 PM..
Nope a good amount are. I'm black, just stating most of us are self defined democrats, not liberals. I myself am liberal just stating observations growing up with in a black family lol.
Yes. Some of my family is.... conservative . A few of my relatives are actually republicans.
What about Seattle and Portland? I went up at visited Vancouver Canada, not Washington and Vancouver felt crazy busy compared to the other 2. What cha guys think?
Caveat, I don't consider anything smaller than about 2 million urbanized area a "big" or "large" city. Certainly not Jacksonville, which is a place that really surprised me with how much I like it. Super-underrated, but not even close to being a "big city" in my mind.
With that in said, the slowest-paced "big cities" I can think of are in order from slowest up:
St Louis/Detroit
Houston
Minneapolis
Atlanta
Denver and, for its size, Chicago.
All of those places have all the amenities you want, some are a little more lively than others, but all are pretty laid back. Chicago seems to have grown less and less so, as it has gotten hipper and, in my mind, more sterile, but of the really true "big cities" in my mind (big 3, really, though I consider Baltimore-DC to be one "city", but it's faster paced than Chicago anyway), it's the slowest paced/most laid back.
Chicago is a lot of things. However, slow paced, is not one of them. That said, you consider Baltimore and Washington DC to be one city.
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. A few of my relatives are actually republicans.
and Vancouver felt crazy busy compared to the other 2. What cha guys think?
