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I've grown up in the midwest my whole life, but I often get the impression that people don't like it that much. It's not like I have a chip on my shoulder, but it seems like the midwest, overall is maligned more than other regions. We're the "rust belt", boring, with bumpkin-ish people, the land is boring etc...
So why does the Midwest get a bum rap from so many people--or is it just in my head?
mackinac
here's my spiel on the pros and cons of living in the upper midwest area, Indianapolis specifically, from a person who's mainly lived on the West Coast (Seattle and smell-A) and Hawaii.
Pros: Not too much traffic.
Cheaper cost of living (housing, rent, real estate)
Not over crowded like bigger US cities (i.e. L.A., NYC)
People aren't arrogant jerks like bigger cities (snobs).
The locals here are more ethical and behave somewhat more professional than people I've met from coastal cities.
People don't succumb to politically correctness compared to bigger cities. (i.e. if a black criminal commits a crime, he or she gets her mugshot shown on the local news, none of this william tookie a-- kissing like they do in Cali)
Negatives: Racism. I can't believe how ignorant people are here
in Indiana.
White people here tend to congregate with themselves only. They tend to not want to socialize with you if you're not white.
They also tend to heavily criticize your work and grade you harshly, like how they do it in my grad program.
They ask me if I'm from China, when in fact, I'm Korean and Japanese and born and raised in Seattle.
People here try to rip me off, until they realize that I speak English and that I will report their business to BBB and post negative ads on ripoffreport.com if they continue to **** me off.
I don't know about other midwestern states in general. But Indiana seems to have a tinge of southern racism compared to the more friendly midwesterners I've met from Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. Just my observations.
here's my spiel on the pros and cons of living in the upper midwest area, Indianapolis specifically, from a person who's mainly lived on the West Coast (Seattle and smell-A) and Hawaii.
Pros: Not too much traffic.
Cheaper cost of living (housing, rent, real estate)
Not over crowded like bigger US cities (i.e. L.A., NYC)
People aren't arrogant jerks like bigger cities (snobs).
The locals here are more ethical and behave somewhat more professional than people I've met from coastal cities.
People don't succumb to politically correctness compared to bigger cities. (i.e. if a black criminal commits a crime, he or she gets her mugshot shown on the local news, none of this william tookie a-- kissing like they do in Cali)
Negatives: Racism. I can't believe how ignorant people are here
in Indiana.
White people here tend to congregate with themselves only. They tend to not want to socialize with you if you're not white.
They also tend to heavily criticize your work and grade you harshly, like how they do it in my grad program.
They ask me if I'm from China, when in fact, I'm Korean and Japanese and born and raised in Seattle.
People here try to rip me off, until they realize that I speak English and that I will report their business to BBB and post negative ads on ripoffreport.com if they continue to **** me off.
I don't know about other midwestern states in general. But Indiana seems to have a tinge of southern racism compared to the more friendly midwesterners I've met from Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. Just my observations.
1. What you listed that the Midwest has that other places "don't have" they all do. And vice versa.
Suburbs of Duluth have GROWN! Hermantown, Proctor and surrounding townships all have been GROWING! FAST!
Wrong, except for Hermantown and a few townships, the surrounding area hasn't grown at all. According to the 2008 census estimates, Proctor shrunk, and Superior lost about another 1,000 people.
here's my spiel on the pros and cons of living in the upper midwest area, Indianapolis specifically, from a person who's mainly lived on the West Coast (Seattle and smell-A) and Hawaii.
Pros: Not too much traffic.
Cheaper cost of living (housing, rent, real estate)
Not over crowded like bigger US cities (i.e. L.A., NYC)
People aren't arrogant jerks like bigger cities (snobs).
The locals here are more ethical and behave somewhat more professional than people I've met from coastal cities.
People don't succumb to politically correctness compared to bigger cities. (i.e. if a black criminal commits a crime, he or she gets her mugshot shown on the local news, none of this william tookie a-- kissing like they do in Cali)
Negatives: Racism. I can't believe how ignorant people are here
in Indiana.
White people here tend to congregate with themselves only. They tend to not want to socialize with you if you're not white.
They also tend to heavily criticize your work and grade you harshly, like how they do it in my grad program.
They ask me if I'm from China, when in fact, I'm Korean and Japanese and born and raised in Seattle.
People here try to rip me off, until they realize that I speak English and that I will report their business to BBB and post negative ads on ripoffreport.com if they continue to **** me off.
I don't know about other midwestern states in general. But Indiana seems to have a tinge of southern racism compared to the more friendly midwesterners I've met from Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. Just my observations .
Hmm I am of mixed race and moved to Cleveland a couple years ago. Most of what you said hasn't applied to me here, and I don't notice it. I do believe though that Cleveland and Indianapolis differ in terms of diversity and culture (Cleveland has far more).
If you're on the web for any decent amount of time, you'll see pwnd everywhere. Google it. It's just internet slang, and has nothing to do with not being able to spell.
Agreed, but it's mainly used by highschoolers or people of inferior education.
What is tough about the Midwest (and this may be the case around the country too) is that most mid-sized cities are practically ghost towns when the sun goes down. I live in Duluth, a city of 86,000, and it's hard to find things to do to make the night seem fun. Sure you can go out to a cool place, but it's not very fun if there isn't anyone there. I mean Wendy's closes at 10pm in a town of almost 90,000. Little things like that frustrate me about the Midwest, But again, it may be the same anywhere.
When I was in California, I was amazed at how many people were out and about at 11 pm on a Wednesday.
Wrong, except for Hermantown and a few townships, the surrounding area hasn't grown at all. According to the 2008 census estimates, Proctor shrunk, and Superior lost about another 1,000 people.
Yeah, but population trends have been stable since 1990, not continually decreasing like a previous poster had stated. If you use their theory, then almost every major city in the USA (omitting the sunbelt) has lost population since the 1950s, meaning: rust belt = losing populations.
When in fact, most of our major cities have lost populations due to white flight, suburbia, housing standards within inner cities, etc. etc.
At one point MPLS had over 500,000 people and was the 17th largest in the US. Now it's 390,000 and bout 50th in the US. Even though the metro has nearly doubled.
I wouldn't say that MPLS lost pop. because of the death of Manufacturing.
My reading comprehension is fine. You stated MN is NOT a manufacturing state when it most definitely is.
You have the imagination of a Clam and the IQ of a turnip that has been sitting in the ground about six months beyond harvest. OK? Your snotty little barbs directed at people that obviously not only have more real world experience and are better informed than you is laughable at best and only showcases your limited knowledge and pretentious and shallow personality.
Robert Fripp is an acclaimed guitarist and one of the founding members of a progressive rock group called King Crimson. Someone of his stature would not start a music school in a backwater.
Cool, but I never said that MN is not a manufacturing state. I said that MN didn't get hurt as hard as other places, and to call MN part of the rust belt is stupid.
Yeah tool I know who Robert Fripp is, I still don't get why he was mentioned. Robert Fripp established something in WV so that means the entire state is not capable of having the stereotype as backwater? Because if I asked 100 people here in Minnesota to list 40 states on a piece of paper, 99 of them wouldn't think to include WV.
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