Why do Wisconsin folks dislike us? (Chicago: closing, moving, event)

[nikkj123]

Quick draw..you need to get out more, Im guessing you are a youngster. Theres good and bad people every where !

[angelbug]

Originally Posted by cheezwis1

Try California... where they're against anyone who isn't from CA. And the rest of the country thinks they're mostly whack jobs.

I came here to read about Galena because I have a friend who moved there, but I usually spend my time on the California and Oregon boards (because I live in northern California and plan to move to Portland next year). Every board I read is the same old nonsense about how one place is better than the other, with arguments about why or why not, and it's silly. People live all over the US by choice because they like different things, and if one place doesn't work for them, they move. One place is not better than another - it's just a matter of personal choice and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Does everyone like the same food, cars, or movies? Of course not. Why wouldn't we also have preferences as far as cultural and outdoor activites, city size, and anything else that goes into choosing a place to live?

Californians are NOT against anyone who isn't from here. I moved here 20+ years ago from Maryland and I never felt that way at all. Most people I've met here are from some other state, or country. But we are universally reviled by people who don't realize that because there are well over 30 million people in this state, "Californians" are everything from SF liberals to ultra conservative Modoc County ranchers, soccer moms, state employees, Silicon Valley techies, Orange County evangelical Christians, and everything in between. There is no such thing as a "Californian" when it comes to attitude or personality. People who know California from TV think we all get tans and do yoga and eat granola all day, and I don't know anyone here like that. The state is just too large and too diverse. It truly is a microcosm of the entire country, and world, for that matter. And northern and southern California are very different in many ways - most people like living in one but wouldn't be able to stand the other.

Anyway, I'm surprsed at all the vitriol on this board because midwesterners on the CA and OR boards are always touting how friendly midwesterners are, and you can't even seem to get along with people in the state next to you.

[Steve-o]

Good post angelbug, I agree with you on many of your points. Midwesterners are indeed quite friendly, but as with any area, there are plenty of bad apples who like to start crap. There are lots of Wisconsinites who abolutely dispise Illinoisans, for the same reasons that Idaho folks (Idahoans?) dislike Californians.... they "invade" their state and buy up real estate, causing prices to soar, making a once affordable area not so affordable anymore.

[reppin_the_847]

I'm from Illinois and I have absolutely no problem with Wisconsinites. We're all Americans (well most of us at least lol), and we're all human beings right? I'll judge a person by their character and integrity, not by where they're from geographically. Just imagine, if the state lines were drawn out differently in the early & mid-1800's when the Midwest states were being settled & admitted to the Union then perhaps we wouldn't even have this Cheesehead vs. FIB rivalry lol. We could've ended up as one gigantic state, or better yet, as multiple states (much like what you find in the Northeast, where the Connecticut, New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania, etc. state lines are so close to each other).

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Good post angelbug, I agree with you on many of your points. Midwesterners are indeed quite friendly, but as with any area, there are plenty of bad apples who like to start crap. There are lots of Wisconsinites who abolutely dispise Illinoisans, for the same reasons that Idaho folks (Idahoans?) dislike Californians.... they "invade" their state and buy up real estate, causing prices to soar, making a once affordable area not so affordable anymore.

[Katiana]

We could've ended up as one gigantic state, or better yet, as multiple states (much like what you find in the Northeast, where the Connecticut, New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania, etc. state lines are so close to each other).

Both Pennsylvania and New York are only slightly smaller than Wisconsin and Illinois.

[dlong1991]

A lot of their dislike of us comes from the 1980's. Illinois drinking age was 21 and Wisconsin's drinking age was 18. Young, rowdy Illinoisans would go into Wisconsin for legal beer and cause trouble in bars. This didn't make them that happy, but who cares, illinois for life. lol

...And jealousy, perhaps?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Good post angelbug, I agree with you on many of your points. Midwesterners are indeed quite friendly, but as with any area, there are plenty of bad apples who like to start crap. There are lots of Wisconsinites who abolutely dispise Illinoisans, for the same reasons that Idaho folks (Idahoans?) dislike Californians.... they "invade" their state and buy up real estate, causing prices to soar, making a once affordable area not so affordable anymore.

Now you know why most people born in Chicago look at transplants with disdain. I dont hate all transplants (and I am including suburbianites as transplants that move to the city), but more than a few are ruining the city for everyone else.

As much as I am glad people to move here, when New Englanders and Californians move here, they drive up the price. They are so used to sky high prices, when they see prices here the are overjoyed. Usually they overpay for their condos and houses (for the Chicago market) and that drives up prices for Chicagoans. Its all hype.

Oh well, Chicago is not once it was and it will never be again. I just think the city was more exciting,had better neighborhood food,had the best neighborhood bars,and was way cheaper and not very politically correct at all, 15-20 years ago.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

I'm from Illinois and I have absolutely no problem with Wisconsinites. We're all Americans (well most of us at least lol), and we're all human beings right? I'll judge a person by their character and integrity, not by where they're from geographically. Just imagine, if the state lines were drawn out differently in the early & mid-1800's when the Midwest states were being settled & admitted to the Union then perhaps we wouldn't even have this Cheesehead vs. FIB rivalry lol. We could've ended up as one gigantic state, or better yet, as multiple states (much like what you find in the Northeast, where the Connecticut, New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania, etc. state lines are so close to each other).

Anything North of I 80 roughly was planned to be in Wisconsin. It was decided Illinois should have a part of the Lake (Lake Michigans original European name is Lac du Illinois because the Indian confederation that dominated the area were the Illiniwek). I wonder how things would be different if the original plan was kept. When you look at terrain at other natural factors, Northern Illinois has way more in common with Wisconsin than "downstate" Illinois. So it all made sense in the early years.

[chasseresse]

Greetings, all.

I was checking out the Illinois threads and came across those treating the matter of Wisconsinites and real/perceived animosity towards Illinoisans. I've lived in WI all my life, but am considering a move to IL for job purposes. I've considered IL because as neighbors, we have a lot in common, including a midwestern disposition, common family histories with the waves of immigrants that settled our states, and a healthy rivalry over our sports teams. Oh yes, there was mention about the drinking age difference back in the '80's. I was a h.s. freshman when that law changed.

One of the posters mentioned forming opinions about people on a case-by-case basis, which is very true, and I've never had ill feelings toward any individual from Illinois. Quite the contrary.

Why in WI do we complain about the IL folks? From chats with others and personal experiences, it's been very off-putting to drive along the interstate or county highways, and be cut off regularly resulting in near misses within an inch of our lives -- and that's already traveling at or just above posted limits. Now, we most certainly do have our share of bad drivers in WI, but by and large, I'm more usually annoyed and frustrated by the driving habits of the blue & white plates than those from MN or WI -- and I've driven in Paris!

Tourists: another frequent sore spot, though common in many states -- check out other forums for that. I think for any community, it's disconcerting when you have visitors from another locale treating an element of your community's resources/goods/etc. as a novelty to purchase, use, and discard.

On that note, some rivalry is fun and keeps things interesting. No, I am not a cheesehead, nor do I EVER plan to wear one of those gawd-awful yellow things on my head, but whenever passing by the TV when my husband is watching a game where the Packers & Bears are playing each other, I can't help myself but to let out a loud "HA HA!" to whatever team is behind at that given moment.

The bottom line. When our kid was little, we often told him:
1. Behave so that you get invited back.
2. If you borrow something, be respectful and return it like it was or even better than it was.

[Steve-o]

Truth be told, WI drivers down here also drive like jerks for the most part. The door swings both ways...