Is the hostility towards New Yorkers justified? (Union, Philadelphia: real estate, crime)

[JamesJ45]

I have family in western PA near Pittsburgh and when I would visit when I was younger I loved the place. It was so rural and the people were so nice. I've also had some friends that recently moved to Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley of PA, so I figured that was a good excuse to go to both places. I knew a lot of people from NYC/NJ moved to PA, but I didn't know about how hostile the atmosphere was for them.

My friend that lives in the Lehigh Valley hates it. She says that only people from NYC or Jersey will talk to her. Her husband works in Jersey so she's alone all day. She says the people are very nasty to her, or just ignore her, when they find out that she recently moved there. They basically blame New Yorkers for everything, the influx of crime, illegals, gangs, drugs, etc.

What was even more strange was the way people treated me in Pittsburgh. I was a joke there. When I said I was from NYC people would openly roll their eyes, or say "Oh, God!" then smile and say they were just kidding, but after the 10th time it happened I didn't think they were kidding anymore. People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around. I just felt...really uncomfortable. Some people were extremely nasty when they thought I actually moved there, claiming that in 10 years PA would have gay marriage, tons of illegals, and an abortion clinic in every town.

I've heard the same thing is happening with New Yorkers moving to North Carolina as well. There is this perception that we ruin everything we touch. We ruined NYC, so we move to Jersey. We ruined Jersey, so then we move to PA. Is this attitude towards New Yorkers fair? I don't think everyone should be judged by the actions of a few.

[openheads]

Originally Posted by JamesJ45

People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around.

That's actually kind of funny.

[Irish Eyes]

People from NY have been moving to Bethlehem and Stroudsburg in droves "for the cheap real estate". Not for any love of PA. Then they complain about deer, bear and bugs and lament that there is no Starbucks on every corner and that they have to "drive everywhere". And put up with the "small minded rednecks". That's where much of the hostility comes from. I don't know why a lot of people keep up the hositlity when they realize someone isn't like that, though. I can see being apprehensvie because so many NYers go there and treat everyone like the help, but when you interact with someone who is being polite and kind I think that attitude should be dropped.

[Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by JamesJ45

People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around.

That could be because so many act like there was no food available in the tri state area until Whole Foods came. I thought making fun of the Whole Foods crowd was a Brooklyn thing - I didn't realize PA had caught on.

[iGlenn]

Originally Posted by JamesJ45

I have family in western PA near Pittsburgh and when I would visit when I was younger I loved the place. It was so rural and the people were so nice. I've also had some friends that recently moved to Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley of PA, so I figured that was a good excuse to go to both places. I knew a lot of people from NYC/NJ moved to PA, but I didn't know about how hostile the atmosphere was for them.

My friend that lives in the Lehigh Valley hates it. She says that only people from NYC or Jersey will talk to her. Her husband works in Jersey so she's alone all day. She says the people are very nasty to her, or just ignore her, when they find out that she recently moved there. They basically blame New Yorkers for everything, the influx of crime, illegals, gangs, drugs, etc.

What was even more strange was the way people treated me in Pittsburgh. I was a joke there. When I said I was from NYC people would openly roll their eyes, or say "Oh, God!" then smile and say they were just kidding, but after the 10th time it happened I didn't think they were kidding anymore. People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around. I just felt...really uncomfortable. Some people were extremely nasty when they thought I actually moved there, claiming that in 10 years PA would have gay marriage, tons of illegals, and an abortion clinic in every town.

I've heard the same thing is happening with New Yorkers moving to North Carolina as well. There is this perception that we ruin everything we touch. We ruined NYC, so we move to Jersey. We ruined Jersey, so then we move to PA. Is this attitude towards New Yorkers fair? I don't think everyone should be judged by the actions of a few.

No, it's not fair. I've experienced the same thing. But, lets remember that inaccurate perceptions aren't isolated to New Yorkers. Many New Yorkers have undeserved perceptions of other areas as well.

[Otis_Nevins]

People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around.

You have, of course, learned not to complain (brag) about Whole Foods - a very expensive and crowded, snob-filled grocery store, right? I like Whole Foods for their Fish (Union Square), but it's pricey. Trader Joe's - now THERE is a high-end place with good prices. Too bad it's so crowded one must wait an hour to get in... And there's Food Emporium, C-Town, Associated, and plenty more.

They basically blame New Yorkers for everything, the influx of crime, illegals, gangs, drugs, etc.

Mod cut: inappropriate I If I recall from my last trip, Philadelphia is an open sewer compared to Manhattan. It's got more crime, more dirt, more stupid people (again, German-American Phillie Phans) and the cheesesteaks aren't all that good. Mod cut: inappropriate

I just felt...really uncomfortable. Some people were extremely nasty when they thought I actually moved there, claiming that in 10 years PA would have gay marriage, tons of illegals, and an abortion clinic in every town.

Not sure I understand what this means. Anyway, Folks from New York City deserve the hostility, largely because they litter, tolerate litter, are loud, tolerate crime in general too much (leading to more crime), tolerate dirt, think that they can be "green" yet live in a big city, and the list goes on.

The way to counter this, at least in my case, is to complain about how dirty the city is, how loud it is, how liberals ruined the schools, how we let (still) too many criminals back on the streets, and so on... Eventually, the only thing that it seems I really like is not having to own a car...

[clockwork]

As a transplant to North Carolina, I must say I don't experience much hostility, in part because almost everyone here is from the north. Also, there is a Whole Foods down the block, so I remain fed

[Shizzles]

Originally Posted by JamesJ45

I have family in western PA near Pittsburgh and when I would visit when I was younger I loved the place. It was so rural and the people were so nice. I've also had some friends that recently moved to Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley of PA, so I figured that was a good excuse to go to both places. I knew a lot of people from NYC/NJ moved to PA, but I didn't know about how hostile the atmosphere was for them.

My friend that lives in the Lehigh Valley hates it. She says that only people from NYC or Jersey will talk to her. Her husband works in Jersey so she's alone all day. She says the people are very nasty to her, or just ignore her, when they find out that she recently moved there. They basically blame New Yorkers for everything, the influx of crime, illegals, gangs, drugs, etc.

What was even more strange was the way people treated me in Pittsburgh. I was a joke there. When I said I was from NYC people would openly roll their eyes, or say "Oh, God!" then smile and say they were just kidding, but after the 10th time it happened I didn't think they were kidding anymore. People would make jokes about me starving to death because there wasn't a Whole Foods around. I just felt...really uncomfortable. Some people were extremely nasty when they thought I actually moved there, claiming that in 10 years PA would have gay marriage, tons of illegals, and an abortion clinic in every town.

I've heard the same thing is happening with New Yorkers moving to North Carolina as well. There is this perception that we ruin everything we touch. We ruined NYC, so we move to Jersey. We ruined Jersey, so then we move to PA. Is this attitude towards New Yorkers fair? I don't think everyone should be judged by the actions of a few.

I live in PA and I'm from NY. Pennsylvania is for all intensive pruposes a mix between The South and Appliachia. Ignorance is celebrated here.

[iGlenn]

Originally Posted by Shizzles

I live in PA and I'm from NY. Pennsylvania is for all intensive pruposes a mix between The South and Appliachia. Ignorance is celebrated here.

They don't call it Pennsyltucky for nothing.

[tommyc_37]

EVERY place (and the people that come from that place) has major misconceptions. I am from NJ, believe me, I have heard ALL of them pertaining to my state. And I think they are worse than anything NYC experiences...NJ is an awesome state, yet people only see the Turnpike and refinieries in TWO towns in NJ.