Yankee vs Rebel Culture (New York, Rochester: middle-class, transplants, insurance)
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We moved to Greenville SC 6 years ago. The first 2 years seemed awesome. We then began to feel like we were losing our identity with the lack of community and down to earth enviroment. Many people still struggle with the whole Yankee vs Rebel culture. Good schools are few and far between. The heat is intense at times and the bugs keep you inside. We desire to move back but struggle with re-adjusting to the winter and taxes. I truly believe in my heart our kids would develop stronger character and a better work ethic being raised in the north.
So my question............Am I crazy or is it real! Is there anyone that went south and back to the north from the carolina area. Many people tell me we're nuts to move back to CNY(Rochester or Syracuse). We're looking for some outside perspective to get past the emotions and back to the facts. Thanks and God Bless
Last edited by Wild Eagle; 04-21-2008 at 02:03 PM..
I moved to the Raleigh-Durham area of NC in Dec 1994 from Rochester and noticed the EXACT same thing you did. We were obviously in a larger metro area that had more tranplants from the North..but still felt that lack of real community you mentioned. We moved back to Rochester this past August and have no regregrets! It's not too hard to adjust back to winter, especially when you get to enjoy the beautiful spring (especially this spring....77 and sunny today in April!) Summer and fall! So to answer your question....no, you are not the only person who has moved to the Carolinas and missed Upstate NY and yes, moving back here is possible and can be great if its what you really want. Best of luck on whatever your decision is.
I lived on long island with my family and through the post office we along with our 4 kids transferred to Wesley Chapel,FL (a little north of Tampa). The town was total southern mentality and were not crazy about northerners and after a year we came back to long island.Also I was with the air force for 7 years and mostly stationed in the midwest;missouri specifically. When I left the area and came back to NY it was like being reborn.Like a breath of fresh air. Now I honestly can say that at times hardcore southerners show quite a lack of common sense compared to northerners and as a well travelled individual I do believe the upbringing in the north does teach our kids better all around.Southerners just seam to bond better as an extended family (uncles,aunts, g-parents,etc...) as per my opinion then we do. So don't worry about the cold.You and the kids will adapt quickly and all around it should be beneficial. If they decide to move down south on their own later in life thats their deal but the only thing you can do is just provide the best surroundings you can.Thats why I am heading to the Rochester area hopefully within the year for good. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone by my comments.Just my own opinion.
Good luck---
I moved to Georgia (Atlanta metro) in December 2006. I have had such a hard time adapting to the culture & lifestyle in the south. I thought I just needed time to adjust, but it's been almost 2 years now and I realize this isn't the place for me. I'm a northerner - specifically a "New Yorker". I've accepted that as a fact of life. This place feels like another country to me. At first, I felt alone in my views of the south, but now I see that others feel the same way. My cousin has been here visiting for the last 3 weeks. She agrees that Atlanta & the southeast is so overhyped by transplants (my cousin recently moved to NC & can't wait to relocate back north).
Georgia is experiencing uncontrolled growth. Last year an estimated 150,000 moved to the Atlanta area (maybe more). Traffic is ridiculous. The drivers are rude and just plain dangerous - they have a reckless disregard for the safety of others. I've seen more traffic fatalities here than I care to remember. The "low cost of living" isn't that cheap anymore with the constant influx of people. I feel like I'm just living in a city, not a community (no block parties, lawn fetes). It's just sprawl and I feel lost among a sea of chain stores & restaurants, Walmarts, subdivisions, and strip malls.
I must move back north because life is too short to be this unhappy. I realize now that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. I'm willing to pay higher taxes & endure long winters just to be back home in NY!
No, you are not crazy! After being gone from Geneva, NY for 26 years, I'm returning this fall. I miss the people, work ethic, seasons, EVERYTHING!!! I'm willing to battle the snow for all of this!!! Have lived in California (north and south), and, do miss being their, also. But living in Dallas, Texas, has made me hateful! The civil war continues to exist, and these Texans are a hard lot to live with! They have egos that is very hard to live with, and for what, I personally do not know why!!! Being a catholic, Italian, NY'r, well, you will understand. At 61 y/o, upstate here I come. THANK GOD!!!
No, you are not crazy! After being gone from Geneva, NY for 26 years, I'm returning this fall. I miss the people, work ethic, seasons, EVERYTHING!!! I'm willing to battle the snow for all of this!!! Have lived in California (north and south), and, do miss being their, also. But living in Dallas, Texas, has made me hateful! The civil war continues to exist, and these Texans are a hard lot to live with! They have egos that is very hard to live with, and for what, I personally do not know why!!! Being a catholic, Italian, NY'r, well, you will understand. At 61 y/o, upstate here I come. THANK GOD!!!
1. Rochesterians that have never left are embarassing (just as absurd as backwoods hillbillies)
2. Most western cultures are homogenizing (iPod zombies, so to speak)
3. The internet, text messaging, and the blogosphere are transforming language (if you're a prescriptive linguist)
In 50 years people from Tampa will be indistinguishable from people from Syracuse. We're almost there anyway. Applebee's, Target, Saturday Night Live...
Idiocracy was a poorly executed, but prophetic film. Our culture will bifurcate into the elitist that holds tight to the upper middle-class values of early 21st century America, our Jerry Springer fans with 6 kids by 4 wives.
Thank You everyone for being staight up about your experience. It is very relieving to know I am not losing my mind when people here in Greenville, SC tell me I am crazy.
I was born in SC and lived here until I was 7. Was raised in the Midwest and lived there until I moved back here 3 years ago. I am so thankful for the education and upbringing I got in the Midwest. I have been shocked at the lack of work ethic amongst not only the teenagers but also the adults in this area. I am also shocked at the lack of simple tools of survival. Adults who can't count simple change. I am not talking about counting back change to a customer, I am talking about taking money out of their pocket and selecting the appropriate amount for their purchases! Adults who think it is more important to go to a concert than work their shift so they "call out" IF they even bother to call at all! Teenagers who don't care if they work or not and when they are at work, don't care if they get their job done right. THey care more about listening to their ipods while working, texting their friends, even talking to them on the cell phone! When a customer comes up to the counter, that customer is inconveniencing the teenager!! If I wanted to be treated like that I would have my teenage son make my lunch! LOL
Kids today, their parents are quick to pay their children's car payments or buy them a car outright. They also pay their kid's insurance. I know..there are parents who are going to say , no I make my kid work to pay it. Uh huh. Think back, can you HONESTLY say you have never made a payment because they didn't have enough in their paycheck?
And the problem is not limited to people born here. I have seen some transplants that are just as "lazy".
Personally, I blame our Dept of Education. Well not really them, I blame the politicians. I read an article where someone said that our education system is based on politics rather than education. So true!! I have yet to see a politician actually do anything about the sad state of our graduates. Kids who can barely count and read. Kids with no work ethic.
But then, the answer would be Change. Elect new government officials who are willing to take the risks necessary to improve our children. Forget our image, worry about our children and our citizens!
It won't happen though. Wanna know why? Its the Good Ole Boy Network hard at work. Think about it. How many women are in politics in this state? And how many hold powerful positions in the state government? It is not a case of Republicans vs Democrats either because we have a strong Democratic history and we are still in a sorry state. Republicans just make it worse in my opinion but again that is just my opinion. And why do we have a history of so many governors resigning??
I am ashamed of my own home state. If we could afford to move elsewhere, I think we would. About the only GOOD thing I can say is we do have the lowest gas prices in the nation it seems like!
Wild Eagle,
If in your heart, you want to come "home", than disregard what others say...I have family who moved to NC (2 guesses where LOL), and that's what got me into CF originally. But after following the NC posts, I came to realize the transplants spend an inordinate amount of time defending their move and proclaiming all other places on Earth as not worthy with an exceptional amount of the poison darts heralded towards the states of NY/NJ.....make any negatively connotated comments about the area Raleigh/Durham and you get "Humidity/life-threatening heat beats snow and cold (it does? I'm trapped in my house because:it's too cold out OR it's too hot out..seems like a wash to me!), taxes are so low (cost of living is higher in Raleigh than anyplace in NY except NYC), people are so great here (most are displaced, nomadic transplants latching onto others of the same), the snakes, bugs, termites are fineeeeeeee (oh, 6 inch cockroaches are fun?),etcetcetc...
And then there are the ones like you and Informed and others who step forward and admit all that is OZ is not perfect and you're swatted down.....
Again, if you want to return, than trust your inner voice.....life is too short to allow that voice to be drowned out with the "Emperor has Clothes" crowd...
Oh, as for the weather comparison: Presently, in Raleigh, there's an 107 heat index with warning not to go outside; in upstate NY, it's 78/partly sunny and I've been outside for most of the day!
As they say in France, "comme ci, comme sa" (like this, like that).....
Last edited by Fallingwater79; 07-23-2008 at 01:55 PM..
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rebel
