Move from Across the State

[1ondoner]

I chuckle every time someone says there is no culture in the South. This is because, if you cross the pond, one of the things Britons and Europeans like to say is that the United States has no culture. So guys at the East Coast will say, the South has no culture and on the other hand Europeans think America has no culture. To me this is a symptom of being closed minded.

In that regard, I would rephrase the statement and say the culture in NC is different to the culture in PA. Even in Manhattan, there's culture. Mid America lacks the museums and the rich history of the birth of this this nation, which is largely confined to the East Coast and the North East, but they too have their own character, be it the strip malls and shopping malls, wide open highways, etc etc

And when people talk about NY pizza or Chicago pizza, they also don't seem to realize that food taste is acquired. I remember the first time I ate a proper NY pizza in NYC and I could have sworn it tasted like a frozen no-name pizza from the dollar store.

As far as amenities are concerned you'd be surprised how much mid-America and the South have made progress with regards to public spaces and parks. Bicycle lanes and walking trails are now the norm in new communities. I think it's possible for someone to cycle from Indiana to Kansas because of interconnecting bike trails/bike friendly roads. People will say you need a car in the South like it's a bad thing to have one or two. Or several. To me driving is about convenience. Being at the mercy of the train or bus schedule sucks.

I think people over analyse where they choose to live. There's a tendency to focus on superficial stuff, which are mostly things that one can adapt to or change. For me, I think one should live where they can afford to buy a good home in a decent neighborhood. It's OK to pay rent when you are young but it makes a big difference when you are way past your prime and you're still paying rent while your contemporaries have paid off their houses. Just read the retirement forum on CD. Everyone needs housing for the rest of their life and the earlier one is done paying off the bank, the better off one is.

When I moved to Philly there are things I didn't like. But I knew I had to either adapt or figure out a way around them. For example, I knew traffic is bad and so I bought a house very close to my place of work. If I need to go outdoors when it's below freezing, I have cold gear and I just dress accordingly. I don't need to live in SoCal to enjoy the outdoors all year round.

[thedirtypirate]

1ondoner, did you just chuckle at my statement that Raleigh is like Richmond? And turn around and try to say I said that it had no "culture"? You better check your reading comprehension friend

I love the culture of NC, the beaches in the east, the mountains to the west, Raleigh out in the middle of a tobacco field doesn't add much. What you wrote doesn't even make much sense. I do not think the OP is looking to take the bus in Lansdale *chuckles*..