Pittsburgh has an inferiority complex (Philadelphia, Washington: how much, construction, college)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by AaronClark

I usually manage to make it to Toronto in 4 hours as well....as long as there isn't a ton of border traffic. This city is extremely convenient to a lot of places...one of the reasons I love it so much.

I used to joke to my friends and family from either Michigan or the East Coast that the advantage of literally being in the middle of Nowhere is that Somewhere is all around you.

[Hotlanta2]

Originally Posted by AaronClark

I usually manage to make it to Toronto in 4 hours as well....as long as there isn't a ton of border traffic. This city is extremely convenient to a lot of places...one of the reasons I love it so much.

Get out! It takes at LEAST 5.5 hours to get there. 5 if you fly. I know, we've gone a ton of times in the past few years and I drive at least 85 miles an hour nearly all the way there!

[AaronClark]

Ok....maybe 4.5, but definitely under 5. Maybe it's because every time we've gone it's been late at night and there was zero traffic.

[fleetiebelle]

What I seem to hear all the time is the newbies think Pittsburgh is a great place and the natives all think they're crazy. When you go to the trouble to relocate -- and it's a real hassle to move cross country, espeucally if you have pets, you're far more likely to come into a place with hopes and dreams and positive attitudes.

This is right on. Every time people say, "oh, Pittsburghers are so negative" I think, "hey, I don't know anyone like that." But then it occurs to me that I have only a handful of friends and coworkers who are actually born-and-bred Pittsburghers. Everyone else is from somewhere else (even if they've lived here for 20 years) and chooses to stay here.

[juliegt]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Kat -- I don't know if you can answer this -- is there any possiblilty of Denver having an amazing amount of immigrants from other US locales? In other words, everybody in Denver is FROM somewhere else, and chose to move to Denver.

What I seem to hear all the time is the newbies think Pittsburgh is a great place and the natives all think they're crazy. When you go to the trouble to relocate -- and it's a real hassle to move cross country, espeucally if you have pets, you're far more likely to come into a place with hopes and dreams and positive attitudes.

And when you're a native all you see is how things have changed, and it's not the same and you're stuck. And your attitude SUCKS.

I've seen it out here. I had a co-worker who I became friendly with who was a native Californian. Born and raised in Redwood City. When she got married and moved to Fremont (less than 20 miles away across the bay with a bridge right there) it had been like she was moving to Outer Mongolia. Her PARENTS didn't want to visit her in Fremont because it was TOO FAR AWAY!

She and her husband -- also native -- had never been to Napa to the wineries. Never been to Santa Cruz, or Monterey, to the aquarium. We opened up their world....

All she did was complain about how CA stunk and why would anyone want to move here...

SAN FRANCISCO CA, PEOPLE... so this happens everywhere and from what I've experienced, it's natives. People that CHOOSE to live here are happy to live here....

Am I on to something? Or crazy? Keep in mind, could be both!

I'm a native San Franciscan who has lived in Redwood City for over 20 years and I have met people like the one you describe. Fremont as Outer Mongolia - now that's funny!

I think you explained the native vs. newcomer mentality very well. Lots of native San Franciscans love their hometown, but there are many who feel that the decline started with the hippies and that the city has been going downhill ever since. BTW, I'm not one of them. I imagine that attitude is very prevalent in the rustbelt cities that lost their major industries in the 80s. Newcomers don't have the memories of glory days and made the choice to live there.

[Agbor]

What I noticed in Pittsburgh is a complacent mentality..As in "I don't know about X" so therefore
"Why should I learn about X"...but they want you to know about Pittsburgh..I knew of someone who
moved here from Tampa..and some Pittsburgh people lambasted her for not knowing who Porky Chedwick
was..and not knowing other Pittsbughisms..I think this comfortable in ignorance attitude contributes to
an inferiority complex in that one knows they are ignorant but don't want to take the means to become
un ignorant..Pittsburghers do make fun of themselves (They do various yeinzer characters on WDVE) and their demographic seems to be lower-class Pittsburghers..

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I'm originally from Michigan, and for some reason people in Pittsburgh think that must be a thousand miles away. It only takes me four and a half hours to drive home, but I guess not many Michigan people live here.

I can see why though -- for some reason I think of Michigan as way nearer Wisconsin, not in such close proximity to Ohio. I think one of the downfalls to our education we learn a lot about states, but not really where they are.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

I can see why though -- for some reason I think of Michigan as way nearer Wisconsin, not in such close proximity to Ohio. I think one of the downfalls to our education we learn a lot about states, but not really where they are.

LOL, that's kind of strange. It borders both.

[chloride1]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

I moved here from FL nearly 3 years ago and I completely agree with what's been said so far regarding negativity. This city offers so much: history, architecture, scenery, low cost of living, low crime, things to do, jobs (especially healthcare), sports, etc....but what ruins this place is the attitude from the locals. I've never seen a group of people so negative about the place they were born and raised. Many Pittsburghers are very sheltered and have never lived anywhere else, so they have nothing to compare this area to. It's like a cult mentality, they were raised believing this place sucks, people around them say this place sucks, so they believe this place sucks.

It's funny, Orlando (where I grew up) is the complete opposite. People convince themselves how great it is and ignore all the bad things and what a mess that city turned into, while Pittsburghers convince themselves how terrible this city is and ignore all the good things.

Orlando resident: "My house was broken into twice this year, it's 95 degrees with 80% humidity, lightning knocked out my a/c and I can't afford to fix it because I only make $10 an hour at my service industry job...BUT I LOVE IT HERE!"

Pittsburgh resident: "It's cloudy today and I hit a pothole. This is the worst place on earth!!!!"

To all Pittsburghers that think this place is so horrible, what are you hoping to find in other cities that Pittsburgh doesn't offer (besides the beach and palm trees)? Do you realize Pittsburgh has many benefits that are not found in most other places?

I really like most things about the Pittsburgh area, but I am debating whether this is the place I want to spend the next several years of my life. And the ONLY reason for this is because I have grown tired of the constant negativity from the people that live here. It gets really, really old. Like the OP said, do you natives realize how frustrating it is for tranplants to come here, like what they see, but hear nothing but negative things from he locals? Do you really NOT want newcomers to come here and STAY here?

I'm also a transplant and completely agree with this post.

[judies]

Yes, Pittsburgh needs a transportation Renaissance. Outside of that this the sparse fifty days a year total of sunshine, it is a GREAT place to live. The top side of this latter remark though : the dewy youthful skin of the residents even in their senior years. Subject to the inevitable effects of gravity, but not dryness. This can be worth the clouds.