moving from SanFran to Pittsburgh-culture shock? (Duquesne, California: middle-class, construction, college)
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I lived in Pittsburgh for 28 years. I love it there. I live in San Francisco now and have for about 10. If I could fold the country in half like a dollar bill, I'd have the best of all possible worlds. I hesitate to say anything critical about either place given people's ability to be so easily offended. San Francisco's worst qualities are embodied in the snobbery and self-satisfaction of its residents. There is an air of privilege and caste remarkable to the Bay Area. Even New Yorkers carry a more democratic tolerance of class than San Franciscans. Pittsburgh certainly doesn't quite suffer from that particular social character. It is defiantly unpretentious. But with that a visitor might suffer provincialism and self-righteousness of many of Pittsburgh's inhabitants that's quaint in the short term and frustrating in the long term. Topographically there are some similarities. The hills and valleys of Pittsburgh yield less flat open space than the city by the bay, but for the most part the grandeur of these is diminutive in comparison. But Pittsburgh is so green, so wild in it's nature that the forest seems to constantly win itself over. San Franciscan's talk about nature, and indeed with the proximity of Yosemite and other expanses of wilderness there's no doubt that Pennsylvania leaves much to be desired. But Pittsburgh itself is a city within a forest. That forest is at your doorstep--you don't have to drive in traffic to find it. It's a less celebrated wilderness, a diamond in the rough. Given this, anything wild you might find won't be over run by hikers and tourists. Culturally there's a lot going on. It's about being intimate with the city, not being a tourist that gives life there value. Imagine the senior prom queen being crowned. She's wearing a thousand dollar dress, a string of pearls, her hair is glossy and shining in the spotlight. She shines and everyone sees her and desires her. At the other end of the hall is a swarthy girl with dark curls, smoking a cigarette wearing a vintage emerald dress with a few tears in the hem. She's beautiful but shy. She's got an accent that reveals she's from the wrong side of the tracks. She's hiding a bit in the shadows. She's got a leather jacket draped over one shoulder because she's about to get the hell out the gym so she can ride her two stroke dirt bike out to the river to smoke a joint. This is the difference.
Imagine the senior prom queen being crowned. She's wearing a thousand dollar dress, a string of pearls, her hair is glossy and shining in the spotlight. She shines and everyone sees her and desires her. At the other end of the hall is a swarthy girl with dark curls, smoking a cigarette wearing a vintage emerald dress with a few tears in the hem. She's beautiful but shy. She's got an accent that reveals she's from the wrong side of the tracks. She's hiding a bit in the shadows. She's got a leather jacket draped over one shoulder because she's about to get the hell out the gym so she can ride her two stroke dirt bike out to the river to smoke a joint. This is the difference.
I lived in Pittsburgh for 28 years. I love it there. I live in San Francisco now and have for about 10. If I could fold the country in half like a dollar bill, I'd have the best of all possible worlds. I hesitate to say anything critical about either place given people's ability to be so easily offended. San Francisco's worst qualities are embodied in the snobbery and self-satisfaction of its residents. There is an air of privilege and caste remarkable to the Bay Area. Even New Yorkers carry a more democratic tolerance of class than San Franciscans. Pittsburgh certainly doesn't quite suffer from that particular social character. It is defiantly unpretentious. But with that a visitor might suffer provincialism and self-righteousness of many of Pittsburgh's inhabitants that's quaint in the short term and frustrating in the long term. Topographically there are some similarities. The hills and valleys of Pittsburgh yield less flat open space than the city by the bay, but for the most part the grandeur of these is diminutive in comparison. But Pittsburgh is so green, so wild in it's nature that the forest seems to constantly win itself over. San Franciscan's talk about nature, and indeed with the proximity of Yosemite and other expanses of wilderness there's no doubt that Pennsylvania leaves much to be desired. But Pittsburgh itself is a city within a forest. That forest is at your doorstep--you don't have to drive in traffic to find it. It's a less celebrated wilderness, a diamond in the rough. Given this, anything wild you might find won't be over run by hikers and tourists. Culturally there's a lot going on. It's about being intimate with the city, not being a tourist that gives life there value. Imagine the senior prom queen being crowned. She's wearing a thousand dollar dress, a string of pearls, her hair is glossy and shining in the spotlight. She shines and everyone sees her and desires her. At the other end of the hall is a swarthy girl with dark curls, smoking a cigarette wearing a vintage emerald dress with a few tears in the hem. She's beautiful but shy. She's got an accent that reveals she's from the wrong side of the tracks. She's hiding a bit in the shadows. She's got a leather jacket draped over one shoulder because she's about to get the hell out the gym so she can ride her two stroke dirt bike out to the river to smoke a joint. This is the difference.
Perfect!
When you get sick of pretentious snobbery, you know where to go. Come back anytime! Also, give me the vintage pot-smoking girl from the wrong side of the tracks over the popular prom queen any day.
P.S. BRILLIANT first () post. I mean it this time.
But seriously, Camera is spot on. I cannot touch that brilliant post, but I will say it reinforces a view I have had of people from the Bay Area for about 5 years now. There is such a thinly veiled sense of superiority that they carry, that they can really rub people the wrong way. The only other place I have felt that same feeling is in Boulder Colorado. Here in Ashland, Oregon, destination of hordes of BA expats, that attitude is overwhelming and probably a part of the disdain for Californians. Another big part is that these same self-satisfied folks can sell their row house and move to your town and buy the nicest dream home in town, or three, and they have done it all over the country.
A true story: In my youth I was a ski bum at Purgatory in SW Colorado for a year (gorgeous btw), teaching handicapped kids to ski by day and waiting tables at night. It was height of the 1980s oil boom and swaggering Texans were flyng north and buying everything in site. Western Coloradoans, then as now, were poor as dirt. I met many Texans and found them jolly and appreciative of the beauty of Colorado. I had a table of Californians from the Bay Area, and I asked them in my usual way about their day, and the response was something like, "Not bad, but it's not quite Heavenly." As you might imagine the food and especially wine left them cold too. I came away feeling they were insufferable snobs. A single case, to be sure, but a good example of how NOT to act.
So to the OP, buy a warm wool coat and be yourself. I think the folks will warm up to you if you don't feel the need to educate them on how great California is. Embrace the city,the state, the East, the big rivers, thunderstorms, and whatever other cool things you see there.
I have not read too many of the other post, but there are a number of major differences. Probably the most obvious difference is that outside of the university areas (or perhaps the triangle) Pittsburgh is pretty much backwater. The metro area is noticeably low on the social class ladder, where as San Fransisco is the opposite. This of course results in all sorts of differences, like an almost insane fixation on football.
Anyhow, if you say in the triangle the differences are not that pronounced. But the minute you start leaving the triangle the difference is like night and day.
I have not read too many of the other post, but there are a number of major differences. Probably the most obvious difference is that outside of the university areas (or perhaps the triangle) Pittsburgh is pretty much backwater. The metro area is noticeably low on the social class ladder, where as San Fransisco is the opposite. This of course results in all sorts of differences, like an almost insane fixation on football.
Anyhow, if you say in the triangle the differences are not that pronounced. But the minute you start leaving the triangle the difference is like night and day.
True for the most part, assuming you consider South Side part of the triangle.
Probably the most obvious difference is that outside of the university areas (or perhaps the triangle) Pittsburgh is pretty much backwater. The metro area is noticeably low on the social class ladder, where as San Fransisco is the opposite.
But the minute you start leaving the triangle the difference is like night and day.
Yeah, you're right, just yesterday I drove my truck out to Sewickley to listen to some hillbilly country music. Everyone was wearing Steeler shirts n'at, I ran into the Hillmans, Rooneys, and Mario.
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