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I think the problems start when people move here and expect it to be like the place they left. It's not, and it shouldn't be.
Great post! I absolutely agree.
We too are learning to make some of our dishes that we miss about Oregon that we can't get in resturants here. I love how not only am I enjoying NC dishes that I never got in Oregon (like Bananna Puddin' YUM!!!) but I'm also stretching my brain and culinary skills by learning to cook new things. I can make bread now...the really good hard crusted kind. I would have never learned how to do this in Oregon!
It's great to be open to new places and things, it makes us flexible and grow.
We too are learning to make some of our dishes that we miss about Oregon that we can't get in resturants here. I love how not only am I enjoying NC dishes that I never got in Oregon (like Bananna Puddin' YUM!!!) but I'm also stretching my brain and culinary skills by learning to cook new things. I can make bread now...the really good hard crusted kind. I would have never learned how to do this in Oregon!
For those who like banana pudding - check out Paula Deen's recipe. My mother-in-law made this, and it's absolutely fantastic. Slightly different from your usual recipes, but the differences are wonderful.
Like you, PDXmom, I'm enjoying learning how to make the foods I left behind in Houston. It's been a lot of fun.
I know that people don't like it when people from NY/NJ talk about missing pizza! There is good pizza here though and up north we don't have great banana pudding so it all evens out !
I've been missing good pizza since I moved away from NY about 5 years ago. Banana pudding....who cares about that!
When you are in Venezuela or Poland you are not going to find things from where you moved from nor will it change because you moved there it dont work that way.
I would not expect to find fried chicken or bagels in these countries. You learn to adapt to their culture. Part of moving to a different region should be starting new beginnings.
When you are in Venezuela or Poland you are not going to find things from where you moved from nor will it change because you moved there it dont work that way.
I would not expect to find fried chicken or bagels in these countries. You learn to adapt to their culture. Part of moving to a different region should be starting new beginnings.
Yeah, but I don't think there's anything wrong with missing food you like. I'd expect the same of southerners who moved north. You can usually make it yourself though. (and for NY pizza - Raleigh Fairgrounds pizza truck - seriously).
Yeah, but I don't think there's anything wrong with missing food you like. I'd expect the same of southerners who moved north. You can usually make it yourself though. (and for NY pizza - Raleigh Fairgrounds pizza truck - seriously).
I don't think there's anything wrong with missing it, either. The problem is when people start comparing Raleigh unfavorably to another place simply because the cuisine is different.
Putting an "I think" before "Raleigh has changed for the better" would have been the proper way to word this, since you are stating YOUR personal opinion. It's an opinion that I absolutely disagree with. I think this place is turning into more and more of a hole every month, a mere shadow of its former self. I think it's sad what growth has done to Raleigh.
Seemed pretty obvious to me that such a statement was an opinion. The vast majority of info shared on this forum is subjective opinion.
I do hear newcomers (and even some people who relocated quite some time ago) complain about things that are different than back home. In general I think it is a good idea to just sit back and observe for awhile in a new situation - a new neighborhood or city, a new job, etc. - before you start offering ideas for "improvement". You may just find that there is a good reason for things being different. (I've seen this recently at work with some new hires).
In the last week on C-D, I've seen people complain about lack of lighting, lack of variety in restaurants that are open late, lack of gas stations in some areas, lack of rail service and other things. But none of that is objectively bad, it is just different. For instance, Less lighting = less light polution. No rail has meant less taxes (and I hear over and over people complain about the taxes where they came from).
But change is inevitable. I generally either welcome or accept it and move on and try to make the best of a change. Every now and then a change is actually bad and I might feel the energy to try to change it back (or at least fix it). But I, too, feel like most of the changes have been positive.
I hear what the OP is saying in terms of the changes that newcomers bring. I don't believe newcomers for the most part are coming to change things, especially to the way it was from where the came - considering the move to NC usually happens to escape the current living situation they came from. However, just like anytime you add a new ingredient to a dish, it changes the dish, so also, when newcomers arrive things will change. Not because they are necessarily trying to change it, but just by the nature of things
I do understand that there might be some people, who are all set to go about changing their new place to the way it was from where they came- to them I ask why? Shouldn't we all savor the new experience instead of comparing and complaining? Doesn't that make life less sweeter just my 0.02.
Yes, there are things I miss about Houston, especially food-wise. Tex-Mex is not even remotely the same, and Texas barbecue is an entirely different cuisine from NC barbecue. However, I don't complain that you can't find the equivalent here. I embrace the differences. I love sweet tea, and have come to love NC barbecue. We found a Mexican restaurant we love, and I actually found a couple of dishes there that they don't have in Houston. For the ones I miss, I've learned to make at home.
Truly fabulous post, Claire! I agree with you 100%. I, too, have been stretching my culinary muscles since moving here - and having a lot of fun doing it. In addition, I love going out and exploring the restaurants available here. I have a long list of restaurants throughout the Triangle that I still need to check out. It's fun to try these new foods and see these new places. For me, that's a huge part of the fun of moving to a new place.
As for newcomers changing NC ... well, honestly, I think it's done unconsciously. It's the ol' straw-vs-the-camel's-back scenario. It doesn't make a huge impact on most towns if just one family moves there. But when family after family after family arrives, it makes a big impact. All of these people are just trying to provide a good life for their families (How many times have we read those words on this forum!). You can't blame someone for pursuing happiness, but the more people come here, the more the area changes. Roads get a bit more crowded, farm land is converted to subdivisions, etc. That's just the way it goes. It is happening all over the country (Yes, natives, it really is. This is not unique to NC.), but the growth is at an accelerated rate here.
Most people don't move here because they want the place to be more crowded. Most people don't move here because they want to drive up real estate prices. Most people don't move here because they want beautiful, rolling pastureland to be converted to a sea of cookie cutter houses & big box stores. They aren't consciously trying to change the area, but they're changing it anyway just by being here.
By the by, I'm a transplant, so you might say I'm part of the problem. However, if my husband hadn't been offered a job here, we would never have made the move. I think that if people want to blame anyone for the growth, they should point their fingers at the great success and growth of the corporations that call the Triangle home. The job growth in this area directly lead to the population growth.
I appreciate the OP's question, and found the other postings interesting. My question for y'all is how long have you lived here? It really was amazing to me to hear some of the things said, such as "Raleigh has changed for the better." I agree with DireWolf that it was an opinion, but it is exactly that sort of statement that makes the "natives" bristle, as it implies it wasn't good enough before.
I think some of the other posters hit it dead one. Most relocate here without the intention of creating change, and yes, change does happen. I can tell you that the majority of relo's don't come across as arrogant, but some do (such as the above comment, regardless of how it was intended). It's not pointing out the difference in the cuisine (i.e "back home...") that gets us. It's the attitude. And yes, there are a lot of born and raised folks who do talk about the transplants (but not to their face ). Some transplants have blended in so well, you'd never know it, and that's great.
Changes are good, but we hear all the time "when we moved down..." as the start of how things have changed "for the better". Or "back in..." as if wanting NC to be like where ever they came from. It's not, and for many who moved here they wanted something different.
I don't mean to be negative, but am pointing out what's discussed among those who are from this area, and why they might get bothered by those moving here. They try to hold on even tighter to the "good ol' boy" culture because of it.
I will never forget how much Chapel Hill has changed from the 60s, 70s and even 80s. It is not the same town, and that is because of the newcomers. Many of us old timers moved out of Chapel Hill in search of what we grew up with, and even now that's changing...for the better.
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Change happens anyway
). Some transplants have blended in so well, you'd never know it, and that's great. 
