Any New Yorkers (or Northerners) living in VA or the South?

[chris72]

I moved to Virginia from Ohio, to make a long story short. It's great; it isn't quite as "cosmopolitain" or "metropolitain" per se, but the people are fun and welcoming and I enjoy the difference in the pace of life. Up North, as dear and close to my heart as it will always be, is a bit impersonal and cold for my tastes, though you get used to it. It took a while to fully embrace the difference as I was a bit distant myself for some time, and it made me think a bit about how life is up there and perhaps how it could be a lot better.

Only thing I've really noticed about Virginia from elsewhere is that it's more suburbia, a blend, or grey areas between what is truly metropolitain and the countryside, than up North. There's mainly like three areas you have to concern yourself with, Richmond, which is like a half-million in population or more I'm not sure, Norfolk, which is like 1.6 million and comprises of 7 to 15 different cities in the Southeastern area of the state and Arlington, which is a bit over 2 million and is the southern seat of the D.C./Baltimore area. This isn't a concrete jungle like that area is, and isn't as densely populated but has it's own feel which, on the surface, isn't as hectic and more about partying and having a good time than anything else, which is a nice benefit to living in a resort area.

If you can deal with driving all the time and living with a commute to work which is an hour or more and don't mind the congestion this is for you. If you'd rather get on a train or like to walk around I might suggest the D.C./Northern Virginia area. The only downside is that, for the high rent in this area, the jobs aren't paying that much. Truth is if you can find a nice paying job back in Ohio it's probably paying the same, though there would be a lot more competition for the same job up there, and you'd have to be overeducated for it, whereas here it doesn't seem to be the case so much. Rent is anywhere from like $600 to $6,000 or more, depending on whether you want to live where few else do, or are income-restricted, or whether you have to have a high-rise condo on the Beach or something. Helps to have good credit as well it's hard to do anything here without that and you'll be overcharged on a lot of stuff.

This is one of those weird areas where it's sort of South and sort of isn't, sort of is a lot of people who have been here their entire lives growing up there and a lot of people who aren't, because of military or perhaps they're retiring here or just want to see what it's about, so you'll never know who you'll meet. As far as New Yorkers, well, this is a major departure from Gotham so I can see why someone wouldn't like it, but at the same time, I don't know if anyone is prejudiced towards them or not, just that I haven't had any problems myself.

[kiroshi1]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Just as bad being a Southerner in the North. they still think all people are racist in the south, even though half of the people are people of color and that there is a great migration of black professionals leaving the so called promised land(of ghettos and not so friendly liberal whites who only talk and act out of guilty) to go home again, where there is alot more honesty from the racist in the south than the racist in the north.

it seems many of the northerners in this thread havent really travelled in the north. look how segregated Philadelphia and Boston are. the things people say about black people still, the awful inner city schools which whites have totally abandoned, the police brutality in places like NYC--just 50 or so bullets pumped into a man coming from his wedding.

Oh yeah its so great and enlightened in the north, NOT. All the people in the south want you to stop doing is coming down and telling us how to live.nd live up north and we will absorb your values, but when you come to dixie then you have to accept our way of life.

spit shake

carolina jack,

"the police brutality in places like NYC--just 50 or so bullets pumped into a man coming from his wedding".

first,not to defend all cops or to vilify them either,just to correct what you said,this guy was not coming from his wedding,it was a bachelor party at a known club of ill repute.second he and his group of friends got in a fight at which time one of his buddies said"yo get my gun"in the presence of 7 undercover cops,then one of the cops ordered them to stop as they got into a vehicle,they did not and hit the cop,an unmarked cop van then tried to run.using a vehicle as a weapon is a weapon. if you look at stats of major cities deadly force use ,nypd comes in surprisingly low.
as for the comment about coming to jersey and instilling morals and values,would you PLEASE!!!!!!!!,
as a lifelong resident of the lower half of the state,the part that USED to(with the obvious exception of Camden) have some semblance of values and is now overrun with dead from the neck up P.C liberals,please send reinforcements!!
truthfully i am looking,after 5 decades here to move down there,the slower pace,lower cost of living suits me well.remember geographically part of nj is lower than the mason-dixon line,sure no longer acts it though i

[citydweller]

The Norfolk/Va Beach area is so full of northerners (and everyone else in between) I doubt you will find much of that mentality here. It's more of a live and let live attitude, sometimes I find to the extreme.

[StuckPA]

I'm originally from the north and then lived in Roanoke VA back in the 90s(an even smaller city than Richmond). Of course I suppose I was a bit 'diluted' after living in a couple other states previous to that,so maybe I was just more adaptable and also I had done alot of research before making the move.
Or maybe I just felt more welcomed there than I did in NJ where I came from!
Whatever it was,in the 2 short years I lived there I would say the south was the best place I've ever lived overall and to this day regret not going back.
As far as your experience in Richmond,I've had somewhat unpleasant experiences and also have heard the same about that city. I don't know what it is but maybe you should look at another area,possibly the metro DC area if you want to stay around there.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

except for their attitude, behavior and license plates, no one would even know you are a Yankee in my neigbhorhood and a pecan pie would be at your door the next day. though many, not all, northerners would not welcome newcomers knocking on their door and being friendly, as I have found with people in Philly. They think you want something if you are being nice to them, which is a shame coming from the so called Peace, love and Justice crowd.

I agree completely. That's what I've seen after being in Phila. I've seen locals actually mock the truly good people,and that's something I don't 'take too kindly to'.

[Mike from back east]

The thread has degenerated into bickering, so I've deleted that stuff and closed the thread. Thanks to those who have managed to discuss matters without a lot of defensiveness, hostility, or making unflattering generalizations about entire groups of people or regions. Good grief.