mean towns (Charleston, Washington: sales, income, property taxes)

[kookamus]

Originally Posted by vec101

Do you mean Charleston proper or the greater Charleston area? Must be all those dang foreigners who have moved into the area. (Foreigners = one not born or raised in WV OR one born in another state but has not adapted to the WV ways. One is not a foreigner if from another state but has adopted WV ways).

I've not found Charleston to be unfriendly. I really like Chas. Hate that you have had negative experiences to make you feel it's unfriendly.

I have lived here 29 years and i can tell you the whole area of charleston (for the most part,there are some friendly people) is unfriendly. The people here are downright weird. They will sometimes say hi or good morning but will generally not engage in conversation. I have seen the same people for years and tried to speak but no luck. The reason i was told is they have to get to know you. How do you get to know someone without talking to them. I could go on and on but i won't. My wife is from here and when her folks are gone we are gone. you people are clanish, cold and down right unfriendly.

[suecen]

I'm just curious then - what part of WV would you say the "friendly" residents are? Are some parts friendlier than others? I've read about the friendliness of WV so many times -??????????

[vec101]

Originally Posted by kookamus

you people are clanish, cold and down right unfriendly.

Hate that you have had that experience.

I've had the opposite experience. I'm from NE Ohio but have lived in WV for 26 years and consider myself a native-by-choice. I hope that I am "One is not a foreigner if from another state but has adopted WV ways".
Chas are is a mix of a lot of people from other states as well as natural natives. I still think it's those dang foreigners that haven't adapted the WV ways.

[atlantagreg30127]

I would say that Charlestonians are "to themselves" more than some folks may be used to when coming to the area. Appalachians as a whole are more to themselves than other parts of the U.S. It's not necessarily being rude - just less open to right off the bat start blabbering about nothing. At least folks up there are honest to your face if they don't like you.

That's one thing I noticed when I moved to Atlanta years ago. People here will just start talking to you like they've known you for years (to the point of irritation sometimes), and smile smile smile even if they don't like someone - only to talk about that person like a Viper once that person leaves the room. Down here they feel that's actually being "polite"... to be nice and then slam 'em when they leave, but personally I prefer the Charleston way where if someone doesn't like you they clam up the second that person walks into a room. LOL. At least you don't have to guess. I'm to this day still a bit put off by how the women here will call you "sugar" and "darlin" right off the bat, and some of the buys will give you the "buddy" label 3 seconds after they meet you. I guess there's still Appalachian in me... I WANT to say, "Um, excuse me, I'm not your buddy yet" - but I DO hold back. LOL

As far as New York: When I visited there I found many folks to be MUCH more friendly than I had thought. Ok, at the end of the day on a subway car, sure, folks are "quieter", but in general on the streets and in shops, they were fine.

Least friendly city I've been to: Winchester, Kentucky (suburb of Lexington). This is one of those towns where everyone looks like ZZTop and everyone "packs heat". Was thankfully only passing through with someone I know who is from there, but every person I made contact with was very literally mentally from the land that time forgot, and treated outsiders like they were the IRS coming to take the house. LOL. VERY odd town.

[citybilly]

In my limited experience, there is some sense that New Yorkers are very open about what they think of you, and southern women will say "sugar" and "bless your heart" and then complain to everyone else what a loser you are. I'm not sure either way is all good, or all bad. Not crazy about the backstabbing, on one hand, or too much in-your-face confrontation on the other. I'm good hearted but not overly sociable or chatty. (believe it or not). Of course, I'd like a place where everyone else is similar to me. Charleston almost sounds odd enough to suit me.

[kookamus]

vec101,i am from ne ohio too, mahoning county.

[vec101]

Originally Posted by kookamus

vec101,i am from ne ohio too, mahoning county.

Trumbull county here. We were neighbors!

[vec101]

Speaking of (or not) foreigners...
Could not believe the number of foreigners on I-79 this weekend. I don't mean our neighbors Pa, Ohio, etc. License plates were from SC, Colorado, Massachusets (spell?), Illinois, Vermont, New York, and more. Hope they weren't just driving through.

[kookamus]

We have a place up Hicko (hico) in fayette county and 19 runs through it, talk about out of staters, Canadians too. They get a real nice reception by Fayetteville Fuzz who lay for speeders. I have waved many a fool to slow down.

[Two-Rivers]

Originally Posted by Hinton Bound

ROFL! I live here in Hampton Roads, and even I don't go to the ship yards!....

....I'm sure there are people everywhere who are just sour by nature. In those cases, remember this: Lifes too short to hang around people you don't like.

Yes, but if your job is on the nuke sub docked in the shipyard, you go to the shipyard when they tell you to, if you value your job.

Otherwise, I agree, and I haven't been back there, and don't ever plan to return.

Don't get me wrong, I did find some very nice folks there, inside the gates. The motel stay was a whole 'nother experience. I guess the locals rent rooms to have parties and conduct transactions.