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Of the biggest metros, my (extremely subjective) ranking
Philadelphia
Chicago
Boston
New York
Atlanta
Miami
Dallas
Houston
SF
LA
DC
I presume your ranking is based on how you were perceived as a transplant to each of these cities?
I have moved to 7 states, the most recent move being to Philly. I personally haven't had a problem fitting in quickly in any of these moves and have found people warm and welcoming north and south. I hold the belief that one's ability to fit in and make friends is more dependent on the attitude and personality of the person moving to a new locale rather than of those already living there. If someone finds themselves unwelcomed in several locales, I'd definitely suggest they look at their own behaviors rather than those of of the people around them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyle19125
I would agree regarding Philadelphia. I moved there from DC which many find cold/unwelcoming and found Philly to be much worse.
I think its more dependent upon other factors than the city itself.
I've moved to Houston twice, Plano (you may know our suburb Dallas better), Pittsburgh, and NJ suburb in NJ Somerset Cty, as well as Stillwater OK and Idaho. The least welcoming place was Pittsburgh.
Upon reflection, I believe it was where I lived not the city. I moved into a 20 years old North Hills suburban town with neighbors having lived there a long time. They all said hello but we got to know none very well. I believe they all had full lives with family and plenty of friends and didnt need new friends.
NJ was the most welcoming - a 6 year old neighborhood was the reason I believe.
Plano was next most welcoming - 11 year old neighborhood.
Houston was middle of the pack as both neighborhoods were either older or had an alley section so we ran into neighbors less without a planned event.
Still water was a college town so wide wide wide open and cluelss . In Idaho mother nature was very welcoming and the people were scarce.
Work was welcoming in all cases, due to being in same situation as others - recent recruits or transfers within the same company and culture. Work related social issues was the limit usually.
So the short answer is its pittsburgh which wasnt on the list of poll cities. The longer answer wasnt there either.....I believe it may be a function of the neighborhood you happen to chose.
It's even worse when somebody moves to a city that has an unduly negative reputation and then acts as though they're more enlightened simply because they're from somewhere else.
I disagree. First, when I was a kid in LA, I befriended people that were not from the area, either in school or at work. If they had a great sense of humor and seemed smart, I wanted to know them. I think this is partly because my parents were from overseas, as were many of my friends' parents. Second, it is pathetic when this happens in a place of work among professional peers. I specifically recall working for a SEA outfit where the pecking order was organized along university alumni lines...and it was not cool. Finally, some people actually DO get to know quite a bit about a city before transplanting there...that should be flattering to the citizen of that city. Though we lived in North Jersey when I was younger and for a short time, I am fascinated by the map of NY and like to look at the RE section, so I can spout out names like Pelham Manor, Howard Beach and Jamaica Estates, and the locals look at me like "really, you know about those places...that's pretty good."
Exactly!!! Great point. That is me exactly. I am a geography and love learning about a region as much as possible. Thats very important to me. Geography is all about learning about a region when you can't necessarily experience at all.
The thing about LA, is that I DID lots of research, I enjoy all the outdoors, hiking trails, geologic formations, etc.
Everyone is like "Wow, you really get around! You know more about SoCal than a lot of natives! Thats so cool!"
When I went to grad school in a town north of Denver, it was NOT like that at all.
In Colorado, people were friendly, and people liked me, absolutely, but a lot of people, including people that haven't been living there THAT much longer than me.
There, it DID not matter if you've been a tourist at many places before, it did not matter if you did a lot of research on the region before relocating, to them, you have to be there for at least a few years before you can claim to know the area.
It was like I was an "entry level Coloradan". You always had "a lot to learn" Anytime they said this or that place was too crowded, and I said "I didn't think it was crowded" the response was always "Thats because you're from back east" I just didn't appreciate that.
I pride myself on learning as much as I can about a city, state, or region. I'm not saying I have a certain street cred that only long term residents can have.
Thats my experience.
Everyone from where I grew up outside Chicago is still confused as to why I love LA. They're always confused to why I didn't stay in Colorado. I'm into the outdoors, and have an earth science educational background. They already have pre-conceived notions about what I would like.
Philly is definitely provincial, especially when it comes to sports, but there are very definite undertones of being a world-class city lurking in the background that you just have to do a quick google search to find.
In my experience it was definately Seattle. Seattleites hated the large influx of californians and many others. The once low cost of living suddenly skyrocketed thru the roof, traffic became much worse and the El Caminos and VW Buses where replaced with Audis, BMWs and Lexus'. It was headline news with people putting signs in their yards, 'Californians Go Home'. I use to see people writing down my DC licence plate number to turn in to the police. It was crazy! Then came Tiffany, Louie, Hermes', Gucci, Barneys and the rest of the highend stuff. Seattle has definately change over the years. I wonder what it would be like if the newcomers never came.
In my experience it was definately Seattle. Seattleites hated the large influx of californians and many others. The once low cost of living suddenly skyrocketed thru the roof, traffic became much worse
I wonder what it would be like if the newcomers never came.
Agreed. That was my vote. Beautiful city, drab people. I think the discovery was inevitable after Microsoft. It was a sleepy city when Boeing was the only show in town. When tech took off, it had no choice but to be under the spotlight. BTW, thanks for that photo you show of Los Angeles. My hometown is beautiful. I think quite a few Angelenos who moved to Seattle, or the PNW, quietly moved back to SoCal if it penciled for them.
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. In Idaho mother nature was very welcoming and the people were scarce.
