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I used to have a friend in the DFW Metroplex who came to visit Arizona. It was so funny because he actually liked Tucson a lot better than Phoenix. He said he did not like the vibes in Phoenix. For me, I like the vibes in Phoenix better. I overall just like Phoenix a lot better than any of the Arizona towns. And when I say Phoenix, I'm referring to all of Maricopa County.
And then everybody says Austin is very nice. I did not like Austin. It felt like driving in LA with all the traffic. Somewhere that took 20 minutes to get to took me an hour and a half. And the people are mean and rude too in Austin. San Antonio was better, better vibes too, but super poor infrastructure. Houston was not friendly either and felt so industrial.
Texas overall, it's not a friendly place. I'd say El Paso has the rudest people in Texas. I've never been to the other border towns in Texas, so I can't speak for them.
I agree with you. TX is not friendly. The friendliest people I've met in the Dallas area were all from outside of TX. One of them was this tall, attractive blonde woman from Chicago who I worked with at one of my previous jobs and the other friendly people were a couple of guys from the Los Angeles area and a guy from a small city near Nashville, TN.
I've heard some good things about Phoenix, AZ from people who have visited or lived there. I had a co-worker from Phoenix when I worked at an engineering firm in Maryland few years ago and he was a nice guy.
I used to have a friend in the DFW Metroplex who came to visit Arizona. It was so funny because he actually liked Tucson a lot better than Phoenix. He said he did not like the vibes in Phoenix. For me, I like the vibes in Phoenix better. I overall just like Phoenix a lot better than any of the Arizona towns. And when I say Phoenix, I'm referring to all of Maricopa County.
And then everybody says Austin is very nice. I did not like Austin. It felt like driving in LA with all the traffic. Somewhere that took 20 minutes to get to took me an hour and a half. And the people are mean and rude too in Austin. San Antonio was better, better vibes too, but super poor infrastructure. Houston was not friendly either and felt so industrial.
Texas overall, it's not a friendly place. I'd say El Paso has the rudest people in Texas. I've never been to the other border towns in Texas, so I can't speak for them.
I think our views on El Paso and San Antonio are opposite but agree on the other cities.
I agree with you absolutely on Tucson, Austin, metro Phoenix and especially Gilbert.
I am not in Gilbert currently, but I lived and worked there and loved every minute in that town. Tempe is a magical place also, I have great memories and have had some great times in Tempe, amazing mix of individuals and a very exciting place.
Alot of introverted individuals who want to be left alone love the wide-open spaces of much of Tucson.
If I was extremely introverted and a senior-citizen I would enjoy North Tucson. In Tucson, I would go to the stores or coffee shop there and the cashier would say nothing at all or one word.
I would go for coffee in Tempe alot and usually the workers would have a little conversation with each customer. It's not unusual to have a conversation with someone just enjoying their coffee also.
In Tucson, I don't remember one worker making eye-contact and usually they would say nothing and I can't imagine a customer making eye-contact and a small conversation or "hows it going" would never ever happen in Tucson.
I remember coffee shop social distancing was a thing in Tucson long before COVID-19.
Salt Lake City in my opinion isn't that friendly, but a majority of the residents are very polite and rudeness is extremely rare there.
I prefer the personality traits of Salt Lake City and Metropolitan Phoenix over Denver extreme arrogance and pretention.
Denver's airport has always had good customer service. The airport in Denver has alot of very happy people who have dreamed about taking a Colorado vacation and are finally in their dream state.
Denver is not outwardly rude. The service at stores and coffee shops is there but usually with no smile.
The main thing about Denver is just the extreme arrogance and pretentiousness of the population. There is likely not a place on this earth that has so many visually unappealing men and women who pretend they are at the top of the scale on looks and then they were brag about their athletic accomplishments and pretend all they do is climb 14'ers when they aren't in good shape.
If one wants to be in a city with phony people pretending to be atheletes who only talk about materialism then Denver is a perfect city.
Denver also has alot of very dishonest, unethical people. Many of them only want friends because they need more people to join their multi tier marketing scheme.
I wouldn't recommend people looking for a city based on friendliness to choose Salt Lake City. It is a moderately friendly and very polite city.
Salt Lake City is a very, very superficial city though. I think some of the negative comments people make is more jealousy or envy because a majority of the men and women are extremely intelligent and extemely good-looking.
I would say that Salt Lake City sort of has a very similar vibe to Tempe meets Chandler.
In regards to Texas. I thought El Paso was polite but very cliquish. I liked El Paso best out of the Texas cities.
San Antonio I was there a few months, I wanted to like San Antonio because it is a very appealing, affordable city with a great climate and great scenery but the residents of San Antonio were extremely unfriendly.
It is hillarious to me that San Antonio ranks so high on friendliness. I wonder if it's just they have nice workers at the dozens of huge tourist attractions based on the selectiveness of the tourism-based employers, because the vast majority of residents of San Antonio seemed mean, unhappy, judgemental, very pretentious.
Almost everyone in San Antonio seemed very, very snobby and aloof. A tremendous amount of very mean and very unhappy people for no reason.
Austin was not rude at all compared to San Antonio but Austin is a very, very, very aloof and pretentious city in my opinion.
You're not the first person I've heard say this about San Antonio. I don't think "snobby" is the quite the right word though. I would say "provincial" instead.
It also brings up a good point. A lot of people have a tendency to judge a city based on their experience at tourist traps without actually exploring the neighborhoods and interacting with the actual residents outside of those attractions. It gives them a misleading perspective of the local culture and what it's like to actually live there.
Last edited by citidata18; 04-26-2021 at 07:46 PM..
Salt Lake City in my opinion isn't that friendly, but a majority of the residents are very polite and rudeness is extremely rare there.
I prefer the personality traits of Salt Lake City and Metropolitan Phoenix over Denver extreme arrogance and pretention.
Denver's airport has always had good customer service. The airport in Denver has alot of very happy people who have dreamed about taking a Colorado vacation and are finally in their dream state.
Denver is not outwardly rude. The service at stores and coffee shops is there but usually with no smile.
The main thing about Denver is just the extreme arrogance and pretentiousness of the population. There is likely not a place on this earth that has so many visually unappealing men and women who pretend they are at the top of the scale on looks and then they were brag about their athletic accomplishments and pretend all they do is climb 14'ers when they aren't in good shape.
If one wants to be in a city with phony people pretending to be atheletes who only talk about materialism then Denver is a perfect city.
Denver also has alot of very dishonest, unethical people. Many of them only want friends because they need more people to join their multi tier marketing scheme.
I wouldn't recommend people looking for a city based on friendliness to choose Salt Lake City. It is a moderately friendly and very polite city.
Salt Lake City is a very, very superficial city though. I think some of the negative comments people make is more jealousy or envy because a majority of the men and women are extremely intelligent and extemely good-looking.
I would say that Salt Lake City sort of has a very similar vibe to Tempe meets Chandler.
In regards to Texas. I thought El Paso was polite but very cliquish. I liked El Paso best out of the Texas cities.
San Antonio I was there a few months, I wanted to like San Antonio because it is a very appealing, affordable city with a great climate and great scenery but the residents of San Antonio were extremely unfriendly.
It is hillarious to me that San Antonio ranks so high on friendliness. I wonder if it's just they have nice workers at the dozens of huge tourist attractions based on the selectiveness of the tourism-based employers, because the vast majority of residents of San Antonio seemed mean, unhappy, judgemental, very pretentious.
Almost everyone in San Antonio seemed very, very snobby and aloof. A tremendous amount of very mean and very unhappy people for no reason.
Austin was not rude at all compared to San Antonio but Austin is a very, very, very aloof and pretentious city in my opinion.
Now that I hear about Denver on City-Data, it honestly just sounds more like the city version of Tucson, as if Tucson were a metropolitan city with the same attitudes. I'll probably still visit Denver, because I was last there when I was a teenager. You are probably right about the airport in Denver, a lot of tourists probably who are not from the area. Likely when you leave the airport, it's a different culture. I was judging Denver by the airport. It felt like it was a mistake.
I prefer San Antonio over El Paso. I have family in San Antonio. I ask one of my relatives if she and their neighbors get together. She said, "no, it's San Antonio, we keep to ourselves." I was shocked to hear that. In Phoenix, neighbors get together and throw block parties. My relatives and my cousins love San Antonio though. They have their own social circles. They also love it because it's a short drive from Lubbock, another city I have family in. That family used to live in Ocala, FL and boy they hated Ocala. Florida in general has some extremely mean people. I was screamed at for no reason there in Ocala once. Then they lived in New Jersey, technically a Philadelphia metro area suburb, and they hated it too. They also complained of rudeness there.
Yes, El Paso is very cliquish. Maybe you had different experiences in El Paso. For me, I grew up there, spent most of my life there, I just wanted out so bad. It was getting so tiring and so boring. I also just did not like the people in El Paso. But everyone has different experiences.
I think our views on El Paso and San Antonio are opposite but agree on the other cities.
I agree with you absolutely on Tucson, Austin, metro Phoenix and especially Gilbert.
I am not in Gilbert currently, but I lived and worked there and loved every minute in that town. Tempe is a magical place also, I have great memories and have had some great times in Tempe, amazing mix of individuals and a very exciting place.
Alot of introverted individuals who want to be left alone love the wide-open spaces of much of Tucson.
If I was extremely introverted and a senior-citizen I would enjoy North Tucson. In Tucson, I would go to the stores or coffee shop there and the cashier would say nothing at all or one word.
I would go for coffee in Tempe alot and usually the workers would have a little conversation with each customer. It's not unusual to have a conversation with someone just enjoying their coffee also.
In Tucson, I don't remember one worker making eye-contact and usually they would say nothing and I can't imagine a customer making eye-contact and a small conversation or "hows it going" would never ever happen in Tucson.
I remember coffee shop social distancing was a thing in Tucson long before COVID-19.
The entire Phoenix metro area is very nice and has very kind people. My old friend (we are no longer friends anymore) said that he found Tucson more laid back than Phoenix. I asked what he thought of the people and he said he thought they were nice. I almost laughed really hard when he said that. He said they were much nicer than people in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. He then pointed out that Miami people are very rude and very mean. He was introverted for the most part and was from the DFW metroplex. Maybe he liked smaller cities possibly.
There was this one Subway in the Catalina Foothills where this employee and I would always have conversations. Also, people in that area knew who I was. Some people talked to me in Tucson, but overall, I just did not like it. I just do not like small cities at all. Tucson also just had a terrible atmosphere with very shady areas and shady people. It was so small, so boring, and just so depressing. You could not even walk outside at night without hearing something moving in the bushes. It was scary dark.
Phoenix to me is just better. I feel much safer in Phoenix. I can walk in my neighborhood at night and it's so mellow and quiet. Many people smile and say hi when they pass by.
You are right about coffee shop social distancing in Tucson. Although people sometimes sat at the table next to me in other places in Tucson. Once someone hovered over me too while I was looking at merchandise at a store in Tucson. In Phoenix, people mind their own businesses and just are much better than Tucson people.
Now, I wonder how Las Vegas compares to Tucson. I know for a fact, 100%, Phoenix is a whole lot friendlier than Las Vegas in a landslide. But I think Las Vegas might be friendlier than Tucson.
The entire Phoenix metro area is very nice and has very kind people. My old friend (we are no longer friends anymore) said that he found Tucson more laid back than Phoenix. I asked what he thought of the people and he said he thought they were nice. I almost laughed really hard when he said that. He said they were much nicer than people in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area. He then pointed out that Miami people are very rude and very mean. He was introverted for the most part and was from the DFW metroplex. Maybe he liked smaller cities possibly.
There was this one Subway in the Catalina Foothills where this employee and I would always have conversations. Also, people in that area knew who I was. Some people talked to me in Tucson, but overall, I just did not like it. I just do not like small cities at all. Tucson also just had a terrible atmosphere with very shady areas and shady people. It was so small, so boring, and just so depressing. You could not even walk outside at night without hearing something moving in the bushes. It was scary dark.
Phoenix to me is just better. I feel much safer in Phoenix. I can walk in my neighborhood at night and it's so mellow and quiet. Many people smile and say hi when they pass by.
You are right about coffee shop social distancing in Tucson. Although people sometimes sat at the table next to me in other places in Tucson. Once someone hovered over me too while I was looking at merchandise at a store in Tucson. In Phoenix, people mind their own businesses and just are much better than Tucson people.
Now, I wonder how Las Vegas compares to Tucson. I know for a fact, 100%, Phoenix is a whole lot friendlier than Las Vegas in a landslide. But I think Las Vegas might be friendlier than Tucson.
I have been in Las Vegas many times and even Worked temporarily there between jobs for a few months and lived with housemates who except for two of them were from the Las Vegas area which is not very common.
I think Las Vegas is much more down to earth generally and nice overall than the reputation would suggest.
I think in general Las Vegas residentes are nicer and more pleasent than the vast majority of American cities and there are actually alot of very down to earth, decent individuals there mixed with some shady type-A personality which makes it a very interesting city.
I enjoy Las Vegas far more than Denver or Tucson.
Denverites are very similar to Tucson except far, far, far more materialistic, arrogant, pretentious.
Honestly, I think Tucson is very, very cold overall personality wise, but I would prefer Tucson anyday over Denver.
The only part of metro Denver where the population is not extremely pretentious and mean is Jefferson County in places like Lakewood, Arvada and Golden. Jefferson County has a much older demographic so in my opinion that may play a role in Jefferson County has a less pretentious vibe than neighboring Denver County.
It seems like Denver residents also refuse to associate with those who don't align with their beliefs, are in another income tracket or who they think aren't as atheletic as them.
The one thing that I absolutely do not understand about Denver is the men and women they are least visually unappealing and are no more atheletic than those in other Western Cities yet these humble looking Denverites will claim to be superior to all in the looks department and will pretend like they world-class athletes.
Las Vegas is a very extroverted city because it is a 24 hour city.
Las Vegas people tend to be very vocal about what they like and what they don't like. Metro Phoenix is more polite than Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has alot of very friendly and very extroverted down to earth people but there are alot of very shady characters there also but it's easy to ignore those Type-A personalities because that is not the majority there.
I have been in Las Vegas many times and even Worked temporarily there between jobs for a few months and lived with housemates who except for two of them were from the Las Vegas area which is not very common.
I think Las Vegas is much more down to earth generally and nice overall than the reputation would suggest.
I think in general Las Vegas residentes are nicer and more pleasent than the vast majority of American cities and there are actually alot of very down to earth, decent individuals there mixed with some shady type-A personality which makes it a very interesting city.
I enjoy Las Vegas far more than Denver or Tucson.
Denverites are very similar to Tucson except far, far, far more materialistic, arrogant, pretentious.
Honestly, I think Tucson is very, very cold overall personality wise, but I would prefer Tucson anyday over Denver.
The only part of metro Denver where the population is not extremely pretentious and mean is Jefferson County in places like Lakewood, Arvada and Golden. Jefferson County has a much older demographic so in my opinion that may play a role in Jefferson County has a less pretentious vibe than neighboring Denver County.
It seems like Denver residents also refuse to associate with those who don't align with their beliefs, are in another income tracket or who they think aren't as atheletic as them.
The one thing that I absolutely do not understand about Denver is the men and women they are least visually unappealing and are no more atheletic than those in other Western Cities yet these humble looking Denverites will claim to be superior to all in the looks department and will pretend like they world-class athletes.
Las Vegas is a very extroverted city because it is a 24 hour city.
Las Vegas people tend to be very vocal about what they like and what they don't like. Metro Phoenix is more polite than Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has alot of very friendly and very extroverted down to earth people but there are alot of very shady characters there also but it's easy to ignore those Type-A personalities because that is not the majority there.
Interesting. Seems like you've traveled all over the country. Is Colorado Springs also like Tucson or friendlier? I always imagined it was like Tucson because of its size. I figured Las Vegas was friendlier than Tucson.
Hearing all of this made me so happy I left Tucson. I used to compare Tucson to northeast cities and always thought it gave off a northeast vibe. Some people in Tucson even have New York accents too. Likely they are New York transplants. Never seen that in Phoenix. I did notice in Tucson a lot more northeast transplants than in Phoenix. That could also contribute to the rudeness. Phoenix has more Midwestern transplants.
I have been in Las Vegas many times and even Worked temporarily there between jobs for a few months and lived with housemates who except for two of them were from the Las Vegas area which is not very common.
I think Las Vegas is much more down to earth generally and nice overall than the reputation would suggest.
I think in general Las Vegas residentes are nicer and more pleasent than the vast majority of American cities and there are actually alot of very down to earth, decent individuals there mixed with some shady type-A personality which makes it a very interesting city.
I enjoy Las Vegas far more than Denver or Tucson.
Denverites are very similar to Tucson except far, far, far more materialistic, arrogant, pretentious.
Honestly, I think Tucson is very, very cold overall personality wise, but I would prefer Tucson anyday over Denver.
The only part of metro Denver where the population is not extremely pretentious and mean is Jefferson County in places like Lakewood, Arvada and Golden. Jefferson County has a much older demographic so in my opinion that may play a role in Jefferson County has a less pretentious vibe than neighboring Denver County.
It seems like Denver residents also refuse to associate with those who don't align with their beliefs, are in another income tracket or who they think aren't as atheletic as them.
The one thing that I absolutely do not understand about Denver is the men and women they are least visually unappealing and are no more atheletic than those in other Western Cities yet these humble looking Denverites will claim to be superior to all in the looks department and will pretend like they world-class athletes.
Las Vegas is a very extroverted city because it is a 24 hour city.
Las Vegas people tend to be very vocal about what they like and what they don't like. Metro Phoenix is more polite than Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has alot of very friendly and very extroverted down to earth people but there are alot of very shady characters there also but it's easy to ignore those Type-A personalities because that is not the majority there.
I gotta tell ya, I don't think Tempe is laid back as people say it is, except the ASU students, they are super laid back. The non ASU students, not so much. So far, Tempe and Mesa do not seem laid back. With the city limits, I've learned it depends where you are in the city of Phoenix. However, Tempe and Mesa are nowhere near as bad as Tucson, but still not super laid back compared to Gilbert or to Chandler.
I do food delivery in Tempe, and most people do not tip. The customers are not rude or anything, but sometimes there are issues at the restaurants, such as giving me a 6 inch ice cream cone and not putting it in a cup. In Chandler and Gilbert, they would never do that.
The worst place I've ever done food delivery was in Tucson. Customers complained a lot and my rating was down because of that. I dealt with some of the rudest customers and employees in Tucson with doing food delivery. I got calls quite often from cooperate about people's orders. I also got calls asking why it was taking so long. And sometimes I was even ignored and stared at in restaurants. I was looked up and down by the people. I was asked to sit outside and wait for the order because I was not a paying customer. It was just so terrible in Tucson I tell ya. They are not mean like that in Tempe, but I had some issues. What I don't like is that customers do not tip you, not even a dime. In the other Phoenix suburbs, you get amazing tips. Even in Mesa, you get big tips. In the rich suburbs in Phoenix, you get awesome tips.
Never been to Salt Lake.
The times I've been to Denver, can't say I've ever met snobby people. Met plenty of friendly people though.
Lived in PHX (Scottsdale & Tempe) & I can tell you, there is definitely no shortage of snobby in East Valley...
Location: Miami (prev. NY, Atlanta, SF, OC and San Diego)
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I’m getting to this thread late and have not read many replies but of the 3 cities mentioned, I found Denver to be the least welcoming/most standoffish to me when I lived in California and they found that out. Same thing with locals in Aspen (but not Boulder). Not sure if that qualifies as snobbish or anything else, but stood out even though I enjoyed my visits nonetheless.
SLC were the most friendly and down to earth.
Last edited by elchevere; 04-27-2021 at 11:14 AM..
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