[JayCT]

I know someone who now has to use a walker to get around and he is amazed at how nice people are. He says that people go out of their way to help him and hold the door for him. And this happens all the time here in Connecticut. Like I said people here are more reserved and respect other people's privacy. There is a difference. Jay n

[ScoPro]

Looks like most everybody has a different opinion/experience.

Nothing wrong with being polite to one another, no matter where y'all are from and where you are going. But life's too short to be bitter about whether or not someone else is too friendly, snobby, standoffish, or whatever.

Picking apart another state/region's differences seems to be a sport with quite a few.

[Montguy]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Looks like most everybody has a different opinion/experience.

Nothing wrong with being polite to one another, no matter where y'all are from and where you are going. But life's too short to be bitter about whether or not someone else is too friendly, snobby, standoffish, or whatever.

Picking apart another state/region's differences seems to be a sport with quite a few.

My experience on City-Data has been such that if I allow myself to take even half of what I see on the U.S. Forums seriously, it can trigger a misanthropy in me that I never knew existed prior to July of 2012. I'm approximately half-kidding. I'm not always nice, but damn, at least I try to stay above the ever-increasing provincialism of the American public.

Wasn't the Internet supposed to, like, bring people together, or whatever?

[Beeker2211]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I know someone who now has to use a walker to get around and he is amazed at how nice people are. He says that people go out of their way to help him and hold the door for him. And this happens all the time here in Connecticut. Like I said people here are more reserved and respect other people's privacy. There is a difference. Jay n

Respect privacy and see if people can manage on their own. If someone is with a wheelchair I'm actually less likely to help them because I know they can probably manage... if they can't that's when it might be time to step in and ask.

No one wants to be pandered to.

[Gunner4life1984]

Originally Posted by FunkOdyssey

The mass migration of population away from this state towards warmer and/or less expensive places tells the real story.

This.

It's ridiculously expensive to live in CT. It's so frustrating.

[Kristin85]

Originally Posted by civis

I'd say New England is generally not very friendly place, but I only realized that comparing to SE, where you would strike a conversation just on the spot in a park or a grocery store. Here in CT people never talk to each other unless they already met several times and kinda got used to each others face.
They also don't suffer from too much politeness - for ex. customer care here is probably the worst in the nation, comparing to West or SE.
My friend moved to MA from Europe, after 6 months there he still does not know his neighbors, not because his does not want to - they show 0 interest in knowing him living right in the same building! And he's actually a very nice intelligent person and has great family too.

Hell, in PA people are more friendly, open and polite, which is just 3 hours away.

People are people! Middle class residents are generally the same everywhere you go. I moved from Fairfield County, CT to the Nashville, TN area (due to COL and bad weather) and I expected people to be nicer given the Southern charm stereotype. That hasn't been the case. Men are just as courteous as they are in New England, women are just as cold to other women as they are in New England. The only difference between the 2 locations is that people in the hospitality industry are friendlier in the South--strangers, co-workers, and neighbors are not. As for small talk with strangers, I've had just as much of that in TN as I had in CT. You get back what you put out. If you expect people to treat you with respect, kindness, and warmth then you have to give that to others first. Connecticut is no different in that respect from the Southeast, the West, or Europe.

[bellamarch5]

Its true, CT has some people that just dont want to be bothered, and clicky. Dont get me wrong, CT is beautiful and has nice people. But New England has its good mix of poor snobs. I have lived in New England and moved around to see what area I wanted to settle...well, now I am headed South...and Im so excited. The few times I went to NC, the people were sooooo nice and wanted to talk to you. They actually cared to hear what you had to say. Im not a chatter box either, I dont mind small talk, I think its nice to get to know people.

[pekoe12]

I left Ct back in 1999 and always thought the people were rude and snobby. Having been all over the USA and having lived in other New England states I no longer think this is true. In fact, I would say the people who live here in New Hampshire are far more rude then in Ct. I didn't really appreciate Ct when I was younger but my wife and I are planning on returning hopefully next year. Every area has it's good and bad people.