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First of all, the northeast is 90% rural. Really, it's only very densely urban for the 430-mile stretch along I-95 from DC to Boston (the "BosWash Corridor"). In fact, even most of Westchester County, NY, directly north of NYC feels very much rural in the northern half of the county. 90% of New York State is totally rural. Same with all the other states in the region, except maybe New Jersey, which is the most developed one.
Second, I'm sure the greenery of Oregon and Washington is nice, but as I've mentioned before, I much prefer the greenery of the northeast because it's deciduous greenery, which has a pleasant, lush appearance. The greenery out west has a drab tinge to it. And I love a hot, humid summer.
Honestly, the winters aren't as bad as people out west make it out to be. I mean, on most days, there's nothing to deal with snow issues (except for upstate and west NY), and people find plenty of things to do indoors. Four seasons really is nice, even if you only like one season, because it's nice to see each month with different weather from the previous month. No two months are alike.
I agree with you that the northeast is a bit more traditional or old school than out west, but big deal. We are the most progressive region in the country. Not to bring up politics, but the northeastern states are the first states to make reforms with healthcare, marriage equality, human rights, wage laws and more. The rest of the United States have to "catch up later" and "copy" the northeast when it comes to progressive laws. Our buildings may be old, but again...big deal. There are still plenty of new construction homes and buildings if you prefer that. And of course, we have the best historical sites in the country....by far.
Finally, the northeast is the only region with regional public transportation on a larger scale than anywhere in the nation. NYC, Boston and Philly have solid subway systems, and the Metro North and PATH train systems dominate the northern NJ, NYC, Long Island and CT areas. What does the west have to compete with that? Oh yeah.....nothing!
Anyway, I'm not trying to start a war here....I'm just defending my region, and I respect and admire the West as well
New Jersey is the most dense state in the country but even we have some rural areas. A lot of South Jersey is undeveloped farmland or the Pine Barrens. As a whole NJ is very dense but the northern part is especially. The southern part is not very similar to the north, and even the northwestern areas are way less dense than the northeastern areas. I also prefer deciduous trees. I LOVE fall in the Northeast, specifically my town which is very green in the summer, then very orange/red/yellow in the fall and it's gorgeous. Nothing beats those colors in such vibrancy and frequency. Paired with older architecture (like large Victorian homes, which my town is full of), fall foliage is stunning IMO.
OP, it seems you're making general statements, largely off stereotypes, and should probably visit the Northeast before you say such things. The pictures you posted aren't what it looks like out here for the most part. As others have mentioned, I love the history, character, age, architecture, weather/climate, lifestyle/vibe here. It's hard to find characteristics of Northeastern cities elsewhere in the US, especially because of their age and history. I recommend you visit here before you share such generalizations. You can see what its really like here for yourself.
OP, when you visit the Northeast in the future, make full utilization of the commuter/regional rail that flows seamlessly throughout the Bos-Wash corridor in order to see these cities within a good amount of ample time without going through the hassles of air travel. And don't forget to check out the Interior Northeast as well and the beautiful scenery of the entire region, especially New England and the lovely sandy beaches and iconic boardwalk culture of New Jersey (Invited the boardwalk culture), Maryland, and Delaware.
OP, when you visit the Northeast in the future, make full utilization of the commuter/regional rail that flows seamlessly throughout the Bos-Wash corridor in order to see these cities within a good amount of ample time without going through the hassles of air travel. And don't forget to check out the Interior Northeast as well and the beautiful scenery of the entire region, especially New England and the lovely sandy beaches and iconic boardwalk culture of New Jersey (Invited the boardwalk culture), Maryland, and Delaware.
Invented the boardwalk culture AND the boardwalk itself. Atlantic City's boardwalk is the longest in the world and is quite beautiful.
Good advice. Visiting just the Northeastern cities may still leave you with a bad taste in your mouth if you don't like urbanity and or density. Even going out to and exploring the suburbs of major cities like New York or Washington will be a great experience and a good way to see what the NE is all about. I understand you don't have the time or money for it all (probably) but many people make the mistake of coming only to NYC, for example, then making generalizations about the whole Northeast negatively. Understand this is a very diverse area and no experience will be exactly the same. It's hard to even generalize the whole area, as someone who lives here. New Jersey and Maine are very different so it's hard to define the people of the Northeast as a whole, for example.
Personally, I think the Bos-Wash corridor is stunning, whether you view it out the window while flying in a plane, or just driving through it. It's 430 miles of pure infrastructure, buildings, concrete, pollution, poverty and the like. There is nothing else like it in America. It's like one big continuous city, although there are patches of forest here and there.
Anyway, last summer, my friend from South Carolina came up to visit me in CT. He was shocked at how rural most of the northeast really is. And he even said that the people were friendly.
Density, history, transit, ethnic enclaves, and a greater variety of architecture, for starters.
There are tons of little differences, of course, but those are the very obvious advantages of the Northeast compared to the West. NYC alone has all these things in spades moreso than pretty much every Western city combined.
Of course there are many advantages to the West too, but those are the obvious ones for the Northeast.
Density, history, transit, ethnic enclaves, and a greater variety of architecture, for starters.
There are tons of little differences, of course, but those are the very obvious advantages of the Northeast compared to the West. NYC alone has all these things in spades moreso than pretty much every Western city combined.
Of course there are many advantages to the West too, but those are the obvious ones for the Northeast.
You basically got everything covered. Also, better nightlife and better food, and much more distinctive, unique, and interesting personalities (I still think NYC is friendlier, down to earth, and more real than anywhere in the West).
The western United States has huge malls and shopping centers with big parking lots. I haven't seen that in the east coast.
hahaha. The East Coast has massive suburban shopping malls, huge big box stores and enormous parking lots. In fact they have greater suburban sprawl and lower urbanized population density than the West generally speaking.
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