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Location: Northern Ireland and temporarily England
7,668 posts, read 5,260,330 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TurquoiseOne
Washington is a very unfriendly state, at least the western half. Forget about making small talk, you will be looked at as if you are insane. Also, hostility and outright shunning in the workplace. Friendly neighbors? If you can do something for them, sure, otherwise you never hear from them. Yeah, it's been a pleasure...
The south of England is like that except it's worse. They don't even like giving directions.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
4,409 posts, read 6,543,919 times
Reputation: 6253
Quote:
Originally Posted by Islander7
The foreigner's account of NYC is just weird, everywhere I went in NYC, lots of strangers came forward to help. A pair of young women saw me looking worried (and lost) helped me hail a cab, an Iraqi waiter in a French bistro let me use the bathroom, helped me with directions, invited me to a party, in Queens while dragging a suitcase on an overhead pedestrian bridge to rush for an express bus that took me to the airport, a local man in his 40s or 50s saw me struggling and to my shock, lifted my suitcase and helped me bring it downstairs. I was shocked, initially I thought he might rob me..but he was just helping me.
While walking along the financial district with a big smile on my face, a man on his way to work in a suit (an Indian looking man with a clear American accent) stopped and said the happy smile I had was bright and cheery, asked me where I was from.
Wow. That... that IS odd.
I did not have anywhere near that experience. I'd quote some encounters but this site censors language.
The OP may just be the first person I've heard describe the people of FL as friendly. I wonder what part of FL, because I can assure you, after 3 years in southeast FL, we were happy to leave. I think NJ natives are friendly, even more so than where we are now, GA. But I've managed to make friends pretty much everywhere we end up, so attitude helps.
I should maybe correct for Florida. I have been and stayed short term (for work) to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, Orlando (although Orlando wasn't that great).
Add another person(me) who experienced the same thing.
Yeah, I actually see this a good bit. I am up in Asheville a decent amount for work and have noticed a bit of a "superiority" vibe from many of the people I have run into and its not about wealth or money but about more folks talking down to you. There are a lot of very well- educated, politically fueled people in Asheville and they sometimes come across as very condescending , especially if you do not appear to share the same viewpoints as they do or disagree with what they think.
Now of course not everyone in Asheville is like this but it is something you can see a lot of up there. Its a shame because its such a beautiful city that has many great people living there that sometimes get overshadowed by this condescending vibe.
One of the primary things that people who come to visit Idaho say about their visit is that they were amazed how friendly people are. Whatever part of the state, whether it is downtown Boise, or the smallest of towns, people in general are extremely friendly here.
That was my experience in Idaho. It is a beautiful place and I so badly want to go back!
I've lived all over the United States and I'd say the friendliest area I've come across was the area around Louisville, Evansville, Lexington and Nashville.
Western Washington (in and around Seattle) was the least friendly by far.
Kentuckians are standoffish until they get to know you, then can really warm up. I think that can be said for a lot of the Southern states, despite the whole "Southern hospitality" mantra (and I grew up in Kentucky!) That said, it is easier to get to know people in major Southern cities such as Atlanta and Charlotte because they aren't small towns with the same families there for seven generations. Even medium-sized cities like Louisville and Memphis are tough to crack into.
Californians are a true mixed bag. People from the Bay Area aren't warm and fuzzy at all when you first meet them, but can really warm up once they've gotten to know you some. People from L.A. are surprisingly outgoing and friendly. People from the Central Valley are more "down home." I know a lot of people think that San Diegans are friendly, but I actually found them to be the least helpful and most unpleasant group of people I've interacted with in California (well, actually, the city of San Francisco is even worse, but it is small geographically and not indicative of the entire Bay Area).
The Texans and Utahns I've met seem quite friendly and affable. Western Washington and Oregon, not so much.
Last edited by EclecticEars; 10-15-2015 at 09:22 PM..
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
4,409 posts, read 6,543,919 times
Reputation: 6253
I do just want to throw it out there; what comes across as friendly or not does vary from person to person. I know people who think NYC and Seattle are the greatest communities in the world and say that rural towns strike them as mean or even creepy.
When I moved to Texas about 26 years ago, the debate was whether the state motto would be The Lone Star State or The Friendly State. So...
Either way, the manners and the friendliness was a huge departure from the four years I had spent in Southern California. Culture shock.
Yes, very friendly here at the "people" level. Our legislators, however, are hostile and divisive, always looking to pit people against each other. Similar to the U.S. Congress, but worse. But again, when it comes to people you meet and know in your neighborhood, in stores, on the job, etc., they're very kind and friendly (well, except in traffic).
I'm with you on TX. We're some nice people. Now, the driving thing is a different matter. The road signs saying "Drive Friendly" are often vandalized
Yes. Texans have a split personality - we' re super friendly and down to earth in person but we don't "drive friendly" - with one exception - FUNERAL PROCESSIONS.
Not sure how prevalent this is in other states but I've traveled quite a bit and only seen it in Texas. It is customary for people to pull over on the side of the road and stop as a funeral procession goes by. And we take it one step further - if we know it is the funeral of a veteran, especially if it is someone killed in action, many people will get out of their cars and stand either at attention (if they are veterans) or with their hands over their hearts and/or their hats off. In fact, if a town knows that a veteran who was killed in action is going to be "passing through" people will line the streets and roads, often carrying American and/or Texas flags.
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