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New York and Pennsylvania are mutually more similar to one another than either of them are to any other state. New York is (obviously) the more East Coast, big city-dominated (by population and politics) than PA. PA is much more balanced in its urban-suburban-rural divide.
Both states have the East Coast big cities, NYC and Philadelphia. Philadelphia now actually has a net gain of people moving in from NYC to escape the CoL, craziness, etc. The two cities are quite different in many ways, but both are located in the Southeast portion of the state and are politically/culturally removed from the remainder of their state.
NY's secondary cities are a good match for Pittsburgh. Actually, NY has nothing to match in regards to second city prominence. People from Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse/etc would be comfortable in Pittsburgh, although Yinzers might be a little disappointed in NY's second cities.
Both states have charming small towns with lots of natural beauty. NY has way more cute, relatively prosperous small towns, but people from these towns would be comfortable in towns like Jim Thorpe, New Hope, Wellsboro, Litiz, etc.
Both states have their Eastern Mountain ranges (Poconos; Catskills/Adirondacks), Appalachia (much more prominent in PA), and Great Lakes region.
I think someone from either state could be comfortable in the other with the right mindset.
What do Californians usually think of the Midwest, in your experience? I only know one guy who's done that move (from the East Bay, now lives in Minneapolis) and he says the most striking thing is the cold and the snow.
I think every Californian is different. Obviously those that love the climate would dislike the Midwestern climate (particularly the snow belt). Those of us that enjoy seasons provably would adapt. I loved living in Duluth. I found it to be a great city. I would have stayed a long time if my job circumstances didn’t change. All of my winter stuff was from Walmart so it wasn’t like I needed anything special.
What do Californians usually think of the Midwest, in your experience? I only know one guy who's done that move (from the East Bay, now lives in Minneapolis) and he says the most striking thing is the cold and the snow.
I likewise don't know any Californians who moved to the Midwest. But generally speaking, California's white settlers, all throughout its history, were mostly from the Midwest. The remnant usually came from the Mountain/Desert West or the Northeast. Very few came from the Southeast. That's why California was declared a free state. So culturally, California is very Midwestern, and while the climate of the Midwest might be drastically different, the culture would not be (aside from less Asian and Hispanic influence). Many small, predominantly white, Northern Californian towns could practically stand in, culturally, for the Midwest.
On top of that, a lot of people may want to move elsewhere in their home region because, while they may love the weather and setting, their home state's political and/or financial landscape looks grim. That could be said about places like New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, and even California; specifically when it comes to taxes and overall COL.
This is very true for California. The most popular out of state destinations for Californians, ironically, are mostly adjacent/nearby states like Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, or Utah. A ton more Californians are moving to other Western states than they are moving to the Southeast. Number one out of state destinations for former Los Angeles area and Bay Area residents are Las Vegas and Seattle. Las Vegas is culturally and climatically very similar to desert areas in SoCal like Victorville or Palmdale/Lancaster, while Seattle is basically a mini-Bay Area.
Californians love West Coast weather and scenery but not the taxes and COL of California. Nevada and Washington both don't have state income tax. The angry rants about the Bay Area are seldom about the climate or the scenery; they're generally about the taxes and COL.
Californians, generally, can't imagine living anywhere flat like Houston or Florida. Mountains are deeply ingrained into the Californian psyche. California has just as many ski resorts as Colorado. This is quite unfortunate, as the Gulf Coast is truly the most scenic area I've been to in the U.S., not to mention its summer weather, other than hurricanes, is perfect--not too hot like the desert and not too chilly like San Francisco. With afternoon thunderstorms and sea breezes that cool off hot summer days, warm nights perfect for sunrise walks, lush tropical greenery, and some of the cleanest air in the country, the Gulf Coast is paradise. Hawaii may offer much of the same, but it's more isolated than the Gulf Coast.
Most people from Illinois would feel comfortable in Wisconsin or Minnesota, but not in Indiana. While I have no doubt politics plays a role there, I also feel it's because Indiana feels more like a southern state than any of the other ones, just in terms of the setting. Only a slight portion of it is considered "Great Lakes", the rest is just purely considered Midwest and in many places feels southern.
True. But many of an Illinoisian has been comfortable living in Bloomington for four years.
Interesting question. People tend to be comfortable with the familiar and the familiar for geography is regional. Would a person from New England feel comfortable living outside New England? Of course depending on the person and place. But are there any areas outside New England that feel and look like New England? Not really. Maybe parts of Long Island or NY state, but those are bordering areas.
I think that the same would be true of most regions. A person from Atlanta May be comfortable in Nashville or Northern Virginia, but would they feel the same about Austin or Denver? Likely not. I think people that move far away from their home region tend to be looking for something different, not familiar. But most don't do that so most wouldn't be comfortable moving far away.
I think that in New Jersey, both Morristown and Princeton would qualify. Perhaps even northeastern Ohio, centered on Cleveland's eastern suburbs, a piece of land that was the old "Connecticut Reserve" and was the first area settled in the West, short of the banks of the Ohio River
Californians would be comfortable living in practically any Western State.
The corollary to which is.......... Practically any Western State would be uncomfortable with Californians living in it (or so the word "Californication" would lead one to believe)
I think it really depends on whether you move to a similar type location in another state (or if you're from a city or suburban area, being in another city or suburban area.)
I'm from Michigan. I didn't really have any problems feeling like I could live in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City, or Boston. I also didn't feel I would have problems living in Dallas or Houston. But people I know that are more aligned with New York and live in Texas cities have indicated issues. Colorado (Denver area) also feels comfortable to me.
In terms of rural areas, they don't seem weird around here, and from road trips, they seemed okay as long as I didn't get much further south than I-64. After that, I felt a bit out of my comfort zone.
El Paso felt weird. I thought that San Francisco was a bit on the weird side. I'd be more comfortable in New York City if I could get adjusted to its quirks.
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