Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've found the folks in the Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse areas to be some of the most friendly people in whole country. But a lot simply depends on the person.
Philly definitely as long as its not in a sports arena/stadium. They have that midwestern politeness. Pennsylvania is much less insular than NJ, NY, New England.
NYC. I'm not a basic NYC advocate, but I'm changing my thinking on this. I think you can talk to a stranger in NYC and get a friendly response, but a NYer won't talk first to a stranger. It's not just true of NY, but other bigger cities too.
New Yorkers will always lend a hand and help but we also always are rushing to get somewhere & have our guard up.
New Yorkers will always lend a hand and help but we also always are rushing to get somewhere & have our guard up.
Friendly bunch otherwise
In fairness, at least from a Manhattan perspective, if you stop a random person on the street to, say, ask for directions, there's like a 50%+ chance that person you're asking is not actually from NYC. I would say my Manhattan office is probably 60-70% people who grew up somewhere outside of the metro area (and it's not a small office).
That said, I do find NY'ers to be very friendly in general, and don't even think there's a "tough exterior that you need to crack through" which seems to be a thing on this site. They are just normal people, like from anywhere else.
In fairness, at least from a Manhattan perspective, if you stop a random person on the street to, say, ask for directions, there's like a 50%+ chance that person you're asking is not actually from NYC. I would say my Manhattan office is probably 60-70% people who grew up somewhere outside of the metro area (and it's not a small office).
That said, I do find NY'ers to be very friendly in general, and don't even think there's a "tough exterior that you need to crack through" which seems to be a thing on this site. They are just normal people, like from anywhere else.
Yes def. I would say most ppl who live in NYC actually are not originally from there. I grew up on LI, for all intents & purposes, I’m a native NYer but there aren’t many of us anymore. Im one of the few natives in my office as well.
NYCers are actually very friendly. We’re usually just in a rush to get places or catch a train but if you need us, we got you!
Most of my social exposure is at baseball games. It's always eaast to chat with other fans of the Yankees, Mets, Phils, Red Sox or Orioles. But more closed and standoffish at minor league games in
pawtucket. Auburn. Erie, Altoona, Hagerstown. But based on a small sample size, nice in Pittsfield and Burlington.
In fairness, at least from a Manhattan perspective, if you stop a random person on the street to, say, ask for directions, there's like a 50%+ chance that person you're asking is not actually from NYC. I would say my Manhattan office is probably 60-70% people who grew up somewhere outside of the metro area (and it's not a small office).
That said, I do find NY'ers to be very friendly in general, and don't even think there's a "tough exterior that you need to crack through" which seems to be a thing on this site. They are just normal people, like from anywhere else.
On several occasions people stopped me to ask for directions, and they open with "you walk really fast and with a purpose, so I figured you live here". lol. I've been in NYC for 7 years, which seems like a longtime nowadays. Many of the people I knew that moved here after college have moved to smaller (and cheaper) cities or the suburbs.
Back to the friendliness... I've generally found NYer's to be courteous and accepting, but I noticed nowadays that common courtesy doesn't seem as prevalent... Holding the door, please, thank you, good morning, etc.
It feels like the world has gotten colder and more on edge. This is a general statement, not geared toward any particular city. Maybe that is a sign I'm getting old.
On several occasions people stopped me to ask for directions, and they open with "you walk really fast and with a purpose, so I figured you live here". lol. I've been in NYC for 7 years, which seems like a longtime nowadays. Many of the people I knew that moved here after college have moved to smaller (and cheaper) cities or the suburbs.
Yeah, I've been here 10 years now, and similarly walk very fast, almost like a walk-jog hybrid. But, that's generally just because it takes time to walk places when it's the primary mode of transportation, and I'm usually running late for something (either to my office, late to a meeting, or rushing home to relieve my nanny on time).
Contrast that with the tourists, who generally don't have anywhere in particular to be, and the difference can be striking. But it's not that I'm a genetically high-strung person, only that I'm....running late.
On several occasions people stopped me to ask for directions, and they open with "you walk really fast and with a purpose, so I figured you live here". lol. I've been in NYC for 7 years, which seems like a longtime nowadays. Many of the people I knew that moved here after college have moved to smaller (and cheaper) cities or the suburbs.
Back to the friendliness... I've generally found NYer's to be courteous and accepting, but I noticed nowadays that common courtesy doesn't seem as prevalent... Holding the door, please, thank you, good morning, etc.
It feels like the world has gotten colder and more on edge. This is a general statement, not geared toward any particular city. Maybe that is a sign I'm getting old.
A lot of it has to do with covid & ppl not wanting to be in such close proximity to others anymore
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
