Northerns moving to Huntsville area (Decatur, Madison: new home, employment, neighborhoods)

[Rick In Madison]

Originally Posted by drinkthekoolaid

That pretty much sounds like a life altering choice...


Roll tide...

War eagle...


Oh man. Which one gets more coverage in the Huntsville area? I guess I would go with whatever more people supported

You are already doomed!

Equal coverage; don't worry. You will find there are a great many "sidewalk graduates" of both schools. Like somebody else mentioned previously, the key is to go with whomever fits your fancy or your own school favorite. The bottom line is the college football is king, queen, and the prince/princess in waiting. There are few schools in the north that can meet and let alone beat a Saturday college football experience in the south. There are some but not many. Take this from somebody who was born up north, moved around a fair amount, grew up in the south's "not southern area", and has settled here. I consider myself a very lucky person and one that has been blessed.

Sounds like you will fit in given your disclaimer in the preamble. You will find the weather to be better, although you and the family will need to be ready for some heat and humidity when July and August rolls around. Plenty of space to find your spot. Plenty of forms of worship. A good deal of entertainment & shopping with more coming along as this forum should have shown. Schools are good. Violence/crime from my view point and past experience is very low. Housing is varied and reasonable. The work is relatively diverse; although we have a heavier weighting towards federal jobs/money. The people; the people by in large are friendly, helpful, kind, and considerate.

Most moves are a big deal. Your's maybe more than others. I wish you luck and hope that you and your family can find your way down here and settle into our part of heaven.

[Rick In Madison]

Oh yeah, one last thing. If you drink iced tea and assuming given your/our's northern start in life; be sure whenever you order tea at a restaurant and especially when going through a drive-through you specify UUUUUNNNNNNN sweet tea. By default all tea is sweet.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Rick In Madison

Oh yeah, one last thing. If you drink iced tea and assuming given your/our's northern start in life; be sure whenever you order tea at a restaurant and especially when going through a drive-through you specify UUUUUNNNNNNN sweet tea. By default all tea is sweet.

I always wondered about the unsweet tea thing. How can you "un" something that was never sweetened in the first place? You certainly don't take sweetened tea and then remove the sugar - "unsweeten" it. Shouldn't it be just "iced tea" and "sweetened iced tea" (or hot, if you prefer it that way)?

For what it's worth, I was in Boston playing tourist one time, at a small restaurant near the Old North Church, and I asked for iced tea. The waitress said, "We only have sweetened. Is that OK"? I told her, "Sure".

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I always wondered about the unsweet tea thing. How can you "un" something that was never sweetened in the first place? You certainly don't take sweetened tea and then remove the sugar - "unsweeten" it. Shouldn't it be just "iced tea" and "sweetened iced tea" (or hot, if you prefer it that way)?

For what it's worth, I was in Boston playing tourist one time, at a small restaurant near the Old North Church, and I asked for iced tea. The waitress said, "We only have sweetened. Is that OK"? I told her, "Sure".

The best tea for me is “half and half”, which is half sweet and half unsweet.

[FCEddie]

Originally Posted by drinkthekoolaid

Hello

I just had a quick question I'm hoping to learn more about.

What is the general attitude of locals towards accepting northerns who relocate to Huntsville?

I'm currently in NY State (no not even close to NYC I'm in the normal part of the state if there is such a thing) and I'm looking to flee this state and their political policies and their far ideals. I promise I won't bring NY politics with me other than to warn people about them

I'm looking to bring my family and raise them in a place that is pro God gun life and country. The NY governor has made it very clear I'm not welcome in his NY . I'm generally a very easy going live and let live person with strong conservative/libertarian ideals I don't ever judge others or tell them what I think unless they ask.

I would want my family to fully integrate into the local community. I just hope we wouldn't be shunned or anything. I've like pretty much every single person I've ever met from AL. hopefully we would just be viewed as Yankees not damn Yankees.


What are the attitudes towards those who relocate? If anyone here is a transplant what was your experience like?

First thing - pizza, you won't find pizza like you do in NY. Well I assume your part of NY is like the part of CT I lived in. We had pizza places on every corner and they were all great.

Huntsville had some pretty good pizza, and growing.

Italian food - other than the pizza places, it is lacking.

Normal part of NY- where exactly is that? Buffalo? Albany?

Football: Jets, Giants or Bills? You will forced to watch a lot of Titans and Failclowns. Sometimes we get lucky and get the Saints. (WHO DAT!- We wuz ROBBED!)

Bama or Auburn - GEAUX TIGERS!

You will never have BBQ as awesome as you find down there.

People will invite you to their churches. I get some looks when I say "I'm a happy Catholic", but everyone is awesome about it.

I've lived here for 10 years, nearly 40 in New Orleans, 6 in Connecticut, and the last 10 here. I have learned to love Huntsville area. I really do. Of course my wife is telling me that I have jinxed us and we'll be moving again.

I hope not.

[drinkthekoolaid]

Originally Posted by FCEddie

First thing - pizza, you won't find pizza like you do in NY. Well I assume your part of NY is like the part of CT I lived in. We had pizza places on every corner and they were all great.

Huntsville had some pretty good pizza, and growing.

Italian food - other than the pizza places, it is lacking.

Normal part of NY- where exactly is that? Buffalo? Albany?

Football: Jets, Giants or Bills? You will forced to watch a lot of Titans and Failclowns. Sometimes we get lucky and get the Saints. (WHO DAT!- We wuz ROBBED!)

Bama or Auburn - GEAUX TIGERS!

You will never have BBQ as awesome as you find down there.

People will invite you to their churches. I get some looks when I say "I'm a happy Catholic", but everyone is awesome about it.

I've lived here for 10 years, nearly 40 in New Orleans, 6 in Connecticut, and the last 10 here. I have learned to love Huntsville area. I really do. Of course my wife is telling me that I have jinxed us and we'll be moving again.

I hope not.

Yes I'm from the far western edge of NY. Unfortunately I'm a bills fan so I've been well versed in disappointment and misery. Either Auburn or Alabama would be much different to root for but exciting. I may adopt of the tigers if I'm lucky enough to get to Huntsville I may be prewired to back the underdog, not sure if I can root for the Patriots of college football.


But seriously thanks guys for all the feedback and comments. I'm very excited and Huntsville seems like a great place;

[catfishin2000]

As a Hsv born, life long redneck, I will speak my mind. New York yankees are not that bad. I like them, and they have a fun accent. Welcome to Alabama and feel free to join in on the great BBQ arguments. The only yankees I have had a hard time dealing with or even just being around are the Ohio yankees. those folks need to chill.



When it snows, we know you have more experience driving than us. We know enough to stay home, cancel everything, and just drink russian tea. We don't have a lot of equipment to deal with it and there is very little reason to invest in any snow precautions. So have a few extra days leave saved for those 2 days a year it happens.

[drinkthekoolaid]

Originally Posted by catfishin2000

As a Hsv born, life long redneck, I will speak my mind. New York yankees are not that bad. I like them, and they have a fun accent. Welcome to Alabama and feel free to join in on the great BBQ arguments. The only yankees I have had a hard time dealing with or even just being around are the Ohio yankees. those folks need to chill.



When it snows, we know you have more experience driving than us. We know enough to stay home, cancel everything, and just drink russian tea. We don't have a lot of equipment to deal with it and there is very little reason to invest in any snow precautions. So have a few extra days leave saved for those 2 days a year it happens.

Thanks. Actually that does bring up a question. How much snow or how many days a year does it snow in the area during a typical winter?

[writerwife]

Originally Posted by drinkthekoolaid

Thanks. Actually that does bring up a question. How much snow or how many days a year does it snow in the area during a typical winter?

Thus far, we've had none this winter. I don't recall getting any last winter either. I think we got a bit the yr before but it didn't stick around much. It's really hit or miss here. Week before last we had a day or 2 near 0 degrees. Yesterday was 74.
One of the things here is that often, when there is winter precipitation, it's ice. Doesn't matter how much driving you did on snow up north... ice is another story. Stay home.



Like others said tho.. do be prepared to experience a lot of heat and humidity in the summer. That's the trade-off.


We have a lot of engineers around here so most likely someone will show up with a chart or graph of the snowfall we've experienced.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by writerwife

Thus far, we've had none this winter. I don't recall getting any last winter either. I think we got a bit the yr before but it didn't stick around much. It's really hit or miss here. Week before last we had a day or 2 near 0 degrees. Yesterday was 74.
One of the things here is that often, when there is winter precipitation, it's ice. Doesn't matter how much driving you did on snow up north... ice is another story. Stay home.



Like others said tho.. do be prepared to experience a lot of heat and humidity in the summer. That's the trade-off.


We have a lot of engineers around here so most likely someone will show up with a chart or graph of the snowfall we've experienced.

Well, actually ... the average snowfall is something under 3" per year. It used to be 5 or 6. Some years get virtually nothing, some get quite a bit. A few years ago we had about 15", and in the early 60s we had a single storm of 17" and a seasonal total of almost 25". It'll usually sneak up on us here without being predicted.

The temperatures have gone up noticeably in recent winters. There's something to "cliimate change". Our winters now are not much colder than what I grew up with in Central Mississippi. January average temp has gone up about 3 degrees F since the 70s, and that's quite a bit for an average. Regardless, temps here are all over the place in the winter just like they are anywhere else in the central part of the country.