differences that you will never get used to (Huntsville, Providence: power lines, daycare)

[skinem]

Originally Posted by Wandering_Missourian

- Alabama vs. Auburn obsession. Total waste of time and energy!
- Southerners stubbornness that lasts long after they realize they are dead wrong on an issue.
- Suburban buildout Hell. Obesity and general lack of respect for others are symptoms of this greater problem.
- Completely inhospitable for pedestrians and bicyclists, which is sad since gas will be over $10/gallon within a generation. It seems like a person on 2 wheels gets killed about every other month, which is horrific. No respect for those NOT riding in a petrol-powered 2-ton steel cocoon 4-wheeler for even trips lasting all of 100 feet. After coming back from a trip to Portland, Oregon.... Huntsville felt like a scary inhospitable moonscape engineered by antisocial murderous madmen.
- Lack of snow!
- Lack of mountains..... Monte Sano doesn't cut it.
- Huntsville's obsession with unsustainable defense spending, while simultaneously avoiding developing into the renewable energy sector. Seems like a waste of engineers if they just sit around designing new ways to blow stuff up instead of solving our greatest challenges and needs (affordable energy that supports modern civilization).
- Last but not least, not understanding why locals get so mad when you point out the flaws!

Not sure the relationship between "suburban buildout hell" and lack of respect for others and obesity... Could you please explain.

I agree on the bike thing, but it's not a uniquely Huntsville issue...seems very common in the South, and much more common east of the Mississippi, certainly compared to the Pacific Northwest.

The first time I came to Hunstville over 30 years ago, I had been telling my wife-to-be that I really missed the mountains back home. She assured me there were mountains where she lived. So we come down here and she's going to take me to see the mountains. So we're driving into Huntsville and she's pointing and saying there they are. I'm looking and looking and not seeing anything.
"It's right there!"
"Where? I don't see any."
"Right THERE! With the towers on it! That's Monte Sano!"
"THAT!!?? That hill!? That wouldn't even have a NAME back home!"

The last part just came out, and she married me any way. (Still is, surprisingly enough.) A couple of years later when she came home with me, she understood better what I was looking for. When people ask me back home if there are mountains here, I say "Kind of. They're not very high, but they're every bit as up and down as back home."

[caution]

the cool thing about the hills around here is that they are just what's left of the land after erosion on a massive scale

i like 'em, whatever you call 'em

Cumberland Plateau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mawoods]

The APpalachians are older than the Rockies if I remember my geology right from college.! Yes they aren't as high but we love them. Going over Cecil Ashburn is so beautiful. I look at them everyday and enjoy the changing scenery and wildlife on ours. It is good for our soul.

[Civic35805]

Originally Posted by Wandering_Missourian

- Suburban buildout Hell. Obesity and general lack of respect for others are symptoms of this greater problem.

- Huntsville's obsession with unsustainable defense spending, while simultaneously avoiding developing into the renewable energy sector. Seems like a waste of engineers if they just sit around designing new ways to blow stuff up instead of solving our greatest challenges and needs (affordable energy that supports modern civilization).

Suburban buildout hell? have you ever been to northern VA? we moved to huntsville from there, you go over a slight hill and all you see is fields of townhouses and strip malls with little or no greenspace in between. At least here in huntsville there are houses and neighborhoods that have yards, and the country is just 2 miles away.

As for the obsession with defense spending, I am pretty sure that Huntsville doesn't make the decisions on that funding, however the city worked hard to get that industry here at Redstone, and they continue to work hard to keep it here (i.e. BRAC). This link is from the R&D report that came out recently, it has a fantastic article about how Huntsville is perfectly set to try and get sustainable energy companies here. The Huntsville politicians and Alabama leaders also realize this, and I would hope they push strongly to bring that type of industry here...

AL.COM | Special Sections | R&D Report | Page 30 AL.COM | Special Sections | R&D Report | Page 30[/url]

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by Wandering_Missourian

- Last but not least, not understanding why locals get so mad when you point out the flaws!

OMG!! Wandering Missourian is SO RIGHT! I can't understand how we haven't see how awful everything is here until WM pointed it out to us!

I suggest we immediately implement each of his suggestions.
**Ban AU and UA items and only allow Mizzou colors!
**All Southerners admit we are wrong about everything and beg WM's forgiveness!
**Build ONLY in already established downtown neighborhoods! Close down all non-vegatarian restaurants so everyone will have to eat healthy whether they want to or not!
**Assess a $15,000 tax per person to pay for paved bike paths, even though most will never use them!
**Contract with New York State to import snow!
**Bring in mega-tons of dirt to build up Monte Sano into a proper mountain!
**Cancel all defense related contracts and close down Redstone Arnesal permanently! Everyone return to harvesting watercress for a living!

---OR---

We could take up a collection to send WM back home where everything is perfect?

[friday13]

Originally Posted by Southlander

OMG!! Wandering Missourian is SO RIGHT! I can't understand how we haven't see how awful everything is here until WM pointed it out to us!

I suggest we immediately implement each of his suggestions.
**Ban AU and UA items and only allow Mizzou colors!
**All Southerners admit we are wrong about everything and beg WM's forgiveness!
**Build ONLY in already established downtown neighborhoods! Close down all non-vegatarian restaurants so everyone will have to eat healthy whether they want to or not!
**Assess a $15,000 tax per person to pay for paved bike paths, even though most will never use them!
**Contract with New York State to import snow!
**Bring in mega-tons of dirt to build up Monte Sano into a proper mountain!
**Cancel all defense related contracts and close down Redstone Arnesal permanently! Everyone return to harvesting watercress for a living!

---OR---

We could take up a collection to send WM back home where everything is perfect?

Spoken like a true Southerner, born and raised

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by dougb256

It starts raining right around Thanksgiving and continues until early April. Then the rain STOPS, period. April, May & early June are very green, late June it starts to dry, August everything is brown, September gray-brown, October mostly gray.... and then the rain starts again.

Where were you in 2009?

[Wandering_Missourian]

Oh, I forgot to mention..... despite the "differences that I will never get used to", I love it down here! It may be hard to believe for some of you, but it is true. Housing and taxes are cheap, commutes are short, "traffic" is not traffic, people are laid-back and super-nice, there are over 50 miles of hiking and biking trails within 5 miles of downtown, the weather is awesome, the Smokies are 4 hours away, and the job market is rock-solid. I came from afar, but plan to stay for the long-haul, and want to do my part to make HSV as good of a place as it can be. I have faith that the city will change for the better as the suburban buildout collapses with the end of oil age. OTOH, I have one foot out the door already in case Huntsvillians can't quite adapt to the upcoming $200 fill ups at the gas station if they stubbornly cling to their cars.

[Mawoods]

About suburban buildout and reliance on gasoline/cars, please visit Atlanta. That is what THAT looks like. What I don't understand is this: Where do you build new homes and areas for newcomers? Even if we redid everything in the intown area, it wouldn't be enough to accomodate growth and housing needs. I don't think many want to live in high rises. We need to think ahead with public transportation for sure. But urban sprawl has always happened in history. Even the 5 points area in Huntsville was in the sticks at one time until some developers from SOUTH DAKOTA came in and developed it with new homes. London has sprawl, NYC has sprawl. THe answer is a good public transportation system and to keep the inner areas from becoming decrepid. I think there are alot of different points of views on how to achieve that. But achieve it, we must.

[friday13]

Originally Posted by Wandering_Missourian

OTOH, I have one foot out the door already in case Huntsvillians can't quite adapt to the upcoming $200 fill ups at the gas station if they stubbornly cling to their cars.

I will give you my car now () if you tell me how shall I get from NE Hsv to CRP (to work 10miles ) and how will I haul my Weekly groceries from the store (be it Walmart 5 miles away, or Convenient store 2 miles away). And how should I take my kids to sports practice, or I go to school after hours?

I have lived the European model - it is feasible when you build VERTICALLY 10-20 stories, not sprawling).

Public transportation would take me to school 10 miles (no mandatory zoning), walk to relatives' house for afternoon nap and homework, take the bus to swimming practice, come home at night by bus or walk or carpool.

Parents would grocery shop every day (toilet paper, soap and toothpaste today, eggs, meat, milk tomorrow, fruits and vegetables the next day) at the neighborhood market by walking there.
Taxi rides were luxury items, were not even needed for every day life, only when going out on vacay with a pile of suitcases to the train station!.

Refrigerator, washing machine, stove broke? No home delivery? Borrow the relative's or neighbors truck, say thank you, or return the favor later by barter. Otherwise, use that appliance until its last breath.

Remodel the home, going weekly to home improvement store? Pfft. Every 10-15 yrs get a painter to refresh the faded colors (in the off-years save the money for the job).

Oh, did I tell you my folks worked 8 hrs a day, Including lunch! No overtime. At 3PM my mom was home, waiting for me back from school with a warm meal. In HS I walked to school, and saved the bus pass money parents gave me (shh, don't tell them).

Those were the days. Tried to live the same lifestyle here, they won't let me . Might work in NYC though, but I live in Hsv now.