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I don't live in LA but I do live in the South for just over a year.What city/town state? . I pulled this until I received a DM and decided I would rewrite my personal experiences. We have lived and traveled extensively. This may cause some flames but its my personal experiences. We intended to make the south our Permanent home that changed rather quickly. We were told prior to and after getting here by many people we would never be accepted because we were outsiders. I can believe this depending upon the state and town. I'm from Lafayette Louisiana and was an outsider in the town of Des Arc Arkansas. I laughed at them we never had problems adapting anywhere. We were not southerners they told us we would not be fit in and be accepted.I was from the south but the people at Des Arc Arkansas didn't accept me nor my exwife (who was from the next town over) for many months. She said they began to accept her as they got to know her. Depending on where you are from the distaste they have for you varies. Racism is a very ingrained part of society and its very subtle it exists on both sides before anyone get in a huff on that. Sexism is also alive and well in the Deep South as is the Good Ol' Boy Network. The "Good Ol'Boy Network" goes on in big cities up north, they just call it something else. The more rural you are the less they want to see things change whether its technology or culture or just the way things are done. Why? Because, its the South they tell you. Not necessarily. Many want the new technology but either can't afford it or there's no high speed internet to use new technology with so why bother. Also, just because a technology is new doesn't mean it's better. When it comes to things like farming equipment, old technology is better because it's easier to maintain and is more reliable. I think part of what you're missing is the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Here's an example of how it relates to modern technology, my uncle still watches TV on an old picture tube analog TV. He knows the modern flat panel HDTVs are better. He's not against them. He just won't replace his old TV as long as it still works and can be fixed. It makes financial sense to him. Though he's an old farmer, he also has a home computer with high speed internet and cell phones.
Southern Hospitality is an interesting thing.. in these here parts Ma'am if you'se say Yes Sir or No Ma'am with a Bless your heart you can be as rude as you like otherwise and it still considered good manners. That "bless your heart" thing doesn't happen in all of the south. In retail, restaurants and many other service industries especially in more rural areas they act like its a big inconvenience for them to service you. If you don't have the southern accent the attitudes change almost immediately toward you. Many places up north have similar attitudes towards customer service, some are worse. Try having a southern accent and getting service in the north east or north west part of the country. You're likely to be treated like someone from an enemy nation or as if you're too stupid to be dealt with.
Yes, its humid but weather was an easy adaptation for us. Being told to our faces we were not liked simply because of where we were from was another story even by those in professional fields. When people from outside the south says this, it usually means the non-southerner talked up where they're from all the time while knocking where they're currently living expecting the place and people to change to the way the non-southerner expects them to be like where they are from. "Oh I'm from New York City/San Francisco and it's so much better than here because of this. You people should do things this way because that's the way they do things where I'm from." is the things we here all the time. The lack of quality medical care in anything but the largest cities is scary. Try going to rural areas up north and you'll find the same thing. It's a matter of money. Cities have a larger population and so their hospitals have access to larger amounts of money to purchase modern equipment. Rural hospitals purchase what they can afford and provide the best care they can afford and if they don't have the facilities to care for a particular condition, they're flown or driven to the nearest facility that can treat that patient. Duh! I have personally experienced HIPPA violations among other things. I have overheard Pharmacists discuss how they think its crazy to put drugs that METH is made from behind the counter and have them controlled. That's not a HIPPA violation. That's just normal work place complaining having to do with stopping whatever you're doing to take an OTC medication off the shelf and record driver's license information every time someone wants an OTC decongestant. Some how the "tweakers" are still making meth even with this practice. While watching Tweakers stand in line.
Recent reports tells of the worst states to live I can attest to this. In the South you have Tornados, Floods, and Snow that no one is prepared for even when they are given plenty of notice and the states go into shutdown due to poor government planning. Wow, no floods and snow up north!? Give me a break. The reason why southern cities aren't prepared for snow even with predictions is because snow happens so infrequently that it doesn't make financial sense to purchase snow removal equipment or huge amounts of road salt for the rare occasion when it's needed. In areas where snow is a regular occurance it makes sense to buy and keep these things on hand and yet they still have problems with being snow bound to their homes due to road closures and power outages. Yes the Weathermen at CNN warned of Snowmeggedon only to watch a couple weeks later as another southern state followed suit.
The crime check city data on that don't let anyone fool you that it is less in the south than anywhere else ( those dreaded coasts) and some of the crimes or so horrendous they are sickening.
The lack of Education is very evident, sadly by poor speech patterns Darn those southern accents make people sound so stupid compared to northern accents. So what if the person saying "ya'll" or "ain't" also has a doctorates degree and is a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist, they just sound dumb. ( not that mine is great) lack of degrees A lack of a college degree doesn't make one dumb just as having a degree doesn't make one smart. I've met some very smart people who never graduated high school and some very dumb people with a college degree. . Many people in the rural areas of the South have never left the counties from which they live let alone the state. Until hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, many people living there had never left the city of New Orleans, a major city. I'm sure if you go through the poor areas of NYC and other major cities, you'll find the same type of people who never left the city. Driving through the rural areas reminds you of those old movies where it shows the poor south.
Lets talk about bugs and I mean big ones and poisonous as well there are lots as well as multiple poisonous spiders and snakes!So poisonous spiders and snakes only live below the Mason Dixon line? If you like Fried Southern Food and lots of overly sugary foods loaded with salt things will be great.
Looking for healthy food except in the Largest cities good Luck.
Varieties of food? Even those have a Southern Flair...just don't expect the smaller towns to offer much more than edible food and good customer service is rare thing!
They do have some great things--- if you are a history buff the south is rife with historical sites... after awhile you can only visit so many historical houses though they all begin to look alike as do all the battlefields. The countryside is beautiful. I prefer to visit not live.
In Summary if you are a Duck Dynasty, fishing, hunting, bug-loving, lack of technology, poor grammar, lack of quality medical care, want things to always stay the same ( not in a good way i.e. racist/sexist) Enjoy Overly salted fried foods, then you will love the south. Wow, and this is why some here accuse you of being a troll. You just listed off the usual Hollywood stereotypical south we see in TV and movies that most of us who live here rarely ever see. Sure, the rural areas, both north and south, are limited in the variety of foods. Large cities have a large population and so offering a bigger variety of foods makes financial sense. A restaurant that only serves fried foods won't last in the south because there's more to southern cooking than just fried foods. Smoked or BBQ meats aren't fried. Chili isn't fried. Louisiana rice dishes aren't fried. The list goes on and on. While traditional Cajun or southern foods aren't exactly the picture of healthy food, many locals have come up with minor changes to the foods to keep the flavor and make it healthier. Here in Lafayette Louisiana you can find restaurants that serve Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Indian, and Italian foods, among others. There are also restaurants that serve a healthy menu and some that offer healthy options to traditional menu options.
Oh yes I have never seen so many flip phones since the iPhone came out.
As you can tell I do not like living in the South and it is the only place on the face of this planet I really dislike maybe even hate! Then you haven't traveled. I served 8 years in the military. Besides Louisiana, I've been to at least 8 states and at least 15 countries. I found things I liked and didn't like about all those places. There is no perfect place to live except that which you feel is home. I could live in Italy, Greece, Malta, and some of the other states I visited or lived in but they weren't my home. Except for the muslim countries I visited and France, I don't hold the level of hatred towards any of the countries and states I've been to the way you have towards the south in general. It sounds as if you came here with preconceived notions about the south and actively looked for those things you don't like then decided you prefer life where you came from. We never experienced anything like living here and If we move and never come back it will be too soon.
You should be more specific. Many northerners, especially north east and north west, have a very broad and general view about the southern culture being all the same like what is shown in TV & movies. While some aspects of southern culture are similar, there are differences between cultures even among people within the same state. Louisiana is where this is taken to a whole different level. People here would take your post more seriously if you listed exactly where you lived instead of saying "the south".
I am wondering what it is like to live in the south?
Depends on what you mean by the south? The south isn't one culture. There are aspects of the south that are similar. You can find differences even within the same state. I've traveled a lot. Some parts of the south resemble your stereotypical Hollywood TV/movie portrayal of the south. Some parts resemble cities up north. If you go to a southern town or city and look/talk down to those around you because they're from the south and you're from a northern big city then you will have a very bad time, especially if you expect them to change to the way you want them to be. If you go there with an open mind willing to experience the local community then depending on where you choose to visit or live, you'll have a fine time. Though I'm from Lafayette, a city in the south, that doesn't mean I'll get along well in other parts of the south. Movies like "Deliverance" and "Southern Comfort" were examples of the insulting caricatures Hollywood has made of people in the south.
Been long winded on this topic. This one post will be brief. If you enjoy the city, move to a southern city. If you enjoy rural living, move to a rural area. If you want the quiet nature of rural, but want the variety and life of a city, move to a rural town near a city.
Not to mention Lafayette is becoming a quite high tech city and a progressive one. Far removed from the traditionally static ways of thinking. A car centric city trying to find ways to invite more walking, biking, and provide ever increasing urban amenities for its people.
I moved to New Orleans from NYC. I really like it here. The people are friendlier, the food is great, and most importantly, real estate prices are affordable. In NYC, people were always looking to pick fights with strangers. Not down here. In addition, I can buy a three bedroom house for under 200k in Metairie, something I couldn't dream of in NYC and surrounding areas. The only things I don't like are the bad condition of streets, which I understand because of subsidence, and insects. I don't like insects.
I've lived in the south my entire life and I hate it for all the reasons one person listed. If we could have a gulf coast state, splitting Louisiana in half (north to south), and add the panhandles of MS and AL, I think that state would be pretty great to live in.
It really would.The Missisppi and Alabama coast have more commonalities with South Lousinana than North Lousinana. I would also add Escampbia County Florida (Pensacola)
^^^ I agree as well. That would be pretty awesome. Imagine combining South Louisiana(starting from Lafayette) and the Alabama Coastline with this beautiful beaches...incredible
^^^ I agree as well. That would be pretty awesome. Imagine combining South Louisiana(starting from Lafayette) and the Alabama Coastline with this beautiful beaches...incredible
^^^ I agree as well. That would be pretty awesome. Imagine combining South Louisiana(starting from Lafayette) and the Alabama Coastline with this beautiful beaches...incredible
Depends on what you mean by the south? The south isn't one culture. There are aspects of the south that are similar. You can find differences even within the same state. I've traveled a lot. Some parts of the south resemble your stereotypical Hollywood TV/movie portrayal of the south. Some parts resemble cities up north. If you go to a southern town or city and look/talk down to those around you because they're from the south and you're from a northern big city then you will have a very bad time, especially if you expect them to change to the way you want them to be. If you go there with an open mind willing to experience the local community then depending on where you choose to visit or live, you'll have a fine time. Though I'm from Lafayette, a city in the south, that doesn't mean I'll get along well in other parts of the south. Movies like "Deliverance" and "Southern Comfort" were examples of the insulting caricatures Hollywood has made of people in the south.
Very good post. What's funny is that geographically I live in the state with the southernmost points in the continental United States, but most people don't think of Florida as "the Deep South" because of all the transplants from up North. I've visited states like AL, GA and NC and, as you wrote, you can't group millions of people into one category. However, I do find that, wherever I am, a friendly smile goes a long way.
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