Why the nastiness/rudeness? (Minneapolis, Buffalo: transplants, houses, neighborhood)

[Zoggin]

I lived in the Twin Cities from 1994-2000 after moving from Western New York (between Buffalo and Jamestown). While intitially I really liked Minnesota and the Twin Cities, I noticed that when I told people where I moved from, they would say something nasty and ignorant about me being from "New Yawk". I would tell them Upstate NY or Western NY as not to be lumped in with NYC. Western NY is the polar opposite of NYC in every way. Buffalo is much more like western PA and Ohio than NYC, NJ, or Boston.

I'm not talking about a gentle joking matter, I'm talking about MN folks saying the nastiest things to me because where I'm from. My family isn't even from NY originally-we all have roots in Illinois and Ohio. My folks were born and raised in central Illinois-so I would consider myself having much more more of a Midwestern upbringing than the East. My father took a job with American Airlines as a pilot in Buffalo after he left the US Navy-that's how we wound up there.

Most of the transplants here like the area but find the natives truly nasty to deal with. I find most (not all) Mn folks to be extremely rude, cold and unfriendly. Nearly all the friends I did make while living there were transplants like myself. I was told maybe the cold weather makes them so mean and miserable, but I grew up in a cold and snow climate and I don't recall so many people there being so downright nasty. Many folks in Western NY and Northwest PA were quite friendly and easy going. Not here in MN. The *******s run rampant in flyover country up here in MN. There was an ad on the local radio stations by the Minneapolis Foundation asking fellow Minnesotans to lighten up and not be so nasty and condescending to the recent migrants from other countries (Africa and Se Asia). The ad ended with the line: Come on Minnesota, are we nice...or not?

I since moved away to NC where it is 100x easier to adjust to. The main reason I left MN was the nasty people and NOT the weather. Too bad because MN has beautiful outdoor scenery and the Metro area is very clean, modern, and well kept. MN has alot going for it-if only the natives weren't so close minded.

[iNviNciBL3]

That's strange most people here seem nice to people from outside the state, We do joke around every once in awhile about other states but were just having fun.

Sorry about your unfortunate experiences, North Carolina has some very nice people plus you might run into fell NY transplants hope your doing well there, ive only been to the western edge by Ashville and it was Beautiful! plus the people were very nice true southern hospitality

[MplsTodd]

I'm sorry that your reception was so frosty and rude. I guess it depends who you hang out with. My social circle included lots of natives AND transplants (including international transplants). Most people I socialized with in Minnesota were nice, or at worst, polite. I certainly ran into others, who were less open to "outsiders", but I've run into that everywhere I've lived. I just minimize my time with them as we probably don't have much in common.

[Zoyd]

Speaking broadly, my take is that parochialism is on the rise, fueled by the rancorous talking heads and with it the implicit permission to denigrate anyone for *any* reason... political, religious or even one as silly as where you are from.

Spread nice.

Z

[Mr. Opinionated]

Originally Posted by Zoyd

Speaking broadly, my take is that parochialism is on the rise, fueled by the rancorous talking heads and with it the implicit permission to denigrate anyone for *any* reason... political, religious or even one as silly as where you are from.
Spread nice. Z

Pay that forward folks!!

Lets boycott the people that cannot feel well unless they are bashing everyone, everything innocent around them!

[Glenfield]

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. Personally, I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about upstate NY. I have a friend who lives here who is originally from Syracuse. I'll ask him what his experience has been and post it later on.

[Zembonez]

I deal with several people from Minnesota in business. I have noticed a real tendency for them to be a bit thick headed and sure they are right about everything... but I would not call them rude (just not very warm). There is a noticeable difference dealing with them and people from other parts of the country.

It may well be that the folks who live around them are just used to this type of behavior... and we don't see it the same way they do.

[yoyoma02]

I'm from MN and moved out west a year and a half ago. Whenever I come home people will say rude things about California to me, too. They will say things like, "How can you live in that horrible smoggy, rude city?" or "Everyone there is a fake jerk" or something along those lines.

I don't really take it personally, since most of these people were friends of mine before the move, but they will really bash LA, even though none of them have ever been out here. It's bizarre.

[uptown_urbanist]

I have several friends from western New York, and about half of my MN friends were born in other states or countries. As far as I know, they haven't encountered hostility -- I'll try to remember to ask them about it. Maybe you just are hyper-sensitive or ran with the wrong crowd? Jokes about another state, though, shouldn't be taken to be insults. Sometimes people may just be trying to be funny. Or trying to make small talk. Or are making a misguided attempt to make you feel welcome -- think along the lines of "aren't you glad you're HERE now, and one of us?" And when we announced that we were moving to NYC (yes, very different than Buffalo, I know!!) people have been very positive about it, and I've discovered that seemingly every other person in my neighborhood either lived there at one point themselves and/or has relatives in the NYC metro area. I know fewer people with connections to other parts of NY, but I know a few of them around, too. I guess I just have a hard time understanding this, as I've lived in a bunch of other cities and states, yet when I've been back in MN people haven't said nasty things to me about them (or to my husband, who is from another state).

yoyoma, I hear you on the LA thing (although that's not MN-specific); everyone LOVES to pick on LA, despite most of them knowing very little about it! I think it's the most misunderstood big city in the country. Everyone seems to either think it's all celebrities and houses in the hills, or else it's all gangsters and crime. I never took it as a personal insult, though; just that many people either seemed to be envious (especially when it's January in MN...) or feel sorry for me. (and not to go off-topic, but my main pet peeve are the Minnesotans who start bashing Los Angeles for being "car-centric" and lacking good public transportation! Talk about pot calling the kettle black, other than the fact that LA is decades ahead of the TC in that sense. But I digress... and, I don't think it means people are mean, even if they ARE, I think, poorly informed!)

In any case, I think this must come down to, as MplsTodd notes, your social circle. Why waste your time hanging out with those who say nasty things? About half the people in Minneapolis were born outside of Minnesota, so even if you ONLY limit yourself to people from elsewhere, you'd still have lots of potential friends.

[knke0204]

Originally Posted by Zoggin

I lived in the Twin Cities from 1994-2000 after moving from Western New York (between Buffalo and Jamestown). While intitially I really liked Minnesota and the Twin Cities, I noticed that when I told people where I moved from, they would say something nasty and ignorant about me being from "New Yawk". I would tell them Upstate NY or Western NY as not to be lumped in with NYC. Western NY is the polar opposite of NYC in every way. Buffalo is much more like western PA and Ohio than NYC, NJ, or Boston.

I'm not talking about a gentle joking matter, I'm talking about MN folks saying the nastiest things to me because where I'm from. My family isn't even from NY originally-we all have roots in Illinois and Ohio. My folks were born and raised in central Illinois-so I would consider myself having much more more of a Midwestern upbringing than the East. My father took a job with American Airlines as a pilot in Buffalo after he left the US Navy-that's how we wound up there.

Most of the transplants here like the area but find the natives truly nasty to deal with. I find most (not all) Mn folks to be extremely rude, cold and unfriendly. Nearly all the friends I did make while living there were transplants like myself. I was told maybe the cold weather makes them so mean and miserable, but I grew up in a cold and snow climate and I don't recall so many people there being so downright nasty. Many folks in Western NY and Northwest PA were quite friendly and easy going. Not here in MN. The *******s run rampant in flyover country up here in MN. There was an ad on the local radio stations by the Minneapolis Foundation asking fellow Minnesotans to lighten up and not be so nasty and condescending to the recent migrants from other countries (Africa and Se Asia). The ad ended with the line: Come on Minnesota, are we nice...or not?

I since moved away to NC where it is 100x easier to adjust to. The main reason I left MN was the nasty people and NOT the weather. Too bad because MN has beautiful outdoor scenery and the Metro area is very clean, modern, and well kept. MN has alot going for it-if only the natives weren't so close minded.

Whatever, I'm sick of every idiot around the US thinking I'm some hillbilly because I'm from Minnesota.

PS, our culture is very welcoming of immigrats. This is an educated, friendly place, and your rants do nothing to help the stereotype of 'coldness'.