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When I moved to NC in 1995, I had most recently come here from Montana and Vermont. Though I am originally from Virginia, I often told people I was from Vermont, as it was the last place I lived before NC,and I sometimes was too lazy to give the entire history of my geographical life. You can't get much further north in the US than Vermont, and I never had a single person show me any rudeness or disrespect.
Yes, there are a few people who resent the influx of Yankees to the area. This seems to be played up a bit on these forums. But, heck, I'd say that in my social circle and employment circles, the non-natives actually outnumber the natives, and most people I know here tend to gravitate towards those in similar professions or who share similar values and hobbies without regard to one's geographical origin. Americans, at least white collar Americans, tend to be highly mobile and not stick to one place anyway. Not only do we have a large number of people around here who are from other parts of the country, we have a sizable international population.
With much of the employment here centered around brainpower professions, such as academia, research, medicine, and the IT industry, most people are more interested in what you do rather than where you are from.
I guess that I'm saying that there might be some resentment of Cary because of the influx of newcomers, but I suspect it's not as widespread as one might think. I completely divide Cary in my mind between older Cary and newer Cary. If my husband and I both worked in Cary, we would probably consider living in one of the older neighborhoods that flanks the downtown area. Alternatively, I find Cary Park intriguing, as I like the neotraditional neighborhoods I've seen around here. The newer parts of the city, particularly those west and towards Apex (like Preston) are a bit scary and bland to me, no disrespect for those who live in these areas and enjoy it. There is only so much beige and Stepford-ness I can handle.
Cary is a plastic "keeping up with the Jonses" community.
I detest it.
Much better to see Bubba's house with a Chevy 327 engine on the lawn than a bunch of HOA approved "correct" homes.
Diversity is great!
that's just silly. Hating on a place for the lack of bubba homes. Cary is diverse, maybe not in the variety of subdivisions, but I find the people are very diverse compared to the rest of the triangle. There are people from all over the US and the world here, and I'll take diversity of people over homes any day.....unless of course until the day homes learn to carry on a conversation.
Wow...what an education I'm getting from this thread! Just curious...I live in the east bay of San Francisco and am considering the move to the Raleigh area. Am I considered a "yankee"? Without getting to know me in the least and simply basing your opinion of my family and me only on where we are moving FROM, what do you think? How would we be categorized? Would it help to know that all my relatives are in Atlanta and New Orleans? Am I southern by proxy?
So many generalizations and assumptions being made here re: northerners vs. southerners, this neighborhood vs. that, etc. Can't say for sure where I want to go, but I won't count any area out based on some of the sweeping generalities made here. To each his/her own - beauty (and a wonderful town/city) is in the eye of the beholder.
If you're not a native to North Carolina, then yes, you're considered a Yankee. Despite the old definition of a Yankee being someone from the northeast, it is now used as a synonym by some native rural folk to mean 'foreigner' (but still from the U.S.A.). Lot's of the arguments you here against Yankees and Illegal Immigrants are interchangeable (e.g. "X" are overcrowding our schools, "X" are causing our property taxes to increase, "X" should stay where they came from, "X" are ruining our state, etc...). It's a subtle form of bigotry.
Fortunately, you don't encounter it in person....only in online forums like this. My guess is that people who have this attitude tend to live in the country, and simply don't mix with urban folk. So if it weren't for the internet, you wouldn't even realize some people think like this.
What I find most interesting is the misconceptions southerners have about the misconceptions of northerners. They seem to think that northerners hold some sort of animosity towards southerners. For example, when I first move down here, a native told me that one reason why they don't like northerners is because we think that their southern accents are a sign of being uneducated and uncultured. Both my wife and I (both from different parts of the north) thought this was odd, since we found southern accents interesting and cool. The idea that southern accents were 'unrefined' and that northern accents were 'refined' was a totally foreign concept to me until I moved down here.
In the 50's, Levittown was the symbol of suburban sprawl and plastic lifestyle.
Cary's now the symbol of this. Not the only example, but a highly noticeable symbol of growth gone wild.
Cary doesn't "symbolize" anything. It comes off more as just need to have something to "detest" that symbolizes your own personal feelings about suburban living. It's just a town, where plenty of different and diverse people live, work and play.
Why the hate? It's no different than if I were bashing Durham all the time as an area "I detest" because it symbolizes everything I hate: run down, poor, crime ridden, and finger pointing at the general population who live there. Or I detest Wake Forest because it symbolizes a new American wealth that I don't like. I don't actually think this way, but it's an example of how ridiculous it is to talk badly about a town and the people who live there because of your own personal feelings. It's OK to not want to live somewhere because it doesn't work for your lifestyle, thats totally understandable. We all make those decisions. I just don't understand the unfounded "hate".
When I drive around Clayton, Holly Springs, Fuquay, North Raleigh, Wake Forest and Apex, it looks aesthetically no different to me than western Cary. Some of these areas were/are being built at the same time and speed as western Cary! Same builders, same types of neighborhoods, same strip malls; different longitude and latitude.
When I drive around Clayton, Holly Springs, Fuquay, North Raleigh, Wake Forest and Apex, it looks aesthetically no different to me than western Cary. Some of these areas were/are being built at the same time/speed as western Cary. Same builders, same types of neighborhoods, same strip malls, same types of people/families different longitude and latitude.
I might add that this is the current 'style' of homes, and I personally don't find it unattractive. I'm sure the same arguments were made years ago about homes in central Raleigh like Oakwood and Boylan Heights which we all love now (why would you put such nice homes on such small lots instead of on nice large plantations?). Or what about row homes in places like Philadelphia....you can't get any more crowded or monotone as that...but now they're considered charismatic and charming.
My prediction is that years from now, these homes are still going to be attractive, and compared favorably to whatever 'garbage' they'll be producing then.
I might add that this is the current 'style' of homes, and I personally don't find it unattractive. I'm sure the same arguments were made years ago about homes in central Raleigh like Oakwood and Boylan Heights which we all love now (why would you put such nice homes on such small lots instead of on nice large plantations?). Or what about row homes in places like Philadelphia....you can't get any more crowded or monotone as that...but now they're considered charismatic and charming.
My prediction is that years from now, these homes are still going to be attractive, and compared favorably to whatever 'garbage' they'll be producing then.
A great post. I think true of every generation.
Similarly:
"When I was a kid, we had good music, not that crap they listen to today."
But, heck, I'd say that in my social circle and employment circles, the non-natives actually outnumber the natives,
Whenever I get the question of where I am from, people are usually surprised when I say Raleigh, like it is rare. I guess it could be these days, it feels kind of weird to think about it!
I am not sure how this thread came to this depth of bubbas and their spokesperson,
but will say when I think of Cary or any other place within the state of NC I do not classify it as anything but being a part of NC. Therefore it is given my respect as such, and whoever chooses to live their and call it home, I hope they will do the same. And that is good enough for me,
Last edited by autumngal; 08-20-2007 at 01:58 PM..
Reason: take a guess..typo, lol!
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Cary is diverse, maybe not in the variety of subdivisions, but I find the people are very diverse compared to the rest of the triangle. There are people from all over the US and the world here, and I'll take diversity of people over homes any day.....unless of course until the day homes learn to carry on a conversation.
lol! bubbas....
