[DogLady321]

Originally Posted by Machine

Are New Englanders friendly?

Not sure how to answer that, I've lived her all my life so have nothing else to compare the people to.

When i first moved to southern VT from CT, the VT folks did seem alot friendlier than what i had become accustomed to.

I do agree with some of the others that being locked up for so many months of the winter does affect many people, it sure does me.

Regarding some of what flu was saying, here's my take.
VT is a beautiful place and has been an awesome place to raise children but there are limited options for jobs, decent paying jobs. Most of the people I know are just barely getting by here, but everyone seems to take it in stride cause they love it here. Many people choose to just barely get by.
While others came here with money and seem to have an invisible supply of money, perhaps a rich relative is sending them money.

But the reality is that there are few really good paying jobs here, this is not negative talk or talk to dissuade people from coming here, it's the truth! It is a real problem, not one made up by negative talking folks that live here.

Back to the original question. New Englanders do have the reputation of not being friendly. I guess it may be true to a certain extent, just takes some time for some folks to warm up. But you definitely meet all kinds here. Folks do seem to go out of their way to help someone in need here, i never experienced anything like it in CT, not like here in VT.

[Suzet2262]

Originally Posted by DogLady321

Not sure how to answer that, I've lived her all my life so have nothing else to compare the people to.

When i first moved to southern VT from CT, the VT folks did seem alot friendlier than what i had become accustomed to.

I do agree with some of the others that being locked up for so many months of the winter does affect many people, it sure does me.

Regarding some of what flu was saying, here's my take.
VT is a beautiful place and has been an awesome place to u raise children but there are limited options for jobs, decent paying jobs. Most of the people I know are just barely getting by here, but everyone seems to take it in stride cause they love it here. Many people choose to just barely get by.
While others came here with money and seem to have an invisible supply of money, perhaps a rich relative is sending them money.

But the reality is that there are few really good paying jobs here, this is not negative talk or talk to dissuade people from coming here, it's the truth! It is a real problem, not one made up by negative talking folks that live here.

Back to the original question. New Englanders do have the reputation of not being friendly. I guess it may be true to a certain extent, just takes some time for some folks to warm up. But you definitely meet all kinds here. Folks do seem to go out of their way to help someone in need here, i never experienced anything like it in CT, not like here in VT.

I can tell you where I live, people arent that friendly, and if they are, it is to size you up; do you have more money than they do, what kind of "classes" are your kids in and what kind of after school activities do you have them in, where in town do you live. do you rent or own, more importantly what kind of work does your husband do? It is really so superficial out here. I guess that can be found everywhere, but all I know is that I have been out of high school for more years than I care to admitt. I grew up along time ago...I dont care to get involved in their petty crap.

[tyreenbradby]

we are so friendly quite frankly

[Bang!]

Who's friendly really all depends on who's asking. For example, I've been zooming down the same dirt roads for twenty years and never notices how rude Vermont drivers can be until I switched my green plates for some blue ones. Now I'm a flatlander and guess what, people do notice, and they do behave differently. Its kind of funny when they get close and recognize me an look all apologetic for hogging the road.

[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by Machine

Are New Englanders friendly?

People are people.
Some of us are a**holes. Some aren't.
Just like everywhere else.

[BickleTravis]

Originally Posted by Bang!

Who's friendly really all depends on who's asking. For example, I've been zooming down the same dirt roads for twenty years and never notices how rude Vermont drivers can be until I switched my green plates for some blue ones. Now I'm a flatlander and guess what, people do notice, and they do behave differently. Its kind of funny when they get close and recognize me an look all apologetic for hogging the road.

You think blue plates (CT?) are bad, try NJ yellow in Burlington.
But seriously, Bang! is right. VT, especially rural VT, is a very provincial place.

[mustmove]

Funny I remember going down your road in our benz with MA plates and getting scowled at about a dozen times, five minutes later heading the other way in a junk truck with green plates and the same folks waved. Nice double standard VT.

Originally Posted by Bang!

Who's friendly really all depends on who's asking. For example, I've been zooming down the same dirt roads for twenty years and never notices how rude Vermont drivers can be until I switched my green plates for some blue ones. Now I'm a flatlander and guess what, people do notice, and they do behave differently. Its kind of funny when they get close and recognize me an look all apologetic for hogging the road.

[Jaymum]

You're going to encounter the provincial crap in any rural or semi-rural area, just like how you're going to encounter people cutting you off and flipping the bird, traffic jams, and lung-cancer air in any urban area. If I were to go to a place like Vermont, it would be to get away from people, so I don't suppose I'd care much. I'm always friendly and outgoing, but living around NYC for decades, I've had enough of everyone else's problems.

[momnh]

I think people in VT are really friendly. I spend most of my time at work in Burlington and in surrounding towns on the weekend and noticed overt friendliness. But I came from NH.

[Bang!]

On the other hand, the subtle slights you'll get in VT when driving with CT plates is nothing compared to the overt hostility you'll find where I am now. The rude, lazy, unionized, entitlement class of people I find in CT are a much bigger problem. My wife always reminds me about how much more she liked working at Dartmouth, (now at Yale).

I guess one take away point for anyone not familiar with Vermont is that there are several very different communities of people here and that you should be cognizant of which one you think you will be joining. If your a Nuevo-Vermont environmentalist type you'll find many kindred spirits here but don't be surprised when the local boys in their big old trucks don't make way for your rusted old Subaru. Likewise, if your a down home good-old-boy country type don't be surprised when your snubbed by the local enviro-elitists. The only thing that makes this different than anywhere else is that VT communities are so small that you can't isolate yourself form the types to don't get along with. The much applauded flat-class-hierarchy has its downsides too, (in my opinion anyways).