People in Va? (Norfolk, Richmond, Arlington: condo, home, unemployment)

[dman72]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

Most Virginians are nice--unless they're driving on the interstate--then it's every man for himself--honestly! We have some of the absolute RUDEST drivers around. Get into NC, and the entire driving experience is different! Much more mannerly!

Once you've been through New Jersey, it will seem like horse and buggies.

What I was referring to is the treatment that some people form the north I know have gotten when moving south. One who moved to the Richmond area had everybody at her workplace all smiles to her, then overheard them talking behind her back about how all these Yankees are moving down and taking up jobs and driving home prices up, referring to her specifically. A rude awakening about who she was dealing with.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by dman72

Once you've been through New Jersey, it will seem like horse and buggies.

What I was referring to is the treatment that some people form the north I know have gotten when moving south. One who moved to the Richmond area had everybody at her workplace all smiles to her, then overheard them talking behind her back about how all these Yankees are moving down and taking up jobs and driving home prices up, referring to her specifically. A rude awakening about who she was dealing with.

Unfortunately, it's like that everywhere. When the Norfolk Ford Assembly plant closed, some relocated to Dearborn, MI. If you heard some of the horror stories of how those people were treated, you wouldn't be very happy. Even when companies purchase other companies and merge the employee bases, those that transition are not treated very fairly either. Personal experience on that one and what's sad, is the whole concept of people helping people has totally gone by the wayside. Shame on us for being that way.

[fjennell]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

Most Virginians are nice--unless they're driving on the interstate--then it's every man for himself--honestly! We have some of the absolute RUDEST drivers around. Get into NC, and the entire driving experience is different! Much more mannerly!

Yes that was part of my reasoning behind thinking there is a border somewhere between Fredericksburg and Richmond. Have lived in both and now in Maryland (won't even go there with the driving here!) and when I go back to visit in Richmond I actually can put my turn signal on or not and people will let you merge into traffic. They will wave you in or wait for you to go. Here - DO NOT put a signal on or they will speed up and refuse to let you over! This is everyday... I drive into DC so I get the DC, MD and NOVA drivers. It's a shame I can't use a signal around here!!! You get so used to it being that way, when you go somewhere else that's not like that, you really realize what a difference.

[stockdale.35]

You will find nice people, the ones who have been here a long time. I know people in Alexandria, Woodbridge, Stafford, Loudon County, who still practice southern hospitality. People tend to spend time with whom they are familiar with. Its just you will see this hospitality thing go away with close proximity to a large city(there are exceptions).

A good thing to do is not expect someone else to be nice, do it yourself! Be a leader not a follower. Recently I have tried to say hello to people in our apartment elevator. You would be suprised at the results. I found that after I had been doing it for a month or so, people started saying hi to a me and wishing a pleasant evening to me.

For instance these jokers from NC say oh it changes when you cross the NC-VA line, thats so much trash!! Charlotte has lost its southern charm just like Atlanta. Been to both, not impressed. Its the smaller cities that will give the the consistent southern hospitality. Richmond, Franklin, Smithfield, Roanoke, C'Ville, Raliegh NC, Wilmington NC, Columbia SC, ect.

BE CAREFUL North Carolinians think thier crap dont stink!

[NSX]

Definitely not in NoVA...almost as bad as New York.

[DRvortec]

Looking in Abingdon. Looks nice. How are the people?

[TheEggman]

VA is one of the North/South 'transition' states. The metro areas are attracting scads of northern and far-western liberals. Alexandria City can, at times, seem as rude as New York.

When you get into the rural areas you're much more likely to find the 'genuine' southerners who are polite, open doors, help strangers, wave at folks going by and still consider a handshake as good as a signature.

They are more likely to refer to you as 'honey' or 'sugar' (in the friendly, not sexy way) regardless of your sex. Their pace is much slower, so it appears less intense and more 'genteel.'

Of course in the more rural areas there's little to talk about after the news and farm reports, so they talk about other people, their neighbors and 'them damn yankees and foreigners.'

Genuine Southerners tend to have long memories and strong loyalties. If you tick them off, they don't forget, but if they're your friend they are a good and loyal one. (Except for that talking about you and gossip thing.) They are often far more open-minded and tolerant than many people expect. (But they'll still talk trash about you when you leave.)

One big problem that I am seeing all over the South, however, is the 'influx.'

A lot of Northern 'extreme' Liberals are moving to places like Charlotte, NOVA, Durham, Roanoke, Stafford, etc. because of the slow pace and quality of life.

In doing so, however, they are bringing with them their 'big-city' pace and tearing down the tobacco barns and building malls and McMansions.

Because they've seldom if ever never driven a car, or at least never 'really' driven a car, and can't deal with meeting an oncoming tractor on a two lane road, they are demanding that the now beautiful, winding, fun-to-drive country roads be straightened, sterilized, pruned and 4-laned.

In doing so, they are screwing up the very quality of life that they came here to find. Instead of adapting to the culture, they expect the culture to adapt to them. (Sound familiar?)

Once the Starbucks, Office Depot, Fed-X and Panera replace the General Store and Stella's corner grill is replaced by an Applebys, the charm goes away and they start looking for another 'quaint' little Southern Town to which they can move and start changing into a mini-version of the place from which they are escaping.

Egg

[stockdale.35]

Originally Posted by TheEggman

VA is one of the North/South 'transition' states. The metro areas are attracting scads of northern and far-western liberals. Alexandria City can, at times, seem as rude as New York.

When you get into the rural areas you're much more likely to find the 'genuine' southerners who are polite, open doors, help strangers, wave at folks going by and still consider a handshake as good as a signature.

They are more likely to refer to you as 'honey' or 'sugar' (in the friendly, not sexy way) regardless of your sex. Their pace is much slower, so it appears less intense and more 'genteel.'

Of course in the more rural areas there's little to talk about after the news and farm reports, so they talk about other people, their neighbors and 'them damn yankees and foreigners.'

Genuine Southerners tend to have long memories and strong loyalties. If you tick them off, they don't forget, but if they're your friend they are a good and loyal one. (Except for that talking about you and gossip thing.) They are often far more open-minded and tolerant than many people expect. (But they'll still talk trash about you when you leave.)

One big problem that I am seeing all over the South, however, is the 'influx.'

A lot of Northern 'extreme' Liberals are moving to places like Charlotte, NOVA, Durham, Roanoke, Stafford, etc. because of the slow pace and quality of life.

In doing so, however, they are bringing with them their 'big-city' pace and tearing down the tobacco barns and building malls and McMansions.

Because they've seldom if ever never driven a car, or at least never 'really' driven a car, and can't deal with meeting an oncoming tractor on a two lane road, they are demanding that the now beautiful, winding, fun-to-drive country roads be straightened, sterilized, pruned and 4-laned.

In doing so, they are screwing up the very quality of life that they came here to find. Instead of adapting to the culture, they expect the culture to adapt to them. (Sound familiar?)

Once the Starbucks, Office Depot, Fed-X and Panera replace the General Store and Stella's corner grill is replaced by an Applebys, the charm goes away and they start looking for another 'quaint' little Southern Town to which they can move and start changing into a mini-version of the place from which they are escaping.

Egg

So true and well said. I very much agree, but there are still those little non-chain places alive in NOVA, you just have to look for them.

[dman72]

Originally Posted by TheEggman

In doing so, however, they are bringing with them their 'big-city' pace and tearing down the tobacco barns and building malls and McMansions.

Because they've seldom if ever never driven a car, or at least never 'really' driven a car, and can't deal with meeting an oncoming tractor on a two lane road, they are demanding that the now beautiful, winding, fun-to-drive country roads be straightened, sterilized, pruned and 4-laned.

In doing so, they are screwing up the very quality of life that they came here to find. Instead of adapting to the culture, they expect the culture to adapt to them. (Sound familiar?)

Once the Starbucks, Office Depot, Fed-X and Panera replace the General Store and Stella's corner grill is replaced by an Applebys, the charm goes away and they start looking for another 'quaint' little Southern Town to which they can move and start changing into a mini-version of the place from which they are escaping.

Egg

I seriously doubt that the people proposing widening the roads and the developers building McMansions are North Eastern transplants. There are greedy people who don't care about charm everywhere, and they know that there may be demand for houses and traffic concerns GENERATED by people moving there. That's probably a better way to explain it.

[$mk8795]

Originally Posted by Newtodelaware

Are people nice in VA like they say they are? Do they have Southern Hospatality?

Have you seen the way most of them display their Hatred towards people from Maryland......

Some of them on this Board will go into the Maryland threads and post Filthy Vicious Hatefull Messages about Marland and go as far as making up non-proving statements of how Rude the people are and Dangerous Maryland is when Virginia(not All) are just as Rude and Snobby and the Crime can be just as Dangerous as Maryland.....