People in West Virginia (Charleston, Wheeling: home, employment, neighborhood)

[citygrl707]

I have noticed that people in my neighborhood doesnt speak or say good morning anymore. What ever happened to friendly people?? I go into the grocery store and your lucky to get a hello most people are down right rude. I understand people want there own space and want to enjoy there family what ever happend to being pleasant?????? Is this just chicago or are the people in west virgina the same.

[Georgia]

The majority of the state are down home great people.
My favorite West By God towns:

Charleston
Beckely
Lewistown
Anything in Tucker County
Elkins
Romney
Berkeley Springs
Sutton

Regards

[hotrod8]

I am also looking into moving to WV in a couple of months and agree with you that no one knows how to be neighborally anymore. Jobs are a lot harder to find but at this time Im willing to take a paycut. Good luck
Scott

[WV bad ass]

well i'm from the buckhannon/pickens/selbysville/alexandria/brookshill/adrian/frenchcreek area (yea, alota place's but there really close together) & the people 'round here are some a da nice's people ya could meet! ya know, fun lovin', good timin', family people who work there "@ $ $' $" off fer a livin'!

[barefootrob]

Seems like people have been like that for a while. But I agree it seems to be getting worse. Drivers especially. But a sense of community is non existant in the city here in Ohio too.

[wvrose]

Originally Posted by citygrl707

I have noticed that people in my neighborhood doesnt speak or say good morning anymore. What ever happened to friendly people?? I go into the grocery store and your lucky to get a hello most people are down right rude. I understand people want there own space and want to enjoy there family what ever happend to being pleasant?????? Is this just chicago or are the people in west virgina the same.

Hi in Chicago,
No way! people in WV are soooooo friendly! If you come to visit, (even if you are a stranger) most WV folks will offer you hospitality, food, cookies, chat, etc. Always ready to talk or wave or say "Good mornin'. I love the attitude of West Virginians. I adopted WV as my home many years ago and raised my family there. All 7 kids, ..If need directions, they will help you and may try to keep you there to chat for awhile. Watch [u]where[/U you stop to ask directions, they will stop in middle of the road and chat. haha...]Never have to worry about folks in WV being friendly. for sure!
I am stuck in Montana at the present time, but can't wait to get back home to WV. ***wvrose

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by wvrose

Hi in Chicago,
No way! people in WV are soooooo friendly! If you come to visit, (even if you are a stranger) most WV folks will offer you hospitality, food, cookies, chat, etc. Always ready to talk or wave or say "Good mornin'. I love the attitude of West Virginians. I adopted WV as my home many years ago and raised my family there. All 7 kids, ..If need directions, they will help you and may try to keep you there to chat for awhile. Watch [u]where[/U you stop to ask directions, they will stop in middle of the road and chat. haha...]Never have to worry about folks in WV being friendly. for sure!
I am stuck in Montana at the present time, but can't wait to get back home to WV. ***wvrose

Food and Cookies. Yepper, Remember Aunt Bea was a West Virginia Girl

[PBennear]

I'm from the eastern panhandle and for the record Georgia doesn't know what the heck they're talking about.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by citygrl707

I have noticed that people in my neighborhood doesnt speak or say good morning anymore. What ever happened to friendly people?? I go into the grocery store and your lucky to get a hello most people are down right rude. I understand people want there own space and want to enjoy there family what ever happend to being pleasant?????? Is this just chicago or are the people in west virgina the same.

--------------------------------

I grew up in Charleston WV and one thing some folks realize if they travel around the state is that there is a very varied range of people there. You have "valleys" and within those valley areas are towns or small cities, and many of the people there will be multi-generational. Go to one area such as Charleston and you'll find more Scotch-Irish ancestored folks, go to another area and more have people from Germany, go to yet another valley and many have Polish ancestors.

Attitudes and "outward friendliness" may vary from valley to valley, but in general you'll see folks more friendly overall than you will see in very large cities such as Chicago, New York, or where I'm at now, Atlanta.

For example, when I would go up to the northern panhandle of the state (the Wheeling area) I found people to be more chatty and outwardly open in talking to strangers. In the Charleston area people are more reserved and to themselves, but still not "rude" in general. One thing about Appalachians in general you'll find is that unlike some areas, they speak their mind and are very what you might call "brutally honest" - but not in a way to mean to be rude... they just don't fluff up their feelings when expressing them. To someone from New York this will still seem "down home friendly" but to someone from Alabama this will seem rude-ish (depends on what you're used to).

I prefer the more quiet personalities back home to here (Atlanta). In the South, people can be a bit "overly bubbly" in your face, but then will say stuff about you when you leave - the old talk about you behind your back thing which some call "southern hospitality" (their rule I think is... be nice to everyone to their face and then lay into them after they leave the room). If someone from WV doesn't like you, you're not going to get any made-up fluff from them... you'll know it while you're in the room with them, but you won't get any fake stuff, either.

WV has more of the old school, "please, thank you, you're welcome" stuff than you find elsewhere, but at the same time, if you walk into a store you won't have a dozen twangy gals rushing up with the, "Hello darlin', can I help yuuuuuuu" stuff either - you have to ASK for help otherwise they remain quiet. You'll get used to it. Very different, but after a while I think you'll find very nice.

[Blu]

I'm from the eastern panhandle in wv also......and while i agree not every one is the most friendly BUT you also have to realize.....this area is becoming the back yard of D.C. since 9/11 the residents who could afford to move and commute and settled in our area.....and what a beautiful area it is......heck even i moved here from another area. Pittsburgh!! and ifyou think people here are rude and un welcoming try living in pittsburgh, i have an accent n they were down right against me being part of thier world.....and here in Martinsburg i'm welcomed because my accent blends in with the rest.

as far as employment.....jobs are hard to come by if your not willing to dig and look deep.....this area is booming, the main reason we moved here. you have Hagerstown and Winchester both with in 30 mins of martinsburg and employment galore in both areas........it's all in how hard you look and how willing you are to do the job