This is such an interesting forum. It may be old, but I find the threads interesting and want to add my thoughts here, since I've also lived in different places. I grew up in New England (MA and NH), lived in upstate New York for 6 years, lived in Southern California for 3 years, and New Zealand for almost a year. I now live in the South and have been here for about 6 months.
After having lived in so many different places, I can say this: there are things to love and cherish wherever you go, and there are things to be mindful and careful of, as well.
My experience in
New England can be summarized by the following:
[list][*]Great Schools (attended Pre-K through last year of College there)[*]People who may be "rougher" on the surface, but are real, down-to-earth, and loyal[*]New England sense of humor is varied, but I found that many people found sarcastic humor to be funny, as well as goofy humor, "smart" humor, and at times, people found raunchy humor to be funny (I don't like this much). I tend to prefer goofy, "smart", and dry senses of humor to be the most enjoyable![*]Long, snowy, COLD winters[*]HOT, humid, but lovely summers[*]Sneeze-inducing Springs (achoooo!)[*]Lakes, ocean beaches, mountains (Monadnock and the White Mountains were my favs!), BEAUTIFUL fall foliage, great camping spots, awesome hiking and kayaking[*]Pumpkins, apples, fireplaces, and hot cocoa[*]I usually felt safe, but there were occasional problems with predatory men when I was young child growing up (though you can find this anywhere)[*]Decent mix of races/cultures[*]Awesome museums and the region is rich with history[*]Housing styles were varied, with Dutch Colonial, Cape Cod, Shingles being prevalent (and some older Victorians in downtown areas)[*]GREAT food options, with my favorites being Indian restaurants, Japanese Hibachi, Seafood in Portland, ME or Cape Cod, Hidden gems in Portsmouth, and some good cafes (not just the typical chains).[*]Bugs/insects/spiders were average. Nothing gargantuan, except for the occasional wolf spider in a garage. Stink bugs were invasive some years. More common pests are ladybugs, silverfish, ants...[*]Most people have strong New England/Boston accents[*]Downtown usually has more upscale restaurants, shopping, salons[*]Drivers are generally worse in MA than in NH[*]Housing is expensive and taxes are high (very high in MA, AKA "Taxachusetts")! Very few HOAs, which I prefer.[*]Police officers were very family-oriented and friendly. I volunteered with the police department, so got to know them over time.
My experience in
Upstate New York can be summarized by the following:
[list][*]Decent Schools (went to Grad School there)[*]People who were definitely "rougher" on the surface, sometimes rude, but definitely some great people mixed in[*]People would sometimes say "You're not from around here, are you? You're too friendly to be from NY". I found that humorous.[*]New York sense of humor is varied, but I found that many people found raunchy humor to be funny (I don't like this much).[*]Long, snowy, COLD winters with BRUTAL wind[*]HOT to warm, lovely summers[*]Sneeze-inducing Springs (achoooo!)[*]Lakes, Adirondack mountains (soooo beautiful), BEAUTIFUL fall foliage, great camping spots, awesome hiking and kayaking[*]Apples and TulipFest[*]I felt less safe than I did in New England, mainly because of some isolated bad experiences. I was jumped in the parking lot of a bowling alley by a gang. The local police wanted nothing to do with it when I called to report it and they played "hot potato" with another police department, neither of which responded to the incident. Men were also much more forward in NY than in NE.. even cops! I was leaving a dance club one evening with my friends, and the police officer working grabbed me by my arm and said, "where do you think you're going, beautiful?" Now that might seem pretty benign, but I found that the police officers were often a bit too friendly for comfort there, and in some precincts, were downright corrupt. [*]Very diverse mix of races/cultures[*]GREAT food options, with my favorites being Indian restaurants, amaaazing frozen yogurt places, and yes, delicious pizza.
[*]Bugs/insects/spiders were average. More common pests are ladybugs, silverfish, ants... though Yellow Sac spiders did seem to be everywhere, and living close to the Hudson may result in House Centipedes!! (AAAAH!)[*]The Albany area had a MASSIVE amount of crows. I'm talking Hitchcock massive. My first year of grad school, I wondered if the world was coming to an end when I looked out at the SWARM of crows (aka murder of crows :shudder
blocking daylight from coming through[*]Many people have some version of a NY accent, but it was often subtle. I found that the accents were much thicker and pronounced in NYC, particularly Brooklyn[*]Downtown was different from NE in that it was usually quite ghetto and it was usually NOT the place to look for upscale anything[*]Drivers are pretty normal- mix of good and bad. There were quite a lot of accidents in the winter time on Route 9 near Latham. Driver beware![*]I didn't pay as much attention to house styles/architecture in NY, but it wasn't so different from NE.[*]Housing is expensive but more affordable than NE and CA. Some HOAs, but not too many that I recall.
My experience in
Southern California can be summarized by the following:
[list][*]Not sure about the schools (don't have children)[*]People were generally more friendly on the surface, but difficult to get to know on a deeper level. I made about 2 close friends during my 3 years there (which is still worth more than gold to me!). People seem less presumptuous/judgmental on the whole (to each his own type of attitude, which I like).[*]People would sometimes say "You're not from around here, are you? You're too friendly to be from CA".
I found that especially humorous since I heard that in NY, too, and CA was known to be a friendlier place.[*]California sense of humor is hard to describe because it varies from individual to individual (as many places do). There wasn't an overarching sense of humor, but people weren't lacking humor, either! I had many a tear-inducing laugh with friends in CA![*]HOT, dry weather most of the time with the very occasional deluge ("It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya', it pooours, MAN it pours!"=TRUTH)[*]Fewer allergies (at least for me!)[*]Ocean beaches-- mostly crowded but some lesser known gems if you knew where to look (or had good friends
)[*]Gorgeous vistas with mountains galore[*]Most cities in CA do not really have a downtown area or "Main Street USA" [*]Bugs/insects/spiders are average on the whole, but there are some LARGE spiders and rattlesnakes around! Lots of elder box bugs or kissing bugs- I can't tell them apart though they are definitely different![*]The State is known for good hiking, but I found it waaay too DRY and HOT to hike most of the time. And the lack of tree cover made me feel like a raisin even beneath layers of SPF and sun protective clothing. After feeling like DEATH hiking some SoCA mountains, I can say that I much prefer hiking in New England, Upstate NY, and New Zealand! And the lack of natural lakes really made me miss kayaking amongst the serene waters in NH, while listening to the loons sing their evening song![*]The State is densely populated, which made quaint camping difficult to find. There are some amaaaazing B&Bs in Big Bear, though (shout out to Switzerland Haus! Mitch is THE BEST!)[*]I usually felt safe with regard to people, but I did keep a constant lookout for mountain lions, as they were definitely around! Our security cameras at work caught one in our parking lot and behind my office window on a couple of occasions! :-O [*]GREAT food options, with my favorites being some upscale gourmet restaurants in Westlake/Agoura, Indian restaurants, froyo, yummy fish tacos if you know where to look. I found that the coastal restaurants had great ambiance but not-so-great food most of the time. [*]Housing styles are mostly different variations of stucco, stucco, and stucco. Lots of HOAs.[*]Shopping areas are quite attractive and many places look like a resort. [*]Housing is EXTREMELY expensive... this is one of the main reasons that I moved out of the State (that and the crazy politics!). It's next to impossible to own any land and do what you want to do with it (grow a garden, have chickens, keep goats, etc.)[*]Police officers where I lived were the opposite of NY-- very, very unfriendly!
My experience in
New Zealand can be summarized by the following:
[list][*]Not sure about the schools (don't have children)[*]People were very down-to-earth, friendly, generous, and generally more rugged than people that I've met in the United States. The Maori people that I met were warm, inviting, and loving. [*]New Zealand sense of humor is akin to English humor- very dry, but I like it.[*]Constantly changing weather. If you don't like it, just wait 5 minutes![*]Ocean beaches with some seriously good surfing[*]Gorgeous vistas with mountains galore[*]Simply amaaazing hiking, which is definitely more rugged and challenging than the 100s of US trails that I've hiked.[*]Absolutely stunning vistas. Oh wait, I've said that already.[*]Sooo many birds with the most stunning birdsongs imaginable. [*]While there are no real venomous threats, there are some seriously HUGE spiders in New Zealand. The cockroaches were MASSIVE and very invasive. [*]Many untouched places with low population density on the whole. Life-changing, breathtaking nature.[*]I felt very safe with regard to people, but I will say that there is a much more liberal mindset than I prefer (I am a conservative Christian, and people would literally just rip off their clothes and jump into a swimming hole in front of strangers = I closed my eyes.
) I never felt unsafe with regard to wildlife because there are no natural predators in NZ, nor were there really any ticks or venomous spiders to be concerned with. There were a TON of snails, though. A TON. I still feel like I'm crunching beneath my feet 15 years later...[*]Food was.... interesting. I didn't LOVE the food there, but then, a staple of the NZ diet is mutten and I just will not eat lamb or mutten. The Hokey Pokey ice cream is good, though![*]Housing styles are very rustic with many off-the-grid arrangements. I actually lived in my tent for 4 months while I was out there and quite enjoyed the fresh air and being unplugged from the rat race.[*]Shopping is extremely limited. As a woman, I had to plan well in advance, if you know what I mean.
My experience in
the South (TN - so far) can be summarized by the following:
[list][*]I plan to homeschool, so I'm not super concerned about the schools[*]People seem friendly enough on the surface, though they've definitely pointed out that I'm a Yankee on several occasions, followed by "bless you" or "bless your heart" (I do not enjoy this or find it endearing). I don't really have any kind of accent- people always say it's "Anywhere America" accent lol, but my lack of a Southern accent and use of Southern lingo is enough to tip locals off that I'm not a native of the area. Conversations usually remain friendly, though a bit more reserved when I tell people where I am from (pick a number)! I have to say that in the short time that I've lived here, this region has presented me with the most judgmental people that I've met so far in any area that I've lived. BUT, there have been some really, really nice people, too. So clearly it's not right to presume that all Southerners are judgmental just because I've experienced it with
some people already. Everywhere you go, you get your good grapes and your sour grapes! I do find that women seem to care a lot more about their hair and makeup here than anywhere else that I've lived. I was VERY surprised to find more women talking about their Botox and other cosmetic procedures at salons here than I ever heard about in CA! Perhaps California women keep those things hush, but as for me, it made me sad to hear it. [*]Southern sense of humor is definitely different from what I've experienced in other places, and I've found that it can be quite sarcastic and sassy. My husband is from the South... and I am still adjusting.
(one Southern man actually said "wow, that must have been some miracle that you two wound up together after learning that I am a "Yankee"). Sheesh with kibbles. lol[*]Still learning the weather, but have found it to be almost as varied as New Zealand was! One day will freeze your pipes and two days later will be a beautiful 77 degrees. I guess that's late winter/early spring in this part of the South![*]Sneezing more than I did in CA... oh Eastern pollens, where's the love?[*]No beaches. None (where I am in TN). BUT, there are beautiful lakes and I'm a lake girl so yaaaay![*]Gorgeous vistas with mountains and farms galore! Wait, did I say farms? Yeees! That's what we're here for.
[*]Good hiking so far![*]Much more affordable housing with awesome farm land, springs, creeks, and rolling hills![*]There are more trees here than in CA (yay!), but oddly, they don't seem to be the healthiest forests. A lot of trees that I've seen in TN are either very young or they are covered in ivy or other parasitic vegetation. I'm hoping that we will be able to buy a home with some healthy trees and help to keep them that way![*]Batpoop CRAZY drivers!!! Some of the most wreckless driving I've seen.[*]Some good food options amidst an abundance of fast food choices (we tend to stay away from fast food except on rare occasions). [*]Housing styles are varied, but I find more single-wides and double-wides than anywhere else I've lived. However, that has more to do with the rural area that we live in than the general South.[*]The South does seem to be quite buggy, even during the fall/winter/spring months. We've had an enormous amount of again, elder box bugs OR kissing bugs... I'm thinking that they're elder box bugs because they are out in the daytime, allll around our windows and porch! We've seen some wild jumping spiders, and we've had quite a few flies (this is more related to the rural location, I'd think!) Carpenter bees are also a problem.
That's it so far! I have found nice people everywhere I have lived, and I find that when you are genuinely nice and concerned about others, you don't tend to notice the downsides about a place as much. I also find it helpful to not be easily offended. People's upbringing and environment contribute to how they respond to various situations, including the influx of "outsiders" or in my case, "Yankees". While I don't appreciate the "oooh, you're a Yankee, bless your heart", followed by the batting of lashes, I chalk it up to their upbringing and possible experiences, and know that over time, if they're interested in getting to know who I really am, they'll eventually drop the "Yankee" and just know that I am uniquely me: a woman who loves God, loves people, loves nature, loves animals, loves to travel, and loves to experience God's best in life, wherever that might be!
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