Cincinnatians: Rude, friendly, or average? (Cleveland, Toledo: transplants, to live, atheist)

[Wilson513]

OK, Gandma, your insults notwithstanding, I'm still open to an alternate explanation of exactly what was so unfriendly about either Monticello or Bloomington (both great places to live) that you couldn't work out in 30 years. Gee, I wonder why you have a bad attitude. I'm feeling so foolish since I couldn't figure it out from this post :

Originally Posted by Grandma(in waiting)

Don't come to Monticello expecting to find a job. There are none, unless you're willing to work for minimum wage and even those prospects are iffy. Don't expect to be warmly welcomed by the locals either. Newcomers are immediately viewed with suspicion. I moved here 30 years ago and still don't really feel at home. My best friend (who was born and raised in Monticello) once told me, "Unless you were born and raised in White County, you'll always be considered an outsider". Monticello is a pretty little town, and the lakes are nice, but it's much better to visit than to actually live here.

My advice would be to move to a larger town if you're relocating to North Central Indiana perhaps Lafayette or West Lafayette. With the economy the way it is, jobs aren't plentiful anywhere in Indiana except Indianapolis, but at least there are jobs in Lafayette.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

Please read this carefully and try to understand. I really get bored repeating myself. 1) We live in Bloomington. I love it there. Comb through the Indiana forum and you'll find everything you need to back that up. 2) We (I) inherited a cottage on Lake Freeman, 2 miles south of Monticello 30 years ago. We lived there for awhile, but decided to move to Bloomington when the opportunity arose. My husband works for a major manufacturer, and in the past 30 years, we have been transferred to Madison, WI, Peoria, IL, Charleston, WV, in addition to Cincinnati. Check the forums for those cities. You won't find me posting anything negative about them because our experiences were positive. Not so for Cincinnati, and I call 'em as I see 'em. 3) We return to Bloomington because we feel most at home there. With retirement only 5 years away, we hope that we won't be pulling up stakes again, but that's my husband's call, not mine. That is also why we're trying to unload the place on Freeman as we have no intention of retiring there. We'd like to take the money and buy a place on Lake Monroe (close to Bloomington). Now, would you like my blood type and the deed to my first born son?

[Grandma(in waiting)]

Originally Posted by Grandma(in waiting)

Someone else had asked the same question here: http://www.city-data.com/forum/india...ayfayette.html

In short, if I had a choice and pay was comparable, I'd definitely choose Bloomington and I've lived in or near both places.

Another one for you.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

Randy Watson, Ohiogirl81, and Ohioan58, let's get real ... none of you lived in Cincinnati.

I don't live in your apartment, yet I know that you are rude....

I'd say they were close enough to have an opinion of their own. If this forum were limited to just the people within the city limits, then you would get awfully lonely talking to your other screen names .

[high mileage]

Originally Posted by Grandma(in waiting)

If you smile at people and they look at you like you've grown an extra head, maybe you have (get to a mirror).

I think wilson1010 has driven the point home, and for that, we should be grateful.

Lol. You sound like a fun person to be around Grandma (in waiting), and I'm not being sarcastic. I highly doubt your experience in Cincinnati was your fault.

[restorationconsultant]

Based on our own experience, I have found, generally speaking, people in Cincinnati are pretty polite. Our neighbors are great and very helpful. The city has a more 'southern' bent than most midwestern cities, reminds me of Charleston SC where I lived for several years. People are very aware of their "background" by that I mean It doesn't take long to know that someone was born in Westwood or grew up in Walnut Hills, they will inevitably tell you in the first 5 minutes of any conversation.

Cincinnati strikes me as a "town with delusions of grandeur" by that I mean it has a small town feel but people think their city is far more "important" than it is.

But overall it's pretty average. there are alot of new people moving into Cincinnati and I think there is an "adjustment curve" for many "Lifelong residents" who are being exposed to people from different cultures for perhaps the first time in their life.

But I think the people here are no different than most places I've lived. You get the good, you get the bad.

[Tubby513]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

But I think the people here are no different than most places I've lived. You get the good, you get the bad.

This just seems like common sense to me...I've never been anywhere and met all nice people or all a$$holes. There's always some nice, some not. It's funny to me that these people lived here and apparently didn't meet one single nice person...well, funny/interesting.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

I didn't mean to imply I didn't meet some nice people...I did. But making friends was another thing entirely. There is a difference.

[nightrider127]

I think that a lot of Cincinnatians hold you at a distance till they get to really know you and please don't take this as a put down because it is far from it. Our son was born and raised here in Cincinnati and I have noticed that trait in him and a lot of other folks too.

There is rude people everywhere be it here in Cincinnati or the small Kentucky town where I came from. Some people just don't have good "manners".

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by Tubby513

This just seems like common sense to me...I've never been anywhere and met all nice people or all a$$holes. There's always some nice, some not. It's funny to me that these people lived here and apparently didn't meet one single nice person...well, funny/interesting.

There are chronic malcontents everywhere. They can't face their own failings and so they blame others. I find it fascinating that a person would disclose that much about themselves without seeing the real problem. I make friends everywhere I go. I was visiting a criminal defendant in a secure wing of a public hospital yesterday and ended up trading recipes with two security guards and getting a technician as a new client. I think it is because I actually want to know what people think, what they are good at and what they care about. I've never been anywhere that deserves a wholesale criticism of the population. But, some people blame geography, religion, economics, heritage, etc. for their own shortcomings. And, it takes a lot of shortcomings to get on a public board like this and trash a whole city of mostly happy, satisfied people.