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Hello Southern People, (and to any, and all who have transplanted there from elsewhere).
I have a question of you, (or maybe a few), and I hope you can help.
Our family lives in NJ. But the state seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth. It's just not what it used to be, in certain ways, (primarily economically, and this has kind of been going on for ages now. Easily almost 10 years, which is likely ages in NJ years..)
Have any of you been Northeast transplants who have left the Northeast to move South, not for a visit, but just plain left?
What has that been like for you?
Has their really been a definitive cost of living/income benefit for you leaving for the South?
What about the culture change?
I have seen/read some pretty awful, unkind remarks about some in the South on the NJ thread, (apparently posted by those who went South and wanted to come back to the Northeast), and their lack of charity made me wince. It's perfectly fine if one doesn't take to a place, or even prefer the people, but there's a way to say things, Or not.. ) In any case..
Southern people reading this, how about you?
Do you feel you're welcoming of folks coming from the Northeast to live near you?
Is it really true you call folks from the Northeast, 'Yankee this and that'?
Or is it just really nice and one big happy American family, like the Walton's used to be?
(Or something.. )
The Waltons, to our minds eye, were the quintessential gracious Southern family.
Naturally, this was a 1970's t.v drama, based in the 1930's, but still..
Inquiring minds want to know.
Please be advised, before you answer, we are not a family that has predetermined prejudices towards the South, or people or a region. But nothing beats the reality of facts, data and, yes, in most cases, people's personal experiences.
If you left the Northeast and are reading this, where did you go due South?
How does it suit you?
Your helpful and informative answer could help other fellow travelers not make a mistake.
"Yankee" is used to describe Northerners, but in a general way, not necessarily pejorative. It can be pejorative, but you can tell from the tone of voice when it's intended as that.
By and large, someone who arrives here with a positive attitude and is interested in learning about their new place, and is aware that they are in a "new place" with some new customs that is not interested in molding itself to them, will do fine.
You won't find The Waltons much anywhere in this computer age, but in rural areas you do often find the warmth and friendliness towards family and neighbors. More and more of NC is suburban nowadays, with people from everywhere--especially in areas such as Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, etc that are growing so fast--so you'll find a rather generic "suburban" vibe more than anything--but still, people in the South are said almost universally to be friendlier than those from the urban Northeast. Thankfully, this is often contagious and people who move down many times loosen up their own "attitude", perhaps due to being away from the stresses of the Big City (though NC cities are growing in leaps and bounds and experiencing more and more of that stress, themselves!).
Anyway, I'm rambling as I tend to, but bottom line is, your attitude sounds very positive and you don't sound like someone who would move here and complain about everything that's not exactly like it was where you came from, and THOSE are the types of "Yankees" people don't like.
Best thing to do is come for a visit and spend a few days where you can see for yourself what it's like
Anyway, I'm rambling as I tend to, but bottom line is, your attitude sounds very
positive and you don't sound like someone who would move here and complain about
everything that's not exactly like it was where you came from, and THOSE are the
types of "Yankees" people don't like
.
Did not sound like rambling at all, and was actually quite helpful.
Thank you, again :O)
Last edited by hears_where_the_story; 02-02-2015 at 04:18 PM..
Reason: edit
I find it interesting that you didn't ask one question about North Carolina. In fact you don't mention NC, or any city, or other locale in the state.
The "South" makes up a very large part of the USA consisting of numerous states. Certainly you don't think it is one big monolithic area on the "other" side of the Mason Dixon line.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,716,930 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by hears_where_the_story
Hello Southern People, (and to any, and all who have transplanted there from elsewhere).
I have a question of you, (or maybe a few), and I hope you can help.
Our family lives in NJ. But the state seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth. It's just not what it used to be, in certain ways, (primarily economically, and this has kind of been going on for ages now. Easily almost 10 years, which is likely ages in NJ years..)
Have any of you been Northeast transplants who have left the Northeast to move South, not for a visit, but just plain left?
What has that been like for you?
Has their really been a definitive cost of living/income benefit for you leaving for the South?
What about the culture change?
I have seen/read some pretty awful, unkind remarks about some in the South on the NJ thread, (apparently posted by those who went South and wanted to come back to the Northeast), and their lack of charity made me wince. It's perfectly fine if one doesn't take to a place, or even prefer the people, but there's a way to say things, Or not.. ) In any case..
Southern people reading this, how about you?
Do you feel you're welcoming of folks coming from the Northeast to live near you?
Is it really true you call folks from the Northeast, 'Yankee this and that'?
Or is it just really nice and one big happy American family, like the Walton's used to be?
(Or something.. )
The Waltons, to our minds eye, were the quintessential gracious Southern family.
Naturally, this was a 1970's t.v drama, based in the 1930's, but still..
Inquiring minds want to know.
Please be advised, before you answer, we are not a family that has predetermined prejudices towards the South, or people or a region. But nothing beats the reality of facts, data and, yes, in most cases, people's personal experiences.
If you left the Northeast and are reading this, where did you go due South?
How does it suit you?
Your helpful and informative answer could help other fellow travelers not make a mistake.
So, please, fess up, do tell, and Godspeed.
Thank you
OK, North Jersey or South Jersey?
If you are from South Jersey there isn't a huge culture shock. I came down from South Jersey & it's not all that different, some different state laws & some different accents.
I'm used to seeing people ask about Mayberry, a fictional town in NC, but the Waltons? Where the heck did that come from? Weren't they in the mountains in Virginia?
I have to ask. . .Have you ever been to North Carolina? Have you looked at a map?
ETA: Keep in mind that the posters who say the rudest comments about NC are the same posters who call South Jersey Alabama.
Last edited by southbound_295; 02-02-2015 at 05:43 PM..
Our family lives in NJ. But the state seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth.
It's just not what it used to be...
That's true of just about everywhere and mostly about the raw number of people compared
to what used to exist there and secondarily about the weak economy most of them have to endure.
Quote:
Have any of you been Northeast transplants who have left the Northeast to move South
Has their really been a definitive cost of living/income benefit for you leaving for the South?
Outside of the cost of property (mortgage/rent/etc) costs are about the same everywhere.
Of course lower RE prices mostly reflect lower wage rates.
Quote:
Is it really true you call folks from the Northeast, 'Yankee this and that'?
Damned Yankee's
Quote:
The Waltons...
...were mountain folk. Not southerners.
And that was TV.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,781 posts, read 15,804,357 times
Reputation: 10894
The Waltons were a fictional family based on the writer's real family, The Hamners. They lived in Schuyler, Virginia in Nelson County just south of Charlottesville. That's neither here nor there, but I thought I'd clear that up.
hello southern people, (and to any, and all who have transplanted there from elsewhere). hello.
i have a question of you, (or maybe a few), and i hope you can help. uh oh.
our family lives in nj. But the state seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth. It's just not what it used to be, in certain ways, (primarily economically, and this has kind of been going on for ages now. Easily almost 10 years, which is likely ages in nj years..)
this holds true for the majority of the country regrettably, many of the manual labor jobs (agriculture and manufacturing) have left the south as well. Legislators in nc (just as in the rest of the us) have turned to addressing divisive social issues instead of the substantial economic issues.the reality is that there are quite a bit of ongoing layoffs in the triangle area.
have any of you been northeast transplants who have left the northeast to move south, not for a visit, but just plain left?
n/a. Went the other way.
what has that been like for you?
Has their really been a definitive cost of living/income benefit for you leaving for the south?
the housing bubble didn't create as large a spike in housing prices as the populated ne and metro areas because the undeveloped areas in nc allowed for supply to adjust. Much of the excess capacity created by that time in nc was sopped up by continued immigration from ne.
what about the culture change?
the culture between ne and se is drastic, it's been addressed on the forum many times but is also too complex to address in a few sentences. The areas with the most transplants have the least differences, naturally.
i have seen/read some pretty awful, unkind remarks about some in the south on the nj thread, (apparently posted by those who went south and wanted to come back to the northeast), and their lack of charity made me wince. It's perfectly fine if one doesn't take to a place, or even prefer the people, but there's a way to say things, or not.. ) in any case..
he he... I "never" known a person from nj to make an unkind remark about anyone... :d truthfully i can find negatives and positives to say about both groups of people.
southern people reading this, how about you?
Do you feel you're welcoming of folks coming from the northeast to live near you?
i have always found people with diverse life experience interesting, but i would admonish you that not all feel that way. In many parts of the rural south, families go back hundreds of years and their relationships are so deeply intertwined that it would be impossible for an outsider to make inroads with them socially. This would even include a southerner from another part of the state.
is it really true you call folks from the northeast, 'yankee this and that'?
i certainly don't, but i've heard it more times than i can count! The old timers when i was a young fella called you guys "foreigners".. I'd also read somewhere that someone was an adult before they knew that "d*amned yankee" was two words.. (of course that was a memoir written by a woman who was 10 at the time of the civil war) so you may consider that progress. :d
or is it just really nice and one big happy american family, like the walton's used to be?
(or something.. )
the waltons, to our minds eye, were the quintessential gracious southern family.
Naturally, this was a 1970's t.v drama, based in the 1930's, but still..
obviously it was a tv show and had no more bearing in reality than say the bronx was like "sesame street". Quite contrary to fiction, during antebellum times and reconstruction americans in the north and south routinely engaged in actions that would be considered outrageously brutal by our modern standards.
now, just as then, we are all engaged in our unromantic daily struggles.
inquiring minds want to know.
Please be advised, before you answer, we are not a family that has predetermined prejudices towards the south, or people or a region. But nothing beats the reality of facts, data and, yes, in most cases, people's personal experiences.
i will say this, that the old time people, although simplistic, had a genteel hospitality about them that seemed to give way to more hostility over the years. Perhaps it is resentment at the influx of people from elsewhere, or perhaps this phenomenon is true for america as a whole. I just don't know. Maybe it's a little of both.
if you left the northeast and are reading this, where did you go due south?
How does it suit you?
Your helpful and informative answer could help other fellow travelers not make a mistake.
So, please, fess up, do tell, and godspeed.
Thank you
-rr
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) In any case..
)
lol
