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The most genuinely nice people I've met have been in the Lower Midwest/Ohio River Valley. If I had to pick a city, I would say Indianapolis, from personal experience, and not because of post #10.
The South is not the answer. I'm sure that, if you drove through a small southern town en route to somewhere and stopped in at a diner, they would be very nice and even animated. I've found that Southerners (now) come in three basic types:
a) sugarcoat "bless your heart" types who will never tell you what's really going on inside their heads,
b) "over the back yard fence" pearls of wisdom types who will tell you what's going on inside their heads, and
c) mint julep on the golf course veranda types who were in a fraternity/sorority and will go to yuppie/soccer mom status
The most genuinely nice people I've met have been in the Lower Midwest/Ohio River Valley. If I had to pick a city, I would say Indianapolis, from personal experience, and not because of post #10.
The South is not the answer. I'm sure that, if you drove through a small southern town en route to somewhere and stopped in at a diner, they would be very nice and even animated. I've found that Southerners (now) come in three basic types:
a) sugarcoat "bless your heart" types who will never tell you what's really going on inside their heads,
b) "over the back yard fence" pearls of wisdom types who will tell you what's going on inside their heads, and
c) mint julep on the golf course veranda types who were in a fraternity/sorority and will go to yuppie/soccer mom status
southern culture hasnt moved on from the civil war yet
but i would take Indy over the south anyday the heat is just to much. 90-100 degree days all summer=no thanks.
Parts of the midwest, some of the south, upstate NY;nice people are everywhere, but some cities aren't as nice as others. That vibe thing. Don't ask me where the non-nicest people live though. Hehe.
After moving around, I've learnt that if you're nice to people they'll be nice to you. Keep in mind there's nice and rude people everywhere. Sometimes social phenomena will come into effect.
It also depends on what you consider nice. There's the type who acts polite on an acquaintance level but will seem extremely rude after getting to know them, or the opposite where they may seem cold and distant but really just need to warm up first.
Also keep in mind that if you move anywhere without knowing anyone, it can be very difficult to make friends regardless.
Hope this helps.
After moving around, I've learnt that if you're nice to people they'll be nice to you. Keep in mind there's nice and rude people everywhere. Sometimes social phenomena will come into effect.
It also depends on what you consider nice. There's the type who acts polite on an acquaintance level but will seem extremely rude after getting to know them, or the opposite where they may seem cold and distant but really just need to warm up first.
Also keep in mind that if you move anywhere without knowing anyone, it can be very difficult to make friends regardless.
Hope this helps.
Good post, and I agree.
I have found in general, the smaller the population the nicer the people. Wyoming, Montana, Idaho have very nice people. On the other hand, I have met some very nice people from New York City as well, even when visiting on their turf.
The only time that I have encountered multiple people who were rude was in the big cities of Texas, Houston and Dallas, but this was in the 80's. Perhaps things have changed?
But it is true, friendliness is contagious, and if you are friendly, most will be friendly back. This is almost universal across the U.S.
Another mention: metro Houston TX. Houston is NOT the South. It is something else.
In 3 days, I ran into so many down-to-earth unpretentious people for being such a big-hitter city...in The Woodlands (north), in League City (south) , downtown and on Westheimer outside the Loop (west). A friend of mine moved from Houston to Phoenix only because the Enron collapse spilled over into his line of work, but he said the people he met in his few years in Houston were very likable, confirming what I experienced.
You don't make a state hospitable just by hiring a PR firm to print that on a bunch of stickers.
And Arkansas was known as "The Land of Opportunity" when governor Orval Faubus closed all the public schools in order to avoid court orders to integrate them. And Connecticut is known as "The Nutmeg State". Here;s the best one" Hew Jersey is known as "The Garden State".
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