Are people less friendly in the urban northeast USA?

Answer 1

Yes, especially in the business world, and especially in New York. People from New York are out to kill, only in it for themselves, Boston is a close second.

Answer 2

New Yorkers can definitely be standoffish, at best. They are always running everywhere and aren't very fond of tourists. Especially if they are wearing a Red Sox hat!

Boston is a lot more friendly. If you visit Boston and are lost, just ask and most people are happy to help. Boston is a lot easier to get around (walking and subway wise) and the people tend to value education over money. If you go to NYC, all you see are designer clothes and snotty people looking down at you. In Boston, as long as you at least attempt to be intelligent or are interested in the city's lucrative history, you'll get along well. Just don't where a Yankees hat!

Further north, you could look at Bangor, Maine. People there are quite friendly to those from Maine especially, but everyone in general. They are very helpful and value hard work.

I would say as long as you are north of NYC, the people are pretty nice. I don't consider Philly the northeast, it's in the "atlantic" region (like Baltimore, DC, and Richmond, though Richmond can be considered the south, too).

Answer 3

depends on where u come from and where on the urban northeast youre going to. a LOT of people i know from the south (i am a transfer down here) don't get why northerners don't say "yeah" and "uh-huh" inbetween every time you're telling them something and take a breath. northerners are less likely to talk to someone in a grocery store about absolutely nothing the way southerners do, and people from the north stand a little farther apart from each other when talking. so if you gage "friendly" by those things, you might interpret it that way. but knowing both cultures, i would say no. they just MYOB a little more than southerners :)

Answer 4

I've never been to New York, but from what I hear its really crowded. Its often described as a vertical city because of the living conditions. The south however where I stay is not vertical at all. Here in Texas you get plenty of room and privacy from your neighbor. I work retail :( and one day we were really busy 2,3,4 customers talking to me at once, the phone ringing, childeren running around the store screaming, the astros losing basically everything that that pisses me of the most in life. My friend from New Jersey saw how frustrated I was and how I was being really rude to people. He explained to me that I was in the NY state of mind, because thats what NYC is, people in your face 24-7. He said people in Texas were more polite because we had space. To answer the question thought I do believe northeastern residents are less friendly.

Answer 5

Typically your going to have nice people and rude people no matter where you go. Theres more hospitality for sure in the south verses the north but if you ask me, service as far as in resturaunts and such is much better in the northeast than in the southeast. Maybe people arent as FRIENDLY but its nothing serious.
I know this isnt really the topic of your question, but oh well.

Answer 6

People in the Northeast aren't less friendly. They just have their own busy schedules, and don't really care about other people's problems ...

Answer 7

Yes and no. I grew up right outside of Philadelphia and now I live in rural Michigan.

Generally, Philadelphians tend to be more tolerant of people of various races, but they're not tolerant in general on the road or at sports games or anything like that. We talk faster and tend to judge quickly.

Out here, people tend to be more closed-minded--they think that if you are different from them (black, not Christian, if you are liberal) then you are wrong and they will be rude to you. If you are middle eastern or black, good luck getting served well in a restaurant outside of the city. However, neighbor to neighbor, driver to driver, and even phone call wise, people here are far more polite and will make exceptions for you if you need the help!

There's a lot more snobbery in the northeast, but a lot more culture. I miss being able to eat at a vegan chinese restaurant for lunch, then at an Ethiopian place for dinner...sitting in a restaurant or on a train with people of different cultures, races, and experiences! I worry that my children won't have the opportunity to experience the positive aspects of diversity. Out here in the midwest, people will tell you like it is, but you have to be like them to be LIKED by most of them.

Answer 8

I think everyone is misjudged as rude. People in the northeast are usually always in a hurry, everything is very fast paced and nobody stops to talk to anybody that much.

Answer 9

YES, YES, YES! I am emphatic about this! My answer refers to people in New England, which is my definition of the Northeast USA.

People in New England are very snobby, stand-offish, and seem to be concerned about the silly things in life like status or who has the best diamond ring. People literally do not speak to each other in public. I have tried to chat with people in line at the grocery store, for example, and they look at you like you're trying to axe murder them. When you try to chat with people anywhere, they look at you as if to say, how dare you speak to me when we don't know each other.

Customer service is nonexistent. Waitresses act as if you're inconveniencing them when you ask for a refill, for example.

Neighbors don't even know each other or talk to each other. In my current home, the neighbor on one side has spoken to us two times in three years. We don't even know their names! They avert their eyes in the backyard if you look their way or try to go over to talk. We have found this to be the case at three different homes so far. Neighbors never welcome newcomers into the neighborhood, they just ignore them.

People are rude and aggressive on the roads. They don't use their turn signals around here and will pass you on the shoulder of the road if you are in the way. If you put your signal on, desperate to turn into another lane, they will block you and not budge or let you in. Everyone drives 80-90 MPH and will flip you the finger if you don't keep up.

People in new workplaces do not welcome you or try to get to know you. They play the game of ignoring you until you've been there long enough to join the club.

I hate living in New England and am trying to move away. The people are strangely unfriendly, rude and standoffish. They exist within the confines of their snobby little cliques and find it hard to let anyone else in. They are selfish and look out only for their own interests. They are self-absorbed by their own lives and their own affairs.

This is not how I was raised in the Midwest, and as a Midwesterner I am very put off by New Englanders' snobbery and refusal to be even remotely down to earth.

Answer 10

It depends. In small towns people are very friendly. However, in big cities, it is harder to get to know people. People are not as trusting and are suspicious of strangers.