<p>So our tales are bull but those of your family, friends, coworkers, etc, are more valid?</p>
<p>Can people on here disagree without the nastiness and name-calling? Why is this tolerated? I have tried to be respectful in what I say, and respectful if I feel I need to point out what I believe are misconceptions, generalizations, or insults assigned to certain groups or posters. I haven’t called any of you names, or assigned you unpleasant labels. But you feel complete freedom to continue to accuse and insult me? And actually, I was trying to agree with poetgrl’s points about geographical pull. I was not arguing with anyone.</p>
<p>Yes, the Charlotte area could feel small to someone used to a bigger metropolis. Its metro area has 2,296,567 people compared to almost double that for Boston (4.5 million). However, it is much larger and “more happening” than tiny Lexington, which is the kind of quaint place that has one movie theater. Charlotte is quite lovely, housing costs are low, and the weather is nice. The kind of kid who’d happily go to W&L is more likely to be from the south and thus interested in living in a southern city like Charlotte than a kid from Boston. Where’s the implied judgment? It’s a question of geography, size, and a feeling of regional familiarity–not any superiority or inferiority. To say Charlotte is more exciting than Lexington, but maybe not more exciting than Boston to someone currently living in Boston, is neither judgmental provincial.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s fine if people want to stay in Boston. I happen to love Newbury street, myself.</p>
<p>Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the United states. I imagine it will be bigger than boston in a decade.</p>
<p>But, those who love Boston love Boston.</p>
<p>But, according to the last census, Boston lost the third largest number of residents in the US.</p>
<p>COL is an issue there, as well. Very high rent.</p>
<p>xiggi - I am beginning to believe curm must live in a ranch near my cave in Houston. I will make an offer on his goat.</p>
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<p>Just pointing out that not everyone from that generation agrees they had it just as hard/harder than the current millennial generation. And many of them did work their way through public colleges on minimum wage jobs and graduated with no debt in 4-6 years.</p>
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<p>No. I will agree with you on that one, Cobrat. The kids and the cost of education today? That’s a really big blow to them.</p>
<p>Seriously.</p>
<p>If someone who went to college in Boston would be so bored in half-the-size Charlotte, doesn’t it stand to reason that someone who went to college in New Haven, Providence, Hanover or Ithaca would be thrilled to take a job in a big city like Charlotte?</p>
<p>Or is that different somehow?</p>
<p>Or:</p>
<ol>
<li>Minneapolis</li>
<li>Denver</li>
<li>Phoenix</li>
<li>Austin</li>
<li>San Antonio</li>
<li>Boise</li>
<li>Portland (Both Maine and Oregon)</li>
<li>Nashville</li>
<li>Atlanta</li>
<li>Toronto (This is where my D is going upon graduation. Best opportunity)</li>
</ol>
<p>Carry on.</p>
<p>TheGFG, it wasn’t just your recent post that provoked my comment. It’s the generalizations and tone of superiority that come through in a lot of your statements–on this and other threads. You tend to ascribe a lot of “otherness” to people who don’t share your background–which, to me, is a sign of provincial thinking. To use your own words:</p>
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<p>But poetgrl, none of those places are in the northeast. Thus they are less worthy of discussion.</p>
<p>(And I say this as someone with roots in Boston and New England going back to the 1600s…)</p>
<p>I hear Toronto is exciting, congrats to her. Mine has an offer in our hometown and is waiting on something far, far away.</p>
<p>Uh-oh, Sally. You related to dh?</p>
<p>There’s some difference because the example was going from a small southern town to a southern city–same general region. What you suggest in 1407 is going from a small town in the north to a city in the south–different region. But I’d place Hanover and Ithaca in the same category as a Lexington. You can drive to New York City from New Haven in under two hours, but New Haven itself is nothing special. Providence has the whole yachting culture and resort history to elevate it about a Lexington. I visited, but too long ago to comment on how happening it is otherwise.</p>
<p>@lookingforward: Perhaps. There was a lot of inbreeding back then. :)</p>
<p>??? I really don’t get the flow of the argument here. Are people really reading posts or just reacting?</p>
<p>There are racists everywhere. Racism may be more overt in certain rural areas. But it exists even in cosmopolitan and urban areas as well. Personally it seems to me that there is a inverse correlation with education but that is obviously another generalization. </p>
<p>Would it be possible to concede on both sides that racism exists but that there are plenty of places where minorities can thrive?</p>
<p>It’s probably inaccurate and short sighted to say that an Asian shouldn’t move to the south for fear of racist attacks but I am not really sure that cobrat is actually arguing that. I think. </p>
<p>On the other hand I think bringing up Asian immigration is a non sequitur. Whether or not they come doesn’t really address the question of whether racism exists in America, which is a very big place. How many Asian immigrants are moving to the deep rural south? or closer to my home, rural Midwest? I could be wrong but cities and universities tend to be where Asian immigrants congregate. Or another point-they may be weighing many pros and cons and coming despite racism. Or be unaware about what racism exists until they get here. </p>
<p>As for whether moving itself is a big barrier I don’t think anyone here has much sympathy for someone who doesn’t move because its too much of a hassle… Was there a poster who actually justified that? The closest I can think is the New Yorker who was just mentioning that an attachment to region whether for cultural attachments or familial might be a reason to seek a job in a particular city. I happen to agree but even she acknowledged that there might be reasons to override that preference. Who here is actually saying staying put when your best job opportunity is in another region is a good idea? I think people are just saying it’s one factor of many to consider. If you have lots of good options you can use it as a tie breaker.</p>
<p>Oh hell, Sally, I was born in Maine.</p>
<p>LF, did you notice we got the “learn-to-proofread” tag? Hah!</p>
<p>Yeah, Toronto is good. She got a good job and is happy. But she’s a wanderer. I fully expect her to be in London in a few years or France, for a while, before she comes back to the states. Before the unfortunate accident in Japan, she was planning to try for Tokyo for a couple of years. She speaks French and Japanese and American English. </p>
<p>I’m actually glad she is going to be so close to home. ;)</p>
<p>ETA: also she speaks Spanish. All Americans should speak spanish, imho.</p>
<p>Novimom - a lot of what you’re seeing is reacting to years of history on the board - not just current conversations. Just so you know!</p>
<p>TheGFG, I agree. I would also place the suburbs of most major cities into a category. Beyond a certain radius of a city, there is no defining “halo” effect for most Americans going about their daily lives in strip malls and office parks and planned communities. So it matters very little whether they are coming from Short Hills or Shaker Heights or Scottsdale.</p>
<p>Novimom, some of these conversations carry over for years, at this point.</p>
<p>I was lost, at first, but you get the hang of it. We’re all kind of predictable around here, to some extent. :)</p>
<p>I thought all the hot jobs were in Jiangsu.</p>
<p>Do they speak Cantonese in Jiangsu? I think Cantonese is very difficult to learn.</p>