Culture Differences: Eastern vs Western US

<p>My S's friend left his MA college saying he couldn't adjust to the culture of the east coast, we're from Northern California. I know that this may not be the ONLY reason he left, but hearing it verbalized made me wonder, again, if the differences are really that huge. Having personally spent a minimal amount of time in the east, I'm curious about what the real cultural differences are, so if you have bicoastal experience could you please voice an opinion. It might be interesting for prospective college students.</p>

<p>I grew up a military kid and so lived in the northern, southern, eastern, and western parts of the US. Plus my daughters both grew up in California and went to college in the north east. And in our experience, I’d say that regional differences DO exist, but the similarities are much greater than the differences.</p>

<p>Plus college kids, unless they are unusually homesick, closed-minded, or weather-averse, are usually very flexible and can adapt to new and different things even better than their parents can. </p>

<p>As part of my childhood moving around experience I also lived in Tripoli, Libya for nearly four years. Now THAT was different.</p>

<p>My observations are now ancient, but the east coast had a much faster pace and more conduct that could strike sensitive folk as rude than other parts of the country. There was more verbal aggression manifested in tone as well as word choice. I liked it once I got used to it. I had roommates from New York.</p>

<p>We are NYC-region Easterners who moved West (Seattle) over 30 years ago. Even though we have now lived here for the majority of our lives, we still consider ourselves to be culturally Eastern, and we still run up against odd differences in style and attitude.</p>

<p>Interestingly, both of our kids went to college in Mass, and it was an adjustment for them. Most of all, they were stunned at the percentage of young people who smoke; in Seattle, we would consider it odd to see a teenager with a cigarette in their mouth. As others have noted, Easterners tend toward a faster-paced, more aggressive and confrontational style. Not to imply that this is all bad - we have certainly had our fill of passive-aggressive West Coasters. </p>

<p>Of course, there is the difference in weather extremes. Our kids were used to low temps in the 20s and high temps in the 80s, and as we all know, you would need to add another 20 degrees to both sides in New England.</p>

<p>Still, there is a lot to be said for learning how to live and work in diverse environments. I think that we and our kids are more flexible and have a greater understanding of regional differences, compared with our more home-bound neighbors. So, I consider it a benefit, not a drawback, to go to school in another region. Certainly it will feel less like home and will exacerbate any feelings of homesickness, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.</p>

<p>It’s a real issue. At my small LAC, we’ve lost both faculty and students to what is essentially culture shock. Now, many adjust just fine. Every fall, we laugh together as some kid recounts the story of not knowing what the heck “pop” was. But for some, the differences in climate, pace, and population (both number of and diversity of) is just too unsettling.</p>

<p>MA: There are no toilet seat papers in women restroom
CA: Drug use at schools is way much much more</p>

<p>Ive heard that clothing even on college campuses is more formal on the east than the west, of course that could be due to weather. ;)</p>

<p>Another difference is- those from the east coast seem much more interested in " where did you come from- or who are your people" than those on the west.</p>

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<p>I don’t think this is an East vs. West thing. The fast pace and rudeness seem to be limited to specific parts of the East. </p>

<p>My husband and I come from the New York metropolitan area. When we moved to Maryland, we definitely had to tone things down. We learned to be (or at least act) more gracious and more tolerant of delays.</p>

<p>People on the West Coast seem a little more laid back? </p>

<p>Sent from my GT-I8150 using CC App</p>

<p>DW and I grew up in the East, moved to San Francisco for five years, then moved back East. With exception of post #6 I agree with the above comments. The west coast is far more relaxed than northeast and mid-atlantic states. (Yes, people have been arrested for having an open soft drink can on the DC Metro trains … yikes!) </p>

<p>That said, I suspect whatever caused the OP’s friend’s S trouble, those issues were probably college-specific. Hampshire College and Tufts have wildly different cultures (as just one example).</p>

<p>I remember my roommate and I got a huge kick out of differences of northeasterner (me) and southener from NC (her). One particular conversation was about “barbecue”. In NJ barbecue is the thing in your backyard where you cook hamburgers, or it’s a party where you grill dogs, brats and burgers. </p>

<p>To her barbecue was an actual food item of pulled pork. </p>

<p>Now I live between the two. People don’t realize how intense they are in the northeast til they go somewhere else.</p>

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<p>Only if you consider hoodies and jeans to be more formal. That’s what I’ve observed to be quite popular among college kids in the east.</p>

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<p>The face pace is really limited to the NYC area as even in the Boston area…there’s a notable slowing of the pace. However, there’s a debate over which is more rude…the honest in-your-face gruff attitude commonly identified with New Yorkers or the cold aloofness identified with those in the Greater Boston areas…especially among the old WASPs. </p>

<p>Found plenty of the former in NYC as I am a New Yorker myself…though it has toned down considerably since the 1980’s. Still find it funny how a few years back…NYC was rated the most polite city in the nation. That’s certainly not the city of my childhood/adolescence.</p>

<p>As for Bostonians…didn’t find the cold aloofness stereotype to be my experience despite having lived/worked there for a few years. </p>

<p>Only real difference I’ve noticed was that college students/people in general were much more fashion conscious…and judgmental about others fashion choices here in NYC…especially in the Village than their Bostonian counterparts. </p>

<p>It’s especially annoying when some fashionista-oriented dudes would openly opine on someone being a slob because they aren’t wearing the latest “haute” fashions from the Village/Fifth ave. What’s worse is that this was only within the last decade as when I was growing up in the '80’s and '90’s…no one cared what you wore…especially if you’re male. If anything…being too fashion conscious as a dude would often cause one to get targeted for bullying/beatings by older boys for not being “macho enough”.</p>

<p>Only if you consider hoodies and jeans to be more formal. That’s what I’ve observed to be quite popular among college kids in the east.</p>

<p>The young woman who I was speaking with had attended a high school where " everyday is pajama day" and was now attending Georgetown.</p>

<p>It would make sense that if students were involved in internships where they were expected to present a professional appearance, they would dress more formally on those days, unless they went home to change first.</p>

<p>D’s friend who attends Columbia, also thinks that clothing is more formal, but perhaps that is just what she notices in the city.</p>

<p>eyemamom - This is so true. It is no more possible to lump all of the east coast together (say Boston and Atlanta), then it is the west coast (Seattle and LA).</p>

<p>I’m in the mid-Atlantic and yes, barbecue is something you eat. You cook it on a grill. ;)</p>

<p>I’d lump Boston and Atlanta together … for horrid rush hour traffic. (New York isn’t like these two at all … NYC traffic is horrid ALL the time!)</p>

<p>^ Okay, for the traffic perhaps my example wasn’t the best choice. Fair enough. But you get the point. Culturally, they are much different.</p>

<p>blue - just kidding, really! Among the three cities … Boston, Atlanta, NYC … I find NYC the friendliest overall. Perhaps that’s because people have to give a lot in order to live there (and as such they’re used to giving).</p>

<p>I work for a California company that has a major branch office in the Twin Cities. And we do run into the phenomenon of “Minnesota Nice,” which is a form of passive-aggression. It’s where everyone acts agreeable and polite outwardly but then quietly works to undermine or thwart people they disagree with or don’t like.</p>

<p>I think the Minnesotans view it as a good thing - the proper way to avoid hurtful open conflicts. Californians often view it as frustrating, because you never quite know where you stand or what the real issue or situation is.</p>

<p>There’s a common saying in DW’s midwestern home town (not in Minnesota): “S/he wouldn’t say s*** if her/his mouth was full of it.” Meaning’s the same though.</p>