[Talk Host]

I have a very good friend who moved here from the Seattle. He tells me he is offended by the attitude of many people from the New York City area. Having lived in upstate New York for many years, I am very familiar people who live in the New York City area. I can understand how a person not familiar with people from "The City" can get an impression that they are less than warm. The other day, I played golf with a group from Long Island, and they were complaining about people from Indiana.....that they were too polite. I had to smile. I am curious to hear comments from others on the forum about so called territorial personalities.

[JohnZ]

First, I'm a New Yorker...born in Brooklyn and raised on....Long Island. Went to high school in Manhatten and had my first beer at McSorley's Olde Ale house in the Village. I left the city at age 20 via the military and I quickly realized there were profound regional cultural differences that make us who we are....differences good and not so good. New Yorkers are fast paced folks.....walk fast, talk fast and work fast and as such, can be impatient with folks who are slower paced i.e. the rest of the civilized world. This impatience could be interpreted as rude. New Yorkers are also quick to point out business foibles such as poor service and poor quality and they may do this in a very vocal way "read loud". Most New Yorkers will let you know where you stand with them...good standing and bad standing....also in a very vocal way.....kind of they do business. New Yorkers may interpret a demeanor of silence and reservation as (sp) as unopen, uncooperative and even a little sneaky. After living away from the city for so long, I've learned better and I now can take the fast pace of NYC and the folks that live there in small doses. My dos centavos.

[disco6373]

Hay John: I was born and raised in Brooklyn for 20 years also and then to PA for College and then to Pittsburgh and now the Villages...I know exactly what you mean about the fast pace of New Yorkers and also fast speech ..People look at you like you are trying to confuse them with your speed and are trying to rip them off...If they only knew its just our way...Now I have slowed down a great deal....But I still love it here in the villages

[nitehawk]

John what does (sp) mean - I knew this as a French Firefighter (sapeur-pompier) Do not understand this acronym - I am also born raised and retired from Brooklyn (NY the capital of the third world) I was sorry to see the villages advertise on tv in ny about how good it is to live in the villages yes i am a brooklynite and not proud of it - as i think they are rude

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by nitehawk

I was sorry to see the villages advertise on tv in ny about how good it is to live in the villages yes i am a brooklynite and not proud of it - as i think they are rude

Nitehawk,

Interesting, that you as a native find Brooklynites rude. Human nature is such that this statement is meaningful when you say it, but would be fighting words if I (as a non brooklynite) said it.

[JohnZ]

Nighthawk: (sp) means questionable spelling. I originally had the word "reticence" in the sentence and placed (sp) to point to the possiblility of incorrect spelling. I changed the word to something more sensible but failed to remove (sp). I also noted a few other typos in my post. I type kind of fast (like I used to talk) and sometimes my fingers get ahead of my thoughts which results in the occassional dropped word and the creation of run-on sentences like the way this sentence has become for example. Sheesh. On the topic of regional culture......here's an open question for the group....does The Villages have a distinct culture? How would one describe "The Villages" culture as it exists today? Is this culture morphing quickly as more boomers retire? Would the pending change be better/worse in terms of culture change? Thoughts folks?

John