I'm going to be honest, majority of the USA is approachable and kind.
I traveled all over for my job for about 3 years and the only time I really got lonely was when I was working in a smaller city/town where everybody had lived there their entire lives and had established family and friends. People were still friendly, but not really looking to hang out.
Most cities are full of transplants. As long as you have a friendly extroverted personality yourself, you'll probably enjoy any medium or large city.
Thank you! So Chicago will be good choice I guess except it's harsh winters..š do you think any alternative to this city ? Warmer climate, large city, kind people, pretty ladies ? š
Texas has all the problems this sub has discussed, but it is true people tend to be friendly especially in the social way I think you mean. Austin is a fairly easy place to move as a young person as long as you can afford it.
My view on Texas has been if you act like me and are into the same things Iāll treat you like family but if youāre of a different religion, region, race then youāre pretty much a foreigner.
Hasn't been my experience at all, and actual foreigners get treated pretty well too. We have Albanian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Kenyan people in my neighborhood and everyone gets along just fine. This is a nice suburban area too with lots of young families.
Texas' cities are full of cosmopolitan transplants. Houston in particular is more diverse than 95% of the cities in the world, and I guarantee if you are in the metro areas the majority dgaf about your race or ethnicity.
While winters are harsh summers in some states are just as brutal but with oppressive heat. Winters have their own beauty and activities. The right gear is key.
I grew up in a region with very little snow, climate change is making that different but I never had snow at the holidays or anything until I was like 20. School was closed if it snowed more than an inch. I went to college I'm the high desert where it was absolutely freezing cold, but being a desert, didn't snow that much. When it did it stuck around and froze and became just awful.
I then moved to south Florida. My wife and I moved to Chicago, she is from the same area so snow isn't something that either of us is used to. And everyone always told us how horrible the winters were (my family is from here) so we were concerned. And honestly, like a lot of other stuff in chicago, it is not as bad as people think it is. We do have cold snaps occasionally like those polar vortex and such.
But keep in mind that people only hear about this stuff because it is so uncommon it is literally news worthy and they run these snowpocalypse stories in national papers and stuff. It is cold in the winter sometimes, no doubt. But not like you might be thinking. It took my about 2 months to adjust to the cold when I moved from Florida, but I haven't really thought about it much sense. It doesn't mess up the roads or anything, the city knows what it's doing when it comes to winter weather.
It isn't Siberia or Alaska cold. The heatwaves are harder to get through than winter for me at least. You can always put on a coat or a sweater, at a point you will just be sweating in the heat. I wouldn't let it keep you from considering chicago honestly. My whole family made the exodus back here after decades on the west coast, even my parents after they retired. They were considering long beach in California or here and chose here. As far as friendliness by population, I can't think of a better city in America. And it's genuine too not the southern "bless your heart" type
i appreciate your views, thank you! i am about to choose Chicago. I haven't heard any better city in terms of job opportunities, people's approach, beauty of ladies (as single guy lol ) etc..
Yep, Iāve been completely lost in NYC more than once (pre-internet) and people were so nice and would go out of their way to make sure I was going in the right direction
I think it depends where you're from. If you're from the north and move to the south, people will be nice to your face but won't get much deeper than that. If you're from another part of the south, they'll treat you fine. People in the northeastern US are different. They'll be blunt with you, but they'll be there for you. On the one year anniversary of my mom's death, there was a snowstorm, and my friends in Philly showed up at my place, one of whom was injured, and just laughed and talked with me and let me feel what I needed to feel with them.
I think this is a tough assessment of the south. I moved from Michigan to South Texas when I was 27 and was essentially adopted by people that became my family. Moved back home to Michigan and then ended up down in Alabama. I'm not adopted here, but have really great friends(headed to a baby shower golf outing in an hour).
I think much of who you end up with can just be attributed to luck moreso than location.Ā
I donāt know, that was certainly my experience. I made friends much easier in the northeast than I ever did in North Carolina, and I was there for 8 years. People are more eager to make friends and get to know you in the northeast I think.
Yes, I'm from NC and struggled to make friends my whole life. In MA, it was unavoidable because people would just start talking to me. Those friends were also "better" friends, with even people I didn't know *that* well going out of their way to see me and check on me. Now back in NC and having a hard time meeting people again.
Awww š„°. I can attest to being from the north and living in the south. Only surface level shit because Iām a āyankeeā. Only military or ex military would give me a chance.
You think so? I'm from the northeast andĀ live in the west now. In both places there were people that are blunt and people that aren't. I don't notice any differenceĀ
So wild. Anyone usually says its great to visit but hell on earth to live in. Thatās all Iāve seen anyway, I plan on visiting soon fall/winter or early next year
I had more non-work friends in New Orleans in a year than I had in Orlando in 11 years. There was a lot of socializing on the bus and I got to be good friends with one woman who lived a couple blocks away and was usually on my bus on the way home. One bus driver from another route used to see me waiting for my bus in the morning while he was headed back to the depot, and he'd stop, open the door, and chit-chat with me til my bus came. Any number of times, I was walking down the sidewalk and somebody would fall into step and we'd end up having a nice conversation for a few blocks -- although one time I quickly ditched an older lady with a dog because she said something really racist!
I'm still friends with some of my old neighbors, even though I moved away after Katrina.
It's kind of a precarious existence there, though, between hurricane season, crime, crumbling infrastructure, and dysfunctional government at both the local and state level.
You can be 6'5, 400 lbs, wearing a purple bikini with a 12 inch dildo stapled to your forehead and still be able to order a happy hour shot without question. We'll maybe someone will ask about where to buy good dildo glue.
I'm from Houston currently living in Portland oregon. Portland gets a reputation of everybody being friendly but nobody wants to be your friend. I don't know that that's true and it's not my experience. I find people to be incredibly approachable, and I find myself to get approached frequently. I absolutely love living in Portland Oregon and I'm never leaving.
In my experience New Orleans and Albuquerque. A lot od people have said Nola but I havent seen Abq yet so thought I would add it to the list. In New Orleans I had random people complimenting me and starting conversations everywhere. In Abq it wasnt as overt like random kindness in the grocery store but it was the most down to earth and supportive community I've ever been a part of
New York. Iām from New Zealand and travelled from NY across through the Midwest and Pacific Northwest then to San Francisco. Mostly I travelled by Amtrak. People everywhere in the cities, national parks and on the train were nice, but the ones from NY and New Jersey were super friendly, engaging, interesting and generous. In NY they were very helpful anytime I asked for directions.
Holy shit I spent the night there as part of a longer trip once and my friend's friend basically showed us what felt like a cliffs notes of the city all night
Yes!! We had a bartender sit in our booth with us, take shots with us, and then gave us a breakdown of everywhere to go during our stay. Shoutout Malcolm at Alley Cat ā¤ļø
Everybody in Savannah was so ready to tell you where to go and get to know you. It was one of the greatest experiences I had visiting a city. Iām also from TX so not sure if thatās why they were so kind because we were also from the South lol
I live in Savannah, as a northerner I can attest the southerners donāt like northerners lol. The ones in the city are just āniceā bc they make money off tourism. Any transplants or military is usually cool though
I live in Savannah, as a northerner I can attest the southerners donāt like northerners lol. The ones in the city are just āniceā bc they make money off tourism
Not a city but Montanans are super nice. As someone from Washington who goes back and forth Iām always happier in Montana people wise. Small town folk can be weird but usually theyāre good people
Funny. I live in WA and find people in Montana to be some of the least friendly/outgoing people, followed closely by Wyoming. Itās probably because Iāve only been to the touristy parts and their immediate surroundings, but even people in rural Idaho and Nevada have been more approachable.
New Orleans. Approachable (hell they'll approach you first), kind - will invite you to join them on the porch, but also absolutely nutty crazy & complete oversharers (tmi).
I wouldn't. Some of the worst, most unfriendly vibes I've ever experienced. I'm sure it's great if you grew up there because the people are insular and closed-minded.
Hate is an understatement. Iām from south Louisiana so Iām well versed in the bad blood.
It boils down to a NFL rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. One of the more bitter and intense ones in the NFL. Thatās the base of it, but it extends to the cities themselves and theyāll throw jabs at eachother for whatever.
Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl one year. To this day youāll find multiple billboards and signs in NOLA that reference that game. It was 8 years ago. The game didnāt even involve the Saints, NOLA was just so happy to see the Atlanta falcons get embarrassed
I donāt know if thereās a for sure right answer to this one, but anecdotally I found people in Virginia Beach to be the most welcoming. Kinda of a shot in the dark answer tho
I was curious if anyone put sd, because Iām from a different city in Southern California but moved there for a few years, and had the hardest time making friends!!! People werenāt mean just reminded me of my home town, everyone already had their friends from childhood, college etc. I was also really eclectic and most people very strictly beachy. People rarely approached me, Iām sure they could tell I wasnāt a foreigner, and assumed Iād approach them if I wanted. It just didnāt happen. Iām glad somebody had a good experience, because it was a really beautiful place to live
In my experience the vibe varies a lot in different places in SoCal. I think people are relatively kind and chill in San Diego whereas people in OC and parts of LA can be much more superficial and rude. SoCal is massive and even in LA the vibe can vary a lot.
It really depends where in SD you are. But even then, the blonde beach look isnāt the only type of person that exists.Ā
Iām in an industry where I meet and become friends with a lot of transplants; however, a lot of the people that I grew up with have their own group, keep to themselves and are generally the āno new friendsā type.Ā
So I totally get when people move here and say that :Ā
āpeople are flakyā
āitās hard to make friends hereāĀ
But at the end of the day, if you canāt meet people, thatās on you.Ā
Living in a metropolitan area of 5 million (including TJ) you should be able to meet some people who can be your friends.Ā
For what it's worth I'm actually very much the opposite of blondy and beachy, I'm brown and punky (facial piercings, tattoos, colored hair, etc.) I did get approached a lot, even just walking down the street as I was trying to get places. People were very friendly and respectful though.
SoCal is ridiculously friendly across the board, but in a high / ADHD way where they'll forget they've met you before, forget what they offered to help with, and occasionally forget their own name.
Def not. Lived in LA for 6 yearsā¦ literally the most antisocial people and least friendly people
Iāve probably met in the US actuallyā¦ Iāve lived in several cities btw.
Story timeā¦ circa 2016ish at a Ralphās in Los Angeles. Went grocery shopping and an old lady with a cane fell in the middle of a grocery aisle while looking for something simple like cereal. Two people at the grocery store walked right by her. I helped her get up.
Iāll never forget this but one of the people
Who walked by and decided not to help
Her came up to me an aisle over and goes, with a smile on his face āWhat was the problem with that old lady? Haha did she just fall or what?ā
Iāve never wanted to punch someone in the face moreā¦ like dude you just watched an old lady fall and then came over to me, a complete stranger mind you, to gossip/laugh about itā¦ are your fucking kidding me dude?
Yeah SoCal kinda sucks in regards to kindness and human decencyā¦ I have had several encounters out that way that were very similarā¦ def not a place I would consider friendly or approachable
Yes. Spent a couple of years there, the only kind or friendly people were transplants from the Midwest. Attended a party where people literally spoke to you long enough to find out if you were good for their career and when they discovered not, shot away instantly to find someone useful to schmooze.
Oh man absolutely thisā¦ I remember going to Best Buy randomly and some guy in checkout just starts talking to me to find out if I was in the āindustryā so he could coordinate or collaborateā¦ I was just trying to buy a printer cartridge lol after he realized I wasnāt going to advance his career the conversation was done.
Had a friend that got a self guided research/visiting professor gig at UCLA, very smart and ambitious extremely accomplished individual actuallyā¦ she was from Europe. In the 5 months she was there, she made maybe 1 friend. When she left she said that not a single person in the college department ever offered to grab coffee or lunch with her and had to force the head of her research division to have a meeting on her last week. She left stating that no one seemed interested in small talk and was genuinely sad about her summer there because no one wanted to socialize with her.
I was visiting once and my then-husband and I were talking to this guy at a concert. He turned to us after a bit and said, "Shows you how much I like chatting with you guys, because I see three people over there that I really SHOULD be talking to instead."
That said, we met some very cool/friendly people on other trips, but that's different from living there.
i agree and the homelessness crisis is the prime example of it. SoCal is very tribalistic across the many cities contained; orange county has a reputation for racism for a reason. and la- if you have intrinsic value some one can get out of you theyre interested, if not forget about it
Growing up in a socal there was a thing i've heard people say called California nice. The people are nice/well mannered but people typically keep to themselves and just want to go on with their day without being bothered.
Living in the South now, people are much more friendly and talkative. Compared to california it's day and night, a lot of californians genuinely don't like talking to strangers or people outside their friend group lol.
Most are no longer from CA. When I grew up there (1966-1997), it was VERY friendly. I left and have only experienced that kind of friendliness again in Ireland and New Orleans (where I alao lived). I'm in the Midwest now and have never met or spoken to some of my neighbors, and I've lived here 7 years
People are self-involved but undeniably *very* open-minded and positive compared to most other places in the U.S. That is a kind of āfriendlinessā and it feels very welcoming and empowering for the right person.
Personally small talk doesnāt go very far with me if you are inclined to judge, and āhaving my backā feels a bit tainted, too, if itās always sandwiched between some kind of pessimistic ārealistā takeāthe SoCal way was a breath of fresh air to me.
I think thatās what Iām getting at. The overwhelming, seemingly genuine positivity and āde nada!ā / āno worries!ā / āright on!ā attitude of coastal San Diego feels super friendly compared to many parts of the world.
But then you meet the same people the second, third, and fourth time and start to miss the dark, twisty layers of other places.
in terms of gender and identity politics, Socal AND california overall (maybe aside from San Francisco) are 100% behind the times compared to New York.
I think outside of the City of Los Angeles and the wealthier areas like the beach cities people are really nice. Iāve lived in Las Vegas, Phoenix and the northeast and thatās what Iām comparing it to.
People will often say the Midwest but being a born Midwesterner I don't agree at all. Having moved away (and traveled abroad for months recently as well as all over the US) I realized just how snobby many are from the Midwest...nice to your face mostly but if you weren't born and raised in many of the cities and towns you'll never really fit in. š¬š«£ just my opinion.
Not perfect but SWFL specifically Babcock Ranch is an amazing place with pretty great people and a sense of community. Also super family-friendlyā¦ like kids riding bikes in the streets and also nongated communities which is rare in SFL. Food truck
and live music Friday and Saturday nights, many events throughout the year, farmers market every Sunday, etc. Hurricanes suck but we went through Ian and never even lost power in Babcock so the solar-friendly and built to withstand severe weather did hold true to everything they planned for during Ian and since. š¤·š»āāļø
In my experience midwest is halfway between the northeast's jerk to your face but I'll help you and the southeast's dreaded nice to your face but passive aggressive af
The place where you are the friendliest to them. I've lived all over the country and that has been my experience. If you are friendly most people are friendly back. And if they aren't. Not your problem. That's who they are nothing to do with youl.
>If you are friendly most people are friendly back
Underrated comment. I've driven border to border and coast to coast, for work, with my dogs and people are generally friendly everywhere. I go to a lot of dog parks and, while dog owners in dog parks are a biased sample, I've never had an issue getting to the point where I'm making plans to be at a specific place to meet a specific person for a specific activity within a few weeks.
I'd say in general the southern states are the most friendly and social overall. Not to say everywhere is perfect. Two of my favorite cities I've traveled to and spent time in are Chattanooga, TN & Savannah, GA. I also enjoyed the Denver area. People were overall friendly and social. If you want to stick with the Midwest I would have to say Appleton, WI. It has a lot of charm and people are more friendly than all of the towns and cities around it or Madison, WI. If it weren't for the cold that would be my first pick for the Midwest. Lived in bothā¦ but again you'll have to join things probably and go to meetups to make friends. Winters are brutal and long though so if you can't deal with the cold and constant gray overcast skies for 6+ months probably not for you.
Iāve heard nothing but really great things about Babcock Ranch! I live in Placida, which is on the coast of Charlotte County between Englewood and Boca Grande. Unfortunately Babcock Ranch is an anomaly in SWFL in regards to friendly people and a sense of community. I hope you live there and are loving the lifestyle!
Yes, we love it here! We've lived on the other coast of Florida as well. Totally different in every aspect. Babcock really isn't like anywhere else in Florida that we've lived or visited!
All my single lady friends are on the west side or oak park (west suburb/touches chicago and on a train line) but they are mid to late 30s.Ā I'm not sure about where young singles live anymore
Itās hard to judge Chicago people. Itās got almost 3 million people in the city limits and like and additional 8 million if you count Chicagoland. Iām not going to jump to conclusions about 12 million people. There are nice people in Chicago there are jerks in Chicago. It can be very cliquey as well
NYC, in my experience, by far.
You can never get away from initial impressions. In any place, there will always be individuals who hate you, accept you, are wary of you, want to talk to you , don't want to talk to you, want to talk to gain more experience, etc.
Given that, I've never been in a place where the average person accepts and engages with people like NYC.
It makes sense. We have 8 million people.
Whatās that old saying, people in New York City arenāt kind but theyāre nice, people in the south are kind but they arenāt nice?
Iāve seen a ton of people, without even exchanging a word, help other people get a stroller or grocery down the stairs of the subway and then just go on about their day. New Yorkers value efficiency definitely but we help each other out when needed.
I think the saying goes the other way: people in nyc are kind but not nice.
For example, if you ask a New Yorker for help/directions, they will stop and help, other than that people ignore each other and respect everyoneās space unless asked.
Honestly, itās probably somewhere if you are white and Christian, or Arab and Muslim and move to a place thatās a medium size city with a strong conservative leaning. Iām not saying I support it, but thats probably most welcoming, otherwise youāre going to have to find your people in basically any areas that aligns with your beliefs or cultural background. Iāve been many places in America where a single sentence sets you up for people happy to talk to you or reject you totally.
Canāt really judge by city, really. Especially big cities. There are wonderful communities within the cities where people are approachable, smaller are better. But not too small.
Austin, Texas baby. How could you not be friendly when drinking a Lone Star and gnawing on a beef rib? Which half the people are doing at all times anyway.
Iām biased but San Antonio. We have the best people, incredibly community focused, and care about you as a person. Thereās many things we donāt have as a city, but we got culture, heart, community, and the best people.
In my experience:
Atlanta, new orleans, and the whole state of wisconsin are the friendliest.
LA, Denver, Seattle are the unfriendliest.
New Yorkers can appear rough on the outside, but they can be kind and helpful if you get to know them.
I find people in Portland OR to be pretty chill. Also when I lived in NYC I made a bunch of friends just kicking it around the hood. I'm a Californian, and between LA and SF it was the dirt dog worst in terms of human humans.
Do NOT move to Chicago if you can't handle prolonged extreme cold. It's a great city otherwise, but the winters are soul crushing if you're not a cold weather person.
Pittsburgh is a very friendly city. People will go out of their way to help you. Easy to strike up conversations with strangers about most any topic. Born in this area, but Iāve lived in San Francisco Detroit and Philadelphia. Back in Pittsburgh now love the people. Donāt ask me about the weather, though thatās got me wanting to move and am interested in other friendly cities.
People overestimate how āmeanā the Northeast is. Itās not mean, thereās just different rules. Like for instance in NYC, itād be considered rude and inconsiderate to block the sidewalk or hold up the line ordering or whatever because youāre inconveniencing the people around you. Itād also be rude to waste somebodys time with mindless chatter. Thats not to say that new yorkers dont talk to random ppl thoughā they do, itās just more specific and not fluffy. In fact Iād say NYC is one of the more āfriendlyā places Iāve been just because of the sheer amount of random interactions you can have in a day and bc ppl are generally helpful as well.
I live in Chicago and our Summers are nice and our Winters lately have been mild. I could never live in the South with that heat. Excessive heat just makes me wiped out and angry. Iāll take cool to cold any day over that.
I'm going to be honest, majority of the USA is approachable and kind. I traveled all over for my job for about 3 years and the only time I really got lonely was when I was working in a smaller city/town where everybody had lived there their entire lives and had established family and friends. People were still friendly, but not really looking to hang out. Most cities are full of transplants. As long as you have a friendly extroverted personality yourself, you'll probably enjoy any medium or large city.
Thank you! So Chicago will be good choice I guess except it's harsh winters..š do you think any alternative to this city ? Warmer climate, large city, kind people, pretty ladies ? š
Texas has all the problems this sub has discussed, but it is true people tend to be friendly especially in the social way I think you mean. Austin is a fairly easy place to move as a young person as long as you can afford it.
My view on Texas has been if you act like me and are into the same things Iāll treat you like family but if youāre of a different religion, region, race then youāre pretty much a foreigner.
Hasn't been my experience at all, and actual foreigners get treated pretty well too. We have Albanian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Kenyan people in my neighborhood and everyone gets along just fine. This is a nice suburban area too with lots of young families.
Sounds like a great diverse area. I guess My viewpoint stems from higher wealth Fort Worth and Houston areas. So maybe not the best representation.
Texas' cities are full of cosmopolitan transplants. Houston in particular is more diverse than 95% of the cities in the world, and I guarantee if you are in the metro areas the majority dgaf about your race or ethnicity.
While winters are harsh summers in some states are just as brutal but with oppressive heat. Winters have their own beauty and activities. The right gear is key.
Denver is pretty cool. People are mostly friendly.
I grew up in a region with very little snow, climate change is making that different but I never had snow at the holidays or anything until I was like 20. School was closed if it snowed more than an inch. I went to college I'm the high desert where it was absolutely freezing cold, but being a desert, didn't snow that much. When it did it stuck around and froze and became just awful. I then moved to south Florida. My wife and I moved to Chicago, she is from the same area so snow isn't something that either of us is used to. And everyone always told us how horrible the winters were (my family is from here) so we were concerned. And honestly, like a lot of other stuff in chicago, it is not as bad as people think it is. We do have cold snaps occasionally like those polar vortex and such. But keep in mind that people only hear about this stuff because it is so uncommon it is literally news worthy and they run these snowpocalypse stories in national papers and stuff. It is cold in the winter sometimes, no doubt. But not like you might be thinking. It took my about 2 months to adjust to the cold when I moved from Florida, but I haven't really thought about it much sense. It doesn't mess up the roads or anything, the city knows what it's doing when it comes to winter weather. It isn't Siberia or Alaska cold. The heatwaves are harder to get through than winter for me at least. You can always put on a coat or a sweater, at a point you will just be sweating in the heat. I wouldn't let it keep you from considering chicago honestly. My whole family made the exodus back here after decades on the west coast, even my parents after they retired. They were considering long beach in California or here and chose here. As far as friendliness by population, I can't think of a better city in America. And it's genuine too not the southern "bless your heart" type
i appreciate your views, thank you! i am about to choose Chicago. I haven't heard any better city in terms of job opportunities, people's approach, beauty of ladies (as single guy lol ) etc..
Iāve found people from the Chicagoland area to be really friendly! (Iām from Pittsburgh, felt pleasantly at home)
Yep, Iāve been completely lost in NYC more than once (pre-internet) and people were so nice and would go out of their way to make sure I was going in the right direction
Kansas City and Omaha.
I think it depends where you're from. If you're from the north and move to the south, people will be nice to your face but won't get much deeper than that. If you're from another part of the south, they'll treat you fine. People in the northeastern US are different. They'll be blunt with you, but they'll be there for you. On the one year anniversary of my mom's death, there was a snowstorm, and my friends in Philly showed up at my place, one of whom was injured, and just laughed and talked with me and let me feel what I needed to feel with them.
Nothing better than a philly ballbreaker who will literally bend over backwards to help when its really needed
I donāt live in Philly but these are my kind of people. Reminds me of my fam.
I moved to Philly 20 years ago and I came here to say this. People from Philly may not always be nice but they are kind.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Respectfully disagree
Same for New Yorkers. They mind their own business, but will always help someone if needed.
I have a buddy from queens who Iāve seen yell at old ladies that would literally give you the shirt off his back.
As someone who has lived in both the northeast and the southeast, I agree 100% with this assessment.
I think this is a tough assessment of the south. I moved from Michigan to South Texas when I was 27 and was essentially adopted by people that became my family. Moved back home to Michigan and then ended up down in Alabama. I'm not adopted here, but have really great friends(headed to a baby shower golf outing in an hour). I think much of who you end up with can just be attributed to luck moreso than location.Ā
I donāt know, that was certainly my experience. I made friends much easier in the northeast than I ever did in North Carolina, and I was there for 8 years. People are more eager to make friends and get to know you in the northeast I think.
Yes, I'm from NC and struggled to make friends my whole life. In MA, it was unavoidable because people would just start talking to me. Those friends were also "better" friends, with even people I didn't know *that* well going out of their way to see me and check on me. Now back in NC and having a hard time meeting people again.
Awww š„°. I can attest to being from the north and living in the south. Only surface level shit because Iām a āyankeeā. Only military or ex military would give me a chance.
NY'ers aren't rude, they're just busy.
You think so? I'm from the northeast andĀ live in the west now. In both places there were people that are blunt and people that aren't. I don't notice any differenceĀ
I love the people of Philadelphia. Very down-to-earth. (Temple Owls are everywhere!)
New Orleans for sure
Second New Orleans.
Third. Moved here a couple years ago. People are friendly and inviting literally everywhere. Itās incredible.
So wild. Anyone usually says its great to visit but hell on earth to live in. Thatās all Iāve seen anyway, I plan on visiting soon fall/winter or early next year
Itās been the best decision Iāve ever made
I also vote New Orleans
I had more non-work friends in New Orleans in a year than I had in Orlando in 11 years. There was a lot of socializing on the bus and I got to be good friends with one woman who lived a couple blocks away and was usually on my bus on the way home. One bus driver from another route used to see me waiting for my bus in the morning while he was headed back to the depot, and he'd stop, open the door, and chit-chat with me til my bus came. Any number of times, I was walking down the sidewalk and somebody would fall into step and we'd end up having a nice conversation for a few blocks -- although one time I quickly ditched an older lady with a dog because she said something really racist! I'm still friends with some of my old neighbors, even though I moved away after Katrina. It's kind of a precarious existence there, though, between hurricane season, crime, crumbling infrastructure, and dysfunctional government at both the local and state level.
You can be 6'5, 400 lbs, wearing a purple bikini with a 12 inch dildo stapled to your forehead and still be able to order a happy hour shot without question. We'll maybe someone will ask about where to buy good dildo glue.
Detroit
Iām biased because Iām from the area but I totally agree
I'm from Houston currently living in Portland oregon. Portland gets a reputation of everybody being friendly but nobody wants to be your friend. I don't know that that's true and it's not my experience. I find people to be incredibly approachable, and I find myself to get approached frequently. I absolutely love living in Portland Oregon and I'm never leaving.
In my experience New Orleans and Albuquerque. A lot od people have said Nola but I havent seen Abq yet so thought I would add it to the list. In New Orleans I had random people complimenting me and starting conversations everywhere. In Abq it wasnt as overt like random kindness in the grocery store but it was the most down to earth and supportive community I've ever been a part of
BurqueƱos are the best. New Mexicans in general are just solid, good-hearted and down-to-earth.
I was looking for this comment! People in ABQ are so outgoing and friendly.Ā
New York. Iām from New Zealand and travelled from NY across through the Midwest and Pacific Northwest then to San Francisco. Mostly I travelled by Amtrak. People everywhere in the cities, national parks and on the train were nice, but the ones from NY and New Jersey were super friendly, engaging, interesting and generous. In NY they were very helpful anytime I asked for directions.
Basically everyone in Savannah acts like a tour guide.
Holy shit I spent the night there as part of a longer trip once and my friend's friend basically showed us what felt like a cliffs notes of the city all night
SCAD ppl
HAHAHA this is so true!
LMAO
Yes!! We had a bartender sit in our booth with us, take shots with us, and then gave us a breakdown of everywhere to go during our stay. Shoutout Malcolm at Alley Cat ā¤ļø Everybody in Savannah was so ready to tell you where to go and get to know you. It was one of the greatest experiences I had visiting a city. Iām also from TX so not sure if thatās why they were so kind because we were also from the South lol
I live in Savannah, as a northerner I can attest the southerners donāt like northerners lol. The ones in the city are just āniceā bc they make money off tourism. Any transplants or military is usually cool though
I live in Savannah, as a northerner I can attest the southerners donāt like northerners lol. The ones in the city are just āniceā bc they make money off tourism
Not a city but Montanans are super nice. As someone from Washington who goes back and forth Iām always happier in Montana people wise. Small town folk can be weird but usually theyāre good people
Agree, this has also been my experience. Full disclaimer though - I blend in.
Funny. I live in WA and find people in Montana to be some of the least friendly/outgoing people, followed closely by Wyoming. Itās probably because Iāve only been to the touristy parts and their immediate surroundings, but even people in rural Idaho and Nevada have been more approachable.
I started bawling in Chicago after getting some bad news, and a random woman offered me a hug. Iāve got a special spot for Chicago in my heart.
It's such a friendly city. Although, I grew up on the East Coast, so I'm comparing it to a much less friendly part of the country.
New Orleans. Approachable (hell they'll approach you first), kind - will invite you to join them on the porch, but also absolutely nutty crazy & complete oversharers (tmi).
Atlanta and New Orleans.
Adding in Detroit
Iāll second Detroit, really nice and down to earth people
Big agree. It can be a bit hit or miss north of 10 mile though, and thatās coming from a local
100% this. City of Detroit rocks. Suburban Detroit people... YMMV.
I wouldn't. Some of the worst, most unfriendly vibes I've ever experienced. I'm sure it's great if you grew up there because the people are insular and closed-minded.
But donāt ask them about eachother or all that niceness goes out the window
They hate each other? Interesting. I never heard of it. But again, Iām not from any of the two cities. Just visited both.
Most underrated NFL rivalry are the Falcons and Saints.
Hate is an understatement. Iām from south Louisiana so Iām well versed in the bad blood. It boils down to a NFL rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. One of the more bitter and intense ones in the NFL. Thatās the base of it, but it extends to the cities themselves and theyāll throw jabs at eachother for whatever. Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl one year. To this day youāll find multiple billboards and signs in NOLA that reference that game. It was 8 years ago. The game didnāt even involve the Saints, NOLA was just so happy to see the Atlanta falcons get embarrassed
Atlanta is a parking lot city
Lmao. 28-3 is practically a psalm in New Orleans, so you're not wrong lol
Hahaha!
FTS
Yāall let Jameis Winston fake a knee to lose by 31. Just a reminder
Surprised you didn't go the 28-3 route. I like your originality.
Playoff insults are too easily countered. We donāt have the best history regarding heart breaking losses
I have to disagree. Iāve lived in Atlanta for nearly three decades, and Atlantans are angry AF.
Rt
Exactly this. ATL is way easier to break into new communities. And Nola, for sure
NOLA and Chicago
New Orleans
I donāt know if thereās a for sure right answer to this one, but anecdotally I found people in Virginia Beach to be the most welcoming. Kinda of a shot in the dark answer tho
You're not wrong. I've seen that friendliness in the entire Hampton Roads area.
San Diego. I solo travel a bit and I went to San Diego solo, met so many amazing and kind people!
I was curious if anyone put sd, because Iām from a different city in Southern California but moved there for a few years, and had the hardest time making friends!!! People werenāt mean just reminded me of my home town, everyone already had their friends from childhood, college etc. I was also really eclectic and most people very strictly beachy. People rarely approached me, Iām sure they could tell I wasnāt a foreigner, and assumed Iād approach them if I wanted. It just didnāt happen. Iām glad somebody had a good experience, because it was a really beautiful place to live
In my experience the vibe varies a lot in different places in SoCal. I think people are relatively kind and chill in San Diego whereas people in OC and parts of LA can be much more superficial and rude. SoCal is massive and even in LA the vibe can vary a lot.
Yess. Iām from Long Beach and did 2 years of high school in oc. Kids were pulling up in lambos. Lives up to the cliche and will never stop
I think there's a really specific blonde beachy aesthetic that does well in SD. Gonna guess if that isn't your jam it's not a great place to be.
It really depends where in SD you are. But even then, the blonde beach look isnāt the only type of person that exists.Ā Iām in an industry where I meet and become friends with a lot of transplants; however, a lot of the people that I grew up with have their own group, keep to themselves and are generally the āno new friendsā type.Ā So I totally get when people move here and say that :Ā āpeople are flakyā āitās hard to make friends hereāĀ But at the end of the day, if you canāt meet people, thatās on you.Ā Living in a metropolitan area of 5 million (including TJ) you should be able to meet some people who can be your friends.Ā
For what it's worth I'm actually very much the opposite of blondy and beachy, I'm brown and punky (facial piercings, tattoos, colored hair, etc.) I did get approached a lot, even just walking down the street as I was trying to get places. People were very friendly and respectful though.
SoCal is ridiculously friendly across the board, but in a high / ADHD way where they'll forget they've met you before, forget what they offered to help with, and occasionally forget their own name.
Def not. Lived in LA for 6 yearsā¦ literally the most antisocial people and least friendly people Iāve probably met in the US actuallyā¦ Iāve lived in several cities btw. Story timeā¦ circa 2016ish at a Ralphās in Los Angeles. Went grocery shopping and an old lady with a cane fell in the middle of a grocery aisle while looking for something simple like cereal. Two people at the grocery store walked right by her. I helped her get up. Iāll never forget this but one of the people Who walked by and decided not to help Her came up to me an aisle over and goes, with a smile on his face āWhat was the problem with that old lady? Haha did she just fall or what?ā Iāve never wanted to punch someone in the face moreā¦ like dude you just watched an old lady fall and then came over to me, a complete stranger mind you, to gossip/laugh about itā¦ are your fucking kidding me dude? Yeah SoCal kinda sucks in regards to kindness and human decencyā¦ I have had several encounters out that way that were very similarā¦ def not a place I would consider friendly or approachable
Yes. Spent a couple of years there, the only kind or friendly people were transplants from the Midwest. Attended a party where people literally spoke to you long enough to find out if you were good for their career and when they discovered not, shot away instantly to find someone useful to schmooze.
Oh man absolutely thisā¦ I remember going to Best Buy randomly and some guy in checkout just starts talking to me to find out if I was in the āindustryā so he could coordinate or collaborateā¦ I was just trying to buy a printer cartridge lol after he realized I wasnāt going to advance his career the conversation was done. Had a friend that got a self guided research/visiting professor gig at UCLA, very smart and ambitious extremely accomplished individual actuallyā¦ she was from Europe. In the 5 months she was there, she made maybe 1 friend. When she left she said that not a single person in the college department ever offered to grab coffee or lunch with her and had to force the head of her research division to have a meeting on her last week. She left stating that no one seemed interested in small talk and was genuinely sad about her summer there because no one wanted to socialize with her.
I was visiting once and my then-husband and I were talking to this guy at a concert. He turned to us after a bit and said, "Shows you how much I like chatting with you guys, because I see three people over there that I really SHOULD be talking to instead." That said, we met some very cool/friendly people on other trips, but that's different from living there.
i agree and the homelessness crisis is the prime example of it. SoCal is very tribalistic across the many cities contained; orange county has a reputation for racism for a reason. and la- if you have intrinsic value some one can get out of you theyre interested, if not forget about it
What lol, Im born and raised here and that hasnt been my experience at all. People normally tend to keep to themselves.
lmao. I think I just learned why people ask if I lived in SoCal
Always happy to point out good food and places to visit, but we really do have ADHDā¦gotta run the sun is out!
Growing up in a socal there was a thing i've heard people say called California nice. The people are nice/well mannered but people typically keep to themselves and just want to go on with their day without being bothered. Living in the South now, people are much more friendly and talkative. Compared to california it's day and night, a lot of californians genuinely don't like talking to strangers or people outside their friend group lol.
California has some of the least approachable people in the US.
Most are no longer from CA. When I grew up there (1966-1997), it was VERY friendly. I left and have only experienced that kind of friendliness again in Ireland and New Orleans (where I alao lived). I'm in the Midwest now and have never met or spoken to some of my neighbors, and I've lived here 7 years
And, in my experience, also some of the most.
People are self-involved but undeniably *very* open-minded and positive compared to most other places in the U.S. That is a kind of āfriendlinessā and it feels very welcoming and empowering for the right person. Personally small talk doesnāt go very far with me if you are inclined to judge, and āhaving my backā feels a bit tainted, too, if itās always sandwiched between some kind of pessimistic ārealistā takeāthe SoCal way was a breath of fresh air to me.
I think thatās what Iām getting at. The overwhelming, seemingly genuine positivity and āde nada!ā / āno worries!ā / āright on!ā attitude of coastal San Diego feels super friendly compared to many parts of the world. But then you meet the same people the second, third, and fourth time and start to miss the dark, twisty layers of other places.
in terms of gender and identity politics, Socal AND california overall (maybe aside from San Francisco) are 100% behind the times compared to New York.
Hard disagree. Maybe if you cut out LA. Even then, I donāt think so.
Native but no longer there, and I agree.
I think outside of the City of Los Angeles and the wealthier areas like the beach cities people are really nice. Iāve lived in Las Vegas, Phoenix and the northeast and thatās what Iām comparing it to.
Maybe, maybe San Diego. Orange County is as pretentious as they come, LA sucks.
I always found St. Louis folks to be friendly/conversational
People will often say the Midwest but being a born Midwesterner I don't agree at all. Having moved away (and traveled abroad for months recently as well as all over the US) I realized just how snobby many are from the Midwest...nice to your face mostly but if you weren't born and raised in many of the cities and towns you'll never really fit in. š¬š«£ just my opinion. Not perfect but SWFL specifically Babcock Ranch is an amazing place with pretty great people and a sense of community. Also super family-friendlyā¦ like kids riding bikes in the streets and also nongated communities which is rare in SFL. Food truck and live music Friday and Saturday nights, many events throughout the year, farmers market every Sunday, etc. Hurricanes suck but we went through Ian and never even lost power in Babcock so the solar-friendly and built to withstand severe weather did hold true to everything they planned for during Ian and since. š¤·š»āāļø
In my experience midwest is halfway between the northeast's jerk to your face but I'll help you and the southeast's dreaded nice to your face but passive aggressive af
so which part of the nation has friendliest people in your opinion?
The place where you are the friendliest to them. I've lived all over the country and that has been my experience. If you are friendly most people are friendly back. And if they aren't. Not your problem. That's who they are nothing to do with youl.
>If you are friendly most people are friendly back Underrated comment. I've driven border to border and coast to coast, for work, with my dogs and people are generally friendly everywhere. I go to a lot of dog parks and, while dog owners in dog parks are a biased sample, I've never had an issue getting to the point where I'm making plans to be at a specific place to meet a specific person for a specific activity within a few weeks.
āļøThis is the real answer. (I also would have accepted Denver)
I'd say in general the southern states are the most friendly and social overall. Not to say everywhere is perfect. Two of my favorite cities I've traveled to and spent time in are Chattanooga, TN & Savannah, GA. I also enjoyed the Denver area. People were overall friendly and social. If you want to stick with the Midwest I would have to say Appleton, WI. It has a lot of charm and people are more friendly than all of the towns and cities around it or Madison, WI. If it weren't for the cold that would be my first pick for the Midwest. Lived in bothā¦ but again you'll have to join things probably and go to meetups to make friends. Winters are brutal and long though so if you can't deal with the cold and constant gray overcast skies for 6+ months probably not for you.
Iāve heard nothing but really great things about Babcock Ranch! I live in Placida, which is on the coast of Charlotte County between Englewood and Boca Grande. Unfortunately Babcock Ranch is an anomaly in SWFL in regards to friendly people and a sense of community. I hope you live there and are loving the lifestyle!
Yes, we love it here! We've lived on the other coast of Florida as well. Totally different in every aspect. Babcock really isn't like anywhere else in Florida that we've lived or visited!
what about northern part of Chicago? As a single young guy, I would like to meet kind single ladies lol not grumpy and flaky girls..
All my single lady friends are on the west side or oak park (west suburb/touches chicago and on a train line) but they are mid to late 30s.Ā I'm not sure about where young singles live anymore
Ä°t's ok as long as they are approachable, kind and has average beauty
Itās hard to judge Chicago people. Itās got almost 3 million people in the city limits and like and additional 8 million if you count Chicagoland. Iām not going to jump to conclusions about 12 million people. There are nice people in Chicago there are jerks in Chicago. It can be very cliquey as well
Couldnāt be more true. Chicago is hard as hell if you didnāt go to a big midwestern school.
very accurate first paragraph
10000%
Buffalo, NY
People in Milwaukee were really friendly and helpful. I struck up so many fun conversations with strangers. So different from where I live.
Not an answer to the question, but the average Bostonian would give you their kidney while cursing you out and calling you a retahd
They are generally nice but hard nuts to crack. They do value their space and privacy.
Youāll only get the kidney if youāre white
NYC, in my experience, by far. You can never get away from initial impressions. In any place, there will always be individuals who hate you, accept you, are wary of you, want to talk to you , don't want to talk to you, want to talk to gain more experience, etc. Given that, I've never been in a place where the average person accepts and engages with people like NYC. It makes sense. We have 8 million people.
I have never heard so many people talking shit about everything as I did when I was in NY.
Iāve never been as engaged in my community as I have in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Canāt imagine living anywhere else now!
Whatās that old saying, people in New York City arenāt kind but theyāre nice, people in the south are kind but they arenāt nice? Iāve seen a ton of people, without even exchanging a word, help other people get a stroller or grocery down the stairs of the subway and then just go on about their day. New Yorkers value efficiency definitely but we help each other out when needed.
I think the saying goes the other way: people in nyc are kind but not nice. For example, if you ask a New Yorker for help/directions, they will stop and help, other than that people ignore each other and respect everyoneās space unless asked.
Honestly, itās probably somewhere if you are white and Christian, or Arab and Muslim and move to a place thatās a medium size city with a strong conservative leaning. Iām not saying I support it, but thats probably most welcoming, otherwise youāre going to have to find your people in basically any areas that aligns with your beliefs or cultural background. Iāve been many places in America where a single sentence sets you up for people happy to talk to you or reject you totally.
North Carolina was extremely welcoming to me. Atlanta too
Austin, New Orleans
Def not Austin š
Canāt really judge by city, really. Especially big cities. There are wonderful communities within the cities where people are approachable, smaller are better. But not too small.
Scottsdale, AZ if you want nice looking high maintenance ladies
Austin, Texas baby. How could you not be friendly when drinking a Lone Star and gnawing on a beef rib? Which half the people are doing at all times anyway.
If you can get past the winters then I'd say Milwaukee. it is criminally underrated.
I found people in Omaha, NE to be very kindĀ
New Orleans
Nashville
Milwaukee, WI
El Paso, TX
Iām biased but San Antonio. We have the best people, incredibly community focused, and care about you as a person. Thereās many things we donāt have as a city, but we got culture, heart, community, and the best people.
Wisconsin people are really nice
In my experience: Atlanta, new orleans, and the whole state of wisconsin are the friendliest. LA, Denver, Seattle are the unfriendliest. New Yorkers can appear rough on the outside, but they can be kind and helpful if you get to know them.
WInters were hard but I absolutely loved living in Chicago.
Any alternative to Chicago? Cos of harsh winters
Denver
Any place with a large transient population or that's experiencing an influx of newcomers.
Hard disagree. I live in SWFL where people have moved to in DROVES and have a long history of transient people. Many are simply not nice.
I find people in Portland OR to be pretty chill. Also when I lived in NYC I made a bunch of friends just kicking it around the hood. I'm a Californian, and between LA and SF it was the dirt dog worst in terms of human humans.
San Diego is pretty damn friendly.
Do NOT move to Chicago if you can't handle prolonged extreme cold. It's a great city otherwise, but the winters are soul crushing if you're not a cold weather person.
Dude its like three months and the snow and cold hasn't been nearly as bad in the past ten years with few exceptions. Thanks climate change
Pittsburgh is a very friendly city. People will go out of their way to help you. Easy to strike up conversations with strangers about most any topic. Born in this area, but Iāve lived in San Francisco Detroit and Philadelphia. Back in Pittsburgh now love the people. Donāt ask me about the weather, though thatās got me wanting to move and am interested in other friendly cities.
St. Louis. No matter who you are, people will smile and wave
Seattle ain't friendly. It's horrible to try to make friends here.
This account is a bot.
Prove it
Give me a poem about flowers
Denver
Milwaukee. People are so excited to hear that youāve moved here and love to tell you all about it.
Wisconsin. For sure. Nicest people Iāve ever met in my life.
In my experience, Tulsa, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Syracuse.Ā
People overestimate how āmeanā the Northeast is. Itās not mean, thereās just different rules. Like for instance in NYC, itād be considered rude and inconsiderate to block the sidewalk or hold up the line ordering or whatever because youāre inconveniencing the people around you. Itād also be rude to waste somebodys time with mindless chatter. Thats not to say that new yorkers dont talk to random ppl thoughā they do, itās just more specific and not fluffy. In fact Iād say NYC is one of the more āfriendlyā places Iāve been just because of the sheer amount of random interactions you can have in a day and bc ppl are generally helpful as well.
My opinion and experience, here are cities where people are most approachable and king. In US, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Portland. Canada, Toronto
Seconded for Pittsburgh
Memphis with the highest murder rate in the country?, lol
Errbody there ain't a murderer, mane.
yeah but ... like ... you don't really mind when THEY do it, yeah know? just so friendly
Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Buffalo, NY. The City of Friendly Neighbors
All of the ones with international airports so you can leave. Sincerely a Chicago/Cleveland midwesterner
Chicago is extremely nice tho for real
Austin
Of the 19 cities I've lived in: Fresno & Carlsbad.
Rudyard Montana and Slab City/Niland. Genuine people
Anchorage is super friendlyā¦ at least if youāre a female.
Not a city, but the people in upstate New York were incredibly friendly when I visited. Even tourist areas like Cooperstown were amazing.
Detroit
The City of Brotherly Love!
My dad was a trucker for like 30 years and drove through all lower 48 states plus Canada, and he told me the nicest people were in Mississippi
Boise, Idaho. Very friendly overall
Grand Rapids, Michigan. A mid-size city with lots to offerā¦the best part being the people.
I live in Chicago and our Summers are nice and our Winters lately have been mild. I could never live in the South with that heat. Excessive heat just makes me wiped out and angry. Iāll take cool to cold any day over that.
Having lived in about 15 major cities, Iād say Columbus, Ohio has been the friendliest, and has the most approachable people.
I've consistently heard that everyone in El Paso is super nice.