"True Locals"
Feb. 28th, 2006 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancerjodi"Is New England losing its regional character?
''This used to be the home of the frugal Yankee, the stoic stiff-upper-lip Yankee, the modest/unassuming Yankee," writes the author of the Diana Chronicles blog (dianachronicles.blogspot.com). ''What does it mean to be a New Englander today? So many people have moved into New England in the past 10-20 years, the New Englander is an endangered species, to be extinct within the next generation or two."
She makes a list of subtle ways to tell the true locals from the newcomers.
Vanity plates: Locals would never have one on their car (they wouldn't spend the money and wouldn't want the attention), while newcomers can't get enough of them (especially cutesy ways of spelling their name or the location of their second home).
Preferred car: Locals drive Saabs, Subarus, and Volvos, while newcomers drive SUVs, Mercedes, and Lexuses.
Thanksgiving meal staple: For locals, it's corn bread. For newcomers, it's ''jalepeno" corn bread.
Yard work: Locals mow the lawn, walk the dog, and shovel the snow themselves. Newcomers hire the help."
From http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/02/26/true_locals_newton_debt_diners/
''This used to be the home of the frugal Yankee, the stoic stiff-upper-lip Yankee, the modest/unassuming Yankee," writes the author of the Diana Chronicles blog (dianachronicles.blogspot.com). ''What does it mean to be a New Englander today? So many people have moved into New England in the past 10-20 years, the New Englander is an endangered species, to be extinct within the next generation or two."
She makes a list of subtle ways to tell the true locals from the newcomers.
Vanity plates: Locals would never have one on their car (they wouldn't spend the money and wouldn't want the attention), while newcomers can't get enough of them (especially cutesy ways of spelling their name or the location of their second home).
Preferred car: Locals drive Saabs, Subarus, and Volvos, while newcomers drive SUVs, Mercedes, and Lexuses.
Thanksgiving meal staple: For locals, it's corn bread. For newcomers, it's ''jalepeno" corn bread.
Yard work: Locals mow the lawn, walk the dog, and shovel the snow themselves. Newcomers hire the help."
From http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/02/26/true_locals_newton_debt_diners/
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Date: 2006-02-28 06:31 pm (UTC)the preferred car thing seem completely off. all those cars would be considered transportation of the yuppie class which is definitely a newcomer thing for somerville.
and i had a totally frou frou fourth of july meal at my boss's mom's house down in marshfield. sure it was a cookout, but the food was decidedly upscale as opposed to burgers and chips at the neighbor's. she's an old salt new englander, too.
locals
Date: 2006-02-28 08:19 pm (UTC)I can beat that! I still have a green MA plate on the back (with no plate on the front) :)
I think the desire for the low # just shows how much longer one has been driving in the area perhaps?
I also disagree with the car sentiments . . .