"True Locals"

[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/

Comments

[christmasjedi.livejournal.com]

For me, the dead giveaway as to who is a local is as simple as listening to them speak. Of course, some locals are more obvious than others. ;-)

I fit the definition of a local according to the last two categories, and I am most definitely an import. :-)

[julishka.livejournal.com]

locals desire the elusive "low number plate" for their license plate. the confounds me as i don't understand the allure.

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.

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

What does it mean to be a New Englander today?

Se Habla Español.

Bwahahahaha.

Sorry, couldn't help it.

[knome.livejournal.com]

There is one thing that seems to have stuck pretty solidly, even with many newcomers. Although there certainly are a few Walmarts and etc around in New England, it turns out New England as a whole has the fewest large chain stores per capita in the entire United States. Why?

1) Townspeople in NE tend to stay better informed, and so are more likely to refuse a business lisence to a business that might 'ruin' their town. Vermont is partucularly like this.
2) New Englanders like to do business with someone they know. They'd rather spend a few more dollars with Ned at the Hardware store than buy cut rate products at Lowes. This belies the whole 'frugal' thing, but a Yankee would say to that "Ned is always there. If I have trouble, He'll fix it right up for me. I'll have that tool for 20 years!"

Yeah, we still have Home Depot and Lowes around, but I and my neighbors seem to shop locally more often than not, and it keeps the cottage businesses alive, at least on Cape Ann.

[darthwk.livejournal.com]

As a New England export living in the Midwest, I brought a lot of the "old" NE ways with me (without even really realizing that it was a "New England Way"), but lost many of them as well. My wife, a native Michiganite, came up with a very succinct way of describing the three major personality types:

East coast: "Don't look at me."
Midwest: "Look at that!"
West coast: "Look at me!"

I'm still of the "Don't look at me" variety. I prefer not to strike up conversations with strangers while waiting in the check-out lane. I don't look at other drivers on the road unless I want to give them the I Hate You look.

I don't have the New England accent anymore, but give me a week there and it'll come back. And with reinforcements. Especially if we go to Tahget, even though they don't sell the Dawk Mahtins that my brotha weahz in the Ahmy. ;)

Midwest stereotypes -- yep, absolutely. Michigan historically has been an industrial state so much so that with the lessening impact of American industry in the global economy, we're suffering here. Small tool & die shops that thrived in the hayday of the Big Three are all closing, no one needs workers, and general laborers are all unemployed.

And unfortunately unemployable because of their limited skillsets. When you've been a welder or pipefitter or a tool maker for 20-30 years and your shop closes down...what do you do? It's tough to switch tracks in middle life and jump into the technical fields, especially when your life had consisted of working 12-14 hour days, leaving you with no time to learn new skills on the side.

There is stagnation borne of misery and desperation here. There isn't an influx of people here, which is also exacerbated by the outdated infrastructure of the Midwest -- Chicago is the lone exception, really.