Attitudes toward Northerners ("Yankees") (Knoxville, Morristown: real estate, school, tile)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

See, even the thieves will be polite here in TN!!! LOL!
( Sorry, I couldn't resist )

Oh, you will definitely get a kick out of this. I love reading books written by southern women. Before I moved here I read the most charming book and the author said that in Chicago you are mugged by a crazy guy. In The South, you are mugged by a crazy guy that says, "I apologize, ma'am."

[guyL]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Baloney. Stick to the cities and you will fit in fine.

However, sales is tough no matter where you live at this point. I've been in sales many times and this has got to be the worst in my memory. However, the economy here is so much better than most places that you still have a shot.

But you can never have a defeatist attitude and be able to sell, no matter where you live. You've already convinced yourself that this isn't the place for you.

Maybe Just reading those post and realizing sales isnt easy as it is made me think that.

I read in a Boise ID thread the same thing about there locals to a sales business person who tried for two years. so yeah I might be caustious to skeptical I guess

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by guyL

Maybe Just reading those post and realizing sales isnt easy as it is made me think that.

I read in a Boise ID thread the same thing about there locals to a sales business person who tried for two years. so yeah I might be caustious to skeptical I guess

Sales has nothing to do with who you are selling to and everything to do about you. Excuses for why you can't sell are just that, excuses.

Here's a big heads up. I sell, with my northeastern accent that the locals assume is from New York, to people from Knoxville, Little Rock, Memphis, North Georgia, Chattanooga and the Tri-City region.

I'll leave it at that since this suppose to be about us dreaded northeasterners interacting with the natives. Oh, I guess it is, isn't it?

[tnprincess]

Originally Posted by manyroads

I'm a native of the New York City metro area, but looking to escape from NY in the not too distant future. All of the areas I'm currently considering are located in southern states (VA, NC, SC, TN), but I know that there are still people in parts of the South that act like they're still fighting the Civil War, and are against anything or anyone from above the Mason-Dixon line.
I don't consider myself your typical New Yorker... I'm not loud or flashy, rarely curse, and I don't have any discernible accent (certainly not the stereotypical NY accent on tv shows). In fact, people are often surprised I've lived in NY almost my whole life!
If I were to move to Knoxville coming from NY, would it be difficult for me to be accepted by the locals?

Southerners are generous people. We (or most) don't have a problem with outsiders that come in as long as they embrace our South.

I can only speak for myself, what I don't care for is outsiders coming in and bashing the place and redecorating.

[tennmoto]

I practice learning manners from East tn people. Just go around during the day and observe people making eye contact and the gentle nod, the waving at strangers(mostly outside the city). Some people are that are natives resent outsiders and thats true in other States as well.
I am from NJ and have been in Seymour for 10 yrs. Started my Home Improvement a yr ago( after working for others), and its going OK except I still haven't gotten work on Seymour.
Touring on a motorcycle here is heaven, the city is 15 minutes away,theater,football,hockey,movies,events,restaur ants , and there are alot of people like me here too.

steve

[manyroads]

Originally Posted by tennmoto

Touring on a motorcycle here is heaven, the city is 15 minutes away,theater,football,hockey,movies,events,restaur ants , and there are alot of people like me here too.
steve

I don't ride myself, but I remember reading somewhere that there were good roads for motorcycling in the Knox area... was it south of Maryville on Rt 129?

[ladyofengland]

Hi Newcomer

A Brit here married to a Yankee Bronx boy. We retired here 2.5 years ago from Middletown NY, (not far from Westchester) and love it. The people are the friendliest you will find. I went to a doctors appointment the other day in downtown knoxville, and when i asked how to get back to where i had parked my car, the nurse accompanied me right out to the parking lot to find my car. I thought to myself this would NEVER have happened in NY.

Like the young man who delivered my new bed and took off his shoes before he walked into my home. It would NEVER have happened in NY

The Bronx boy(my dear husband) had total knee replacement surgery in May, and I know he was thinking he may be better going back to NY for his surgery. Well I convinced him to stay and have it done here. Well he and I had the best experience in hospital care and treatment we have ever had. I can tell you it has been a big eye-opener for him here. I must admit I researched on the internet and had him consult with 3 doctors before deciding the best to do it. It's ironical that it turned out the surgeon was originally from NY.

When you go grocery shopping here, you need time, because there is not doubt someone will stop and shoot the breeze with you. In my supermarket in NY nobody talked to me ever.

I lost my car in the Target parking lot ( something that happens too often lately (Might be old timers disease) but when I finally found it there was an young man sitting in the car beside mine, he said out the window "that happens to me all the time" I almost died of embarrasment, he must have been watching me looking for my car. Well I spent the next half hour chatting with this perfect stranger and as I happily drove away I thought to myself. If this had happened in NY I would have thought he was going to rob me.

My hubby loves to joke with people he meets and he always says " He loves it here and got here as soon as he could"

Life certainly is different down here, far far better !

Come on down you will love it.

Jen

[sweetpotater58]

I have traveled West, North and since being from the South, there as well. Only in New England did I ever find truly unpleasant people. I omit Maine and Rhode Island from this remark. As for how you will be accepted, i find the North more likely to be truly the snobbier of the North-South differences. You have rednecks in the South to be sure, but and this is where you find the bad behavior towards people from other regions like the North. In the North, you are likely to find that it is the so-called better educated to be more the snobs toward Southerners. New York lady, we don't bite, and if your as nice as you sound yourself to be-then you will find the South welcomes you with open arms.

[Kitties of Domination]

Interestingly, if you choose to move here you will eventually discover that the South also has its own cultural microcosms, both geographic and class-based. Examples include country vs city, mountain vs lowland, etc. Many are telling by sometimes subtle differences in speech and mannerisms. Someone in the valley can often spot a highlander by his accent, a person from Knoxville can often tell if a person is from Loudon, etc. There is a genteel accent of old money and a working class accent of areas like south Knoxville. There are as many distinctions between Southerners as there are towards Northerners!

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by Kitties of Domination

There are as many biases between Southerners as there are towards Northerners!

Perhaps distinctions is a better descriptive word than bias.