East coast mentality vs West coast

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    bluemonkey

    Wed Jul 02 2008

    I was born in Brooklyn and lived most of my life in New York City aside from one great year spent consulting in San Francisco. For me, the west coast wins hands down. I have always been a live-and-let live sort of person who shuns excessive competition and prefers nature and outdoor sports to city grime. I also shun relentless competition, keeping up with the Jones's and bragging about possessions. The stereotype may be that the West Coast epitomizes this mindset, but that is not what I've found. NYC is the most selfish, vain, polluted, corrupt and competitive place I've ever been and I've traveled a great deal. I found Northern California to be a very accepting place that adjusts to you rather than forcing you to adjust to it. Pretty much whatever you decide you want to do, there's an outlet for it. Want to be a type A go-getter? Great. You can do that there if you really want to. Hate the rat race? You can find a less stressful way to make a living. There is an emphasis on quality o... Read more

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    lmorovan

    Mon Jun 16 2008

    No other part of the US has more diversity of minorities and cultures than the East Cost. And that brings color and life from all over the world.

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    unaffiliated

    Mon Apr 07 2008

    Opinion585, did something traumatic happen to you to prompt this unrealistic, unfounded, obsessive diatribe of yours about the evils of West coast inhabitants? Go look up the term "blanket statement." Its considered a poor discussion tactic, and completely strips you of any credibility.

  • by

    spacemonkey71

    Sun Aug 26 2007

    Penguinista3 did not miss the point. By offering a list of West Coast accomplishments, they are providing empirical evidence that we are not simply flaky or unintellectual. The East Coast is the Old World. The West Coast is 21st Century. To Penquinista3's list I would like to add the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in sunny Pasadena. These laid back people have been exploring the Solar System for 50 years. They were the first Americans to put a satellite into Orbit (Explorer 1), reach the Moon (Ranger 6), reach another planet (Pioneer-Venus), land on Mars (Viking1 and Viking2), reach Uranus and Neptune (Voyager 1) and explore the surface of Mars with an autonomous robot (Spirit and Opportunity). The only thing I don't like about the East Coast is all the hostility that gets directed our way. Network news anchors whose broadcasts originate from New York often make snide comments about us. It seems like most New Yorkers hate LA and Angelenos have live and let live attitude. If that is t... Read more

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    sherae04

    Wed Feb 28 2007

    There are good things about both coasts, but I definitely think the East Coast is the winner. California has great weather, beautiful places, a lot of money, lots of great restaurants, wonderful cuisine, nice beaches, etc. But with all of these wonderful gifts comes a great self-centeredness. How could this fabulously rich place be 40th in education? People I know who have kids in Cali schools have to bring in cases of toilet paper and tissues and other school supplies in the beginning of the year--and these are for good schools. Teachers are paid crap, the ticky-tacky stucco houses are horrifyingly expensive and have postage-stamp sized yards, and most importantly, it is a society that does not care for its young. If I were a child, I would not care that my self-involved divorced dad had a great mountain bike and really white teeth. I would want my dad to be there for me. I would want my dad to care that I went to a school where I got a good education. I would want my parents to be de... Read more

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    cxxczcdfsafsdf_sd

    Sun Jan 16 2005

    I have lived in California my whole life. I traveled to New York and Boston, and was amazed at how foreign it felt. It's such a hierarchal society. One day I was walking around Boston in my North Face gear, and everyone who walked by had their nose in the air. The next day I had to wear a suit and tie, and everyone I passed turned their head down and away, as if I was better than them. There's lots of black people, but they are all servigin coffee and taking suitcases at hotels. Then you go into a sports bar, and everyone is white. I asked a lady behind a counter if she would throw out a cup of coffee for me... figured she had a trash can back there, and I didn't. She looked at me like I just asked her to shine my shoes or something. The east coast is backwards and worried, and the people are waaaaay too entrenched in society for my tastes. I'd feel about as comfortable moving to another country as I would feel living anywhere in the U.S. besides California or Oregon.

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    doombug

    Sat Jan 08 2005

    I think penquinista missed the point. The focus was differences in mentality between east coast and west coast people; not who has the most of what. But, you do offer yourself as excellent case in point of the west coast mentality: It's all about what you have, or what you can get. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, and now live in Sacramento, Ca. I've lived in or have travelled to San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Oceanside, San Clemente, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, Lake Tahoe, Calexico, El Centro, Long Beach, Oakland, and a range of other places in the state. Californians may have it good, but they are among the most emotionless, self-centered, materialistic, and greedy people I've ever met. Nevada, Utah, and Colorado can thank California for much of their increase in population, as people have gotten tired of the shallowness of this state.

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    ashdkj

    Mon Dec 27 2004

    West coast sucks. They are all too stupid to have a sense of humor. Ive never met as many dull and fake people in my life than I did in california. I prefer the whitty, aggresive yet hilarious east coasters (preferbly the northeasten states)

  • by

    oolala

    Mon Dec 20 2004

    Is this typical? I've met 2 east coast (35-40ish) men this year who have the same juvinile type humor- they make a bad joke at something sexual in nature, and bring it up constantly in other conversations (like an inside joke that noone wants to hear.) I don't get it, as a west coaster. Perhaps it's a very unusual coincidence that this has happened twice this year. Great guys, but so immature. Is that typical? (for example-tell me about the last guy you dated... I tell him and he brings up the name all the time-even in romantic situations...or-making a joke about the size of a man's hands, and then bring up feet all night long...) How do you conquer and move on?

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    penguinista3

    Sun Dec 05 2004

    I lived in both coasts, Boston and Bay Area and am currently living in San Jose, CA. West coast is definitely much better. What west coast have: more millionaires are created here than anywhere else on planet earth, and just in case we lack intellect, we have more Nobel prize winners in CA than any state in the union, we have great public U, Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, USC etc. If we are flaky, why do we have the 6th largest economy in the world? great climate, great food, great universities, great industries...when was the last time Boston/NYC created companies like Google, Microsoft, Transmeta, Intel, HP, Xerox, Pixar, Ebay, Yahoo, Dreamworks, Oracle, Hell the entire Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Wineries, Agribusiness, Biotech, Animation, Video games etc. Millionaires in the East coast makes their money speculating on the businesses build by people on the West coast and middle America.

  • by

    opinion585

    Sat Oct 23 2004

    Lets see, you have the best colleges, down to earth people, family atmosphere, great diversity, half of the country's population, and two of the greatest cities on earth (new york and boston) on the east coast; vs. hippy, party animal, illiterate, rude shallow people, fake plastic people, horrible air quality,and no sense of community or culture (unless you unclude counter culture) on the west coast, hmmmmm, real tuff decision?!?!!? let me take a minute to think about it, ok im done, EAST COAST WINS ABSOLUTLEY!

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    lanceroxas

    Sat Oct 23 2004

    New Yorkers get it done in a hurry. I have hired in my career three people who were from California and had to fire all three in under two months. Unattentive and lazy is being nice.

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    minkey

    Thu May 13 2004

    California is a huge state but I've found the people in general to be very laid back. The California sunshine keeps people relaxed and in a good mood; a quality I extremely admire. Many of southern CA's residents fit the laid back surfer/beach bum mentality. It's real easy to get into. Very friendly and chill, and people are trendy. Northern residents are chill but more work-oriented it seems. These Californians are decendents of the gold-rush pioneers; they still have a bit of the explorer in them I think. The girls were easily approachable and friendly and many approached me; not like Boston or New York's trust fund babies that have a stick up their back side. Oregon is a very friendly state; I only met one jerk and he was from New England! Helpful people and Oregon is a clean, safe place, and the residents love outdoor activities such as hiking and camping because that's all there is in Oregon.. Washington residents seem a little bit depressed; I think the 12 months of rai... Read more

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    jed1000

    Thu May 13 2004

    I think the east and west coasts have more in common which each other than either have with the stuff in the middle.

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    enkidu

    Wed May 12 2004

    Some good, some bad on both sides. In my experience both coasts can be rude, but in different ways (and I mean northeast, not southeast, which generally has polite people). That west coast f**k-you-attitude which has a fake smile pasted on top can be quite disconcerting; it's much worse in the big cities though. The intellectual standards seem higher on the east coast, especially compared to LA. Sometimes it is a false dichotomy though, since I think Boston is more different from Charleston or Jacksonville than San Francisco.