Why the Midwest?

samclem said:
I'm sure you realize this is an incredibly broad brush you are using. In my experience, "towns" don't accept or reject people, people accept or reject other people. And if we want to find either accepting, open-minded people or closed-minded people who believe their POV is the only one that is legitimate, we can find plenty of each in any big city--or any small town
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haha said:
A very important difference is that when you are in an isolated town of 25,000 people, if you don't hit it with the locals you are out of luck. If you are in a big city, if you can't find some compatible people the reason is likely you, not everyone else. And as regards university communities, they are down with color, ethnicity, gender and orientation aspects, but try to get much acceptance if you are an outspoken conservative, unless it is a religious or avowedly conservative university.

It's like dating, mo' choice is better, and cities have mo' choice

Ha
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samclem, yes, I do realize that I was painting with a very broad brush and I shouldn't do that. I apologize. But, even after 20 years, there is a lot of frustration that I, apparently, need to vent. I think that Ha actually summarized my point better than I did. I was unable to find matches for my interests in my past small town experiences and have been much more successful in larger and more diverse communities. Although I have some wonderful memories from growing up in and around small towns, I will rephrase my wager, "I wouldn't bet my retirement on finding people to share my interests in a small town."

And Ha, 25,000 - that IS a big city for some people. My experiences are in towns of 5000 and less.

Also, I've met many conservatives in university towns, but Ha is right, they tend to keep their heads down to avoid confrontation.
 
haha said:
A very important difference is that when you are in an isolated town of 25,000 people, if you don't hit it with the locals you are out of luck. If you are in a big city, if you can't find some compatible people the reason is likely you, not everyone else. And as regards university communities, they are down with color, ethnicity, gender and orientation aspects, but try to get much acceptance if you are an outspoken conservative, unless it is a religious or avowedly conservative university.

It's like dating, mo' choice is better, and cities have mo' choice

Ha
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Isolated town of 25,000.... That would be a metropolis for me! The dating thing in a small town is tough like you said. Being particular there were only usually 2-3 that would ever catch my eye, and fortunately I was always able to break into that tiny circle of desirables. Now that I am older I am glad I have a long term GF and don't have to try. JJ, I was fortunate I never had a bad small town experience like you had. Though you remind me of an experience in my first small town that looking back was hilarious.
I had just moved into an rural town of about 2,000 for less than a week and knew no one, but people know you. A black kid about my age at the time 23 or so already knew I was a coach and wanted to know if I would open the gym up to play some hoops as he had some friends that wanted to play. Well I liked playing too at the time so we go up there and next thing you know there are 20 some blacks and one white (me) playing pickup games. Arguing, cussing, and yelling while playing and I was scared to death a melee was going to break out. It all worked out as they were all friends but I didn't know it at the time. The funny thing was it was a 95% white town, but back then people would drive 20 miles to play in an open gym. We wound up doing it every Sunday during the years I lived there.


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I am originally from Indianapolis. Went to college in NW-Central Indiana (as did DW). Since then, I have lived in (all coastal) Rhode Island, Japan, South Carolina, Virginia, and San Diego, CA.

I miss Indy sometimes. I suspect that is because I love the fall when the air is crisp in the morning, the leaves are turning, and it's football season. I miss a wood fire in the fireplace when it's cold and snowing outside. My parents and one of my sisters is still there. The Colts, our college team, the Pacers, and the Cubs still tug on the heartstrings and I miss being around like-minded fans. I have fun visiting.

Then it turns to winter. Or summer.

And then I go outside in January or July and it's 75 degrees and sunny and I don't miss the setting so much, just the people.

We may move to the midwest (or Huntsville, AL) in ER, but it's going to be tough to leave our little corner of paradise here...
 
Sittingduck said:
- extra sweet sweetcorn and heirloom tomatoes straight from the garden - so fresh they are still growing when you eat them. Nirvana. Unmatched anywhere.
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I've lived in Michigan, California, New jersey, Florida, Colorado, Texas, Connecticut and maybe one more state. While I'll agree that sweet corn is pretty good in the Midwest, the absolute best sweet corn I ever had was grown in southern New Jersey. That's right, not too far from Soprano country.
 
I like the Midwest - lived my whole life on the fringe of Chicago suburbia. Although the winters can be nasty, the other 3 seasons are nice. Tons of stuff to do - we can get into the heart of the city within an hour. Or we can get to the hinterlands within minutes. Traffic generally not too bad unless traveling at rush hour. Good food, medical facilities, sports, shopping. People are friendly. Easy to get to other parts of the world from here.


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I grew up in Brooklyn, NY.
Needless to say, my perspective on the Midwest was a bit skewed. The saying was "Anything west of the Hudson River is camping out."

But I eventually grew to like it quite a bit. Currently in southern Ohio, and Cincinnati is the closest city, which is plenty big enough.

I once knew a girl from Minot, ND, and she said that to get to real, sophisticated civilization, she often drove to Winnipeg, 5 ½ hours. I also have a relative in northeastern Montana, and he wouldn't travel to save his life. He says he has everything he could ever want there.

So it all depends on your viewpoint. I've lived in some of the biggest cities in the world, and I only want to stay away from them and their horrible traffic and pollution. The Midwest works fine for me.
 
braumeister said:
So it all depends on your viewpoint. I've lived in some of the biggest cities in the world, and I only want to stay away from them and their horrible traffic and pollution. The Midwest works fine for me.
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As does West Virginia for us. I grew up and worked most of my life just north of Washington, D.C. DW just NW of D.C., until shortly before she met me. At age 15 some friends and I rode our bicycles to the Washington Monument, walked the stairs up and back down, then rode our bicycles home. That was an all-day excursion but could be done. And yeah, we were "ready for dinner" when we got back.:LOL:

But that was in 1965. The place has changed, and in my view not for the better. Kids can't do that now, and I think they should be able to.

The politicians around there who made/allowed it to happen? When they pass on I hope the devil makes them spend eternity sitting in traffic. With full bladders.:mad:
 
Walt34 said:
At age 15 some friends and I rode our bicycles to the Washington Monument, walked the stairs up and back down, then rode our bicycles home. That was an all-day excursion but could be done. And yeah, we were "ready for dinner" when we got back.:LOL:

But that was in 1965. The place has changed, and in my view not for the better. Kids can't do that now, and I think they should be able to.
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Actually, riding your bike around DC might be easier now than in 1965, because of all the bike trails and such. But, I'll give you walking up and down the steps of the Washington Monument. I don't think they've let you do that in ages. There was an old railroad that wrapped around DC and went into Georgetown, that has been converted into a trail...I think it's called the "Capitol Crescent Trail" or something like that? Lots of access points to it from DC, and Maryland.

But, I'm also speaking as a 44 year old adult. If I had a 15 year old kid, I don't think I'd let him or her ride around like that, unsupervised.
 
Buckeye by birth, Georgian by choice. Still love the OSU Buckeyes though not to mention being a broken hearted Browns fan forever.
 
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ERhoosier said:
And a scenic and challenging area to bicycle (road or MTB). Quite a shock to anyone who thinks Indiana is all flat as a pancake :)
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"If you can't make it, baby, your sister Lucille said she'd wanna go... and I sure will take her!"
 
steelyman said:
Brown County in Indiana is really pretty.
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And just to the east is Columbus, Indiana, an unexpected architectural mecca of a small city: Columbus, Ind.: A Midwestern Mecca Of Architecture : NPR

The Modernist buildings — mostly geometric and made of glass and steel — are not immediately visible, interspersed as they are with old, 19th-century, gingerbread-like structures; but more than 60 public buildings in Columbus have been built by a veritable who's who of modern masters — I.M. Pei, Eero and Eliel Saarinen, Cesar Pelli, Richard Meier, Harry Weese, Robert Venturi and James Polshek, to name a few.
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Hannibal, Missouri is also most definitely worth a visit in a Midwest tour.
 
frayne said:
Buckeye by birth, Georgian by choice. Still love the OSU Buckeyes though not to mention being a broken hearted Browns fan forever.
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Heh. I grew up within spitting distance of Shea stadium and then went to undergrad in the Cleveland area. Not sure which is worse: Mets fan or Browns fan?
 
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