Woman Shares The 5 Biggest Culture Shocks She Experienced When She Moved From New York To The Southern U.S.
She misses New York bagels and pizza most of all!
Inside Creative House | Shutterstock As far as the United States goes, there's probably no two destinations that are more different than New York City and the South.
Gabrielle Carrai is a native New Yorker and four years ago she and her family moved from Long Island to North Carolina. In a recent video, she highlighted the differences that she has noticed since moving across the country, from the food and weather to the people and culture.
Here are 5 of the biggest culture shocks the woman experienced when she moved from New York to the southern U.S.
1. There is a distinct lack of potholes.
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“Call me ridiculous, but I had accumulated some really good pothole defensive driving skills," she joked, "but I don't need any of that here because, for some reason, I don't see any potholes ever."
Long Island sees a high number of potholes primarily due to heavy traffic, frequent freeze-thaw cycles during winter, which weakens the pavement, and sometimes inadequate road maintenance. Southern states tend to experience less traffic and have warmer weather year round, preventing potholes from ever forming.
2. The pizza and bagels are nothing like in New York.
Carrai can confirm that it’s true what they say: New York pizza and bagels are elite compared to those served in the other 49 states.
“There's just nothing like it,” she said. “Don't even take a chance if a place says that it's New York pizza. Just don't even bother because it's not.”
Many believe that bagels and pizza taste better in New York due to the city's unique water supply, which is considered "soft" with low levels of calcium and magnesium, allowing for optimal gluten development in dough. This makes pizza and bagels softer and chewier. The water supply cannot be replicated in other states, resulting in bagels and pizzas that just don’t hit the same.
3. People know their neighbors.
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If you’re from Long Island, your neighbors probably exist as just fictional characters in your head. You may have even peeked out your windows before you took out the garbage to avoid having to interact with any of them.
However, according to Carrai, people actually talk to and get to know their neighbors in the South. “Here, I have many friends who live in the same HOA,” she said, adding that she did not consider any of her neighbors friends in New York.
4. The weather changes frequently.
Typically during winter in New York, it stays cold until spring and summertime, when the temperature gradually rises. Carrai was shocked by how the climate in North Carolina seemed to change daily — or even hourly.
“I wish it was just cold for the full day, or it was just warm for the full day,” she admitted. “You'll walk out in layers and by midday you're sweating and dying of heat in tank top spaghetti straps, and by the end of the night you're also freezing again.”
However, Carrai appreciates that she never has to shovel snow out of her driveway since temperatures rarely go below freezing.
5. The people are friendlier.
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There is a theory that claims the closer people live together, the less civil they are. On Long Island, where people practically live on top of one another, that theory appears to be true. However, in the South where homes are more spaced out, people are far more civil.
“I will say it is really refreshing to be able to go into a store and people don't get mad at you if you accidentally make eye contact with them,” Carrai said. “People like to talk to you. It's very friendly."
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.