As far as personality there’s a phrase “East Coast people are kind but not nice, and West Coast people are nice but not kind” It’s a generalization for sure, but there is definitely more of a vibe of people who talk roughly but will come out and help you in a pinch on the east coast versus people who are very cheerful and supportive in conversation but then flakey when you need a hand on the West Coast
I grew up and have lived in CA my whole life. I went to NY on a business trip with a coworker. He was wearing long shorts and a plaid shirt. I was wearing jeans and a top. When we walked into the hotel, everyone in the hotel was dressed so nice and business-like. We got a couple of looks. I felt like a foreigner in my own country. Haha. Strange feeling.
Wow... even on business trips Californians dress like that *wince* ... you people need to get out of the sun. The rest of the world doesn't work that way.
I moved from east coast of FL to Central and had to stop wearing bathing suit top without a cover on over it in the stores.. at home you would wear your two piece and just shorts with flip flops and barefoot if you were like on way to beach or waterway.. it was just normal. 😅
when I was 16, I hopped freight trains from Buffalo NY to Needles CA. Then I hitch hiked up and down the West coast. That was 50 years ago. I love this country!
Virginia is a fun state. We have SOOO much history here. 1st settlement, Williamsburg, Jamestown, 2 president's estates, Revolutionary War & Civil war on & on. Here near Richmond, we have people dig up Indian arrowheads, civil war relics & Revolutionary era relics in same location.
Jeffersons estate is one to go to. Also explore the bay area . Tangier island is a remote island on the Chesapeake bay where the people have their own accent they sound English. Richmond has tons of brewery's and many many great restaurants plus Richmond was the capital of the confederacy during the civil war.
The "back East" vs "out West" has to do with the Westward migration of families as a result of Manifest Destiny, it's stuck around since then as many families that have been in the US for multiple generations still have family roots East of where they live. On fashion: as a native California boy I've grown up wearing t-shirts, shorts, sandals, and sunglasses for the better part of 40 years.
I grew up all over the US and I've also noticed sometimes huge cultural differences as I've changed geographic regions. As time has gone by though I've noticed that the larger cities have lost a lot of the regional culture and have become more homogenized. In other words, big cities tend to be more like all other big cities. Its the countryside where the true culture emerges.
Well said! I grew up in the South and it is very different from the Northwest. I had a difficult time growing up around so called nice southern folk, which aren't very nice and some of the biggest backstabbers you will ever meet,Lol, the racism, the male chauvinism was over the top, it's holds some very uncomfortable memories to say the least. Living in San Francisco was like moving to a new planet, everything was different including the way people think, the richness of different cultures, I knew this was my home and it's been that way since '72.
I completely disagree. The cities tend to be more of a melting pot which is the truer definition of America. In the cities many different cultures, languages, and ethnicities live together as neighbors, families,friends, coworkers, and stranger’s who despite the stereotypes actual help each other especially during hardships and worship together. Whereas the country side is way more homogeneous and tends to frown upon differences wanting everyone to live, behave, and worship the way they dictate and say Americans should. People are typically shunned in the country side if they are different from their neighbors in any way so much so they end up moving out of the country side to the city in order to find people who are much more accepting of differences. There is a reason why the country side is smaller than the city and it’s not because of a lack of space. The country side has plenty of space even more than the city but people tend to be so closed minded and intolerant to differences. The countryside is the definition of homogeneous. If you don’t blend in you won’t fit in. After all the definition of homogeneous is multiple things that are all essentially alike or of the same kind. Homogeneous better describes country living and country folk.
I used to think that the whole west coast was pretty similar with regards to accent, except for some of the slang - and it is pretty darn similar - but when I moved from Washington State to Southern California, I kept being asked where I was from because many Californians thought I was Canadian. It was a very strange and unexpected experience!
I grew up in Arkansas and Texas, and my family moved to New Jersey when I was in college. I definitely experienced culture shock when I would visit. The best way for me to explain it to people who have never experienced that shock is that people in the North East are on the go constantly. They are very blue collar and work very hard. But, people in the South work hard, but also know how to slow down and appreciate life. I now live in Utah, which was another culture shock. People are definitely laid back, and very much come as they are. There are so many wonderful places to see, people to meet, and experiences to have across the US!
A friend from the Midwest told me that he felt that East Coast people have a hard, crusty exterior but a soft interior. Impatient and tough at first but will warm up to you in a short time.
I am from the Midwest, and I can vouch for part of this. I have lived on the East Coast now for 25 years. It is hard for them to let you in, but once you're in, you're good
We are too honest many times and ppl take us wrongly.. the gruffness is our honestly a lot of the time.. but if you break down or need something there's always someone whom will stop and do what they can for you.
I grew up in Northeastern PA. I believe that the natives tend to be guarded if not down right suspicious of just about anyone. And yes, the people are rather plainspoken. I have lived in VA and NC for over 40 years. I have been told that I can be a blunt talker. I always say,"Where I come from, people say what they mean and mean what they say. "
@@gordonschultz4788 yep. My mom & I were just talking about that. She told me “don’t pull any punches.” And I told her “I’m gonna tell “you” the truth, it might not have the finesse you want but you’ll know where I stand”. Then I said “you remember that blouse & skirt you asked if it went together?” In the politest way I said to her…”Well I’m NOT going to be wearing it! But if you want to, hey go ahead….. Just make sure when you get to church you let everyone (the “girls”) know what I said; so they at least know you asked me before you took to do what ‘you’ wanted.” “And you know I WONT let you go out somewhere looking “that way” with me & also without me”. 🙋🏻♀️Now, I’m not a rude child, mom turned 80 👵🏻early May this year & I turned 60 👩🏻🦳late May this year. She asks and I tell her the TRUTH, raised in NC & born in CA, USAFB baby. 🇺🇸✈️ My families (both sides) have either been in the Military or Law Enforcement so.… I guess I have a bit of a harder edge on my “truth” than I should🤔 (my bad). *Plus being a “girl raised in the South” (G.R.I.T.S.) I still hold on to old traditions or styles… ie: NO, just NO to the “NO WHITE" pants, shorts, skirts & shoes BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY! and NO! to the same thing AFTER LABOR DAY!! It’s a Southern thing (I’m guessing) that has been ingrained in me (us) for as long as I can remember. I know some have become 🤫“backsliders”😔 and do it anyway.🤣🤣 *Sorry this comment got so long but this is what happens when you finally end up getting old!👵🏻 It sometimes ends up in a “rambling fest”. 🥱 😴 So ✌🏻🕊 ☮️ ALL!
@@gordonschultz4788me and my mom both moved to Arizona from. Pennsylvania a few years apart. One day she's asking me about how I was adjusting and mentioned that lots of folks in Arizona thought I was too aggressive and confrontational. She said she had the same thing when she moved. The funny thing is I was considered the most soft spoken person around, hell some folks thought I acted like I was better than other people because I was so quiet.
Shaun, I really appreciate hearing you, a Scotsman, comparing different regions of the USA. There are thousands of TH-camrs who focus on "cultural differences between [wherever they're from] and America." I often wish they would branch out to offer their perspectives comparing different places in America they've experienced, but almost none of them do. So thank you for being the exception by doing just that, and keep it coming!
We have earthquakes, weather, landslides, and fires. There is far more rural landscape and farmland on the West coast. Shawn, you make an excellent point about the accent differences. The West coast is mostly homogenous in how we speak. Culturally, every state is different. This is another reason Americans travel within the United States more than outside it. There is so much to learn right here at home. International travel is very expensive for Americans and time consuming. We would love to visit the UK eventually though.
East coast gal here. Raised just outside of Richmond VA & in DC btw divorced parents. And have TN family. DC is just 90 mins from Richmond but it's like a whole diff country. And my accent (I have a TN accent bc I was part raised by east TN Mamaw) sticks out like a sore thumb.
7:45. You haven't travelled much in New England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Maine) yet, but when you do you will quickly realize that that part of the country is where you will see MASSIVE outdoor activities. Huge sections of New Hampshire, Vermont, & Maine are just forest, rivers, mountains, & thousands of hiking trails. :o)
Going back to the accents also remember that on the west coast there are only 3 states. Where the east coast has somewhere around 10. For some reason our accents seem to be settled in certain states. So the differences are more noticeable when you have more different people groups. Always enjoy watching you and looking forward to more.
I agree with you. I'm a Seattle native but spent 6 years living in New England. My experience has been the west coast is more socially reserved, less formal, more relaxed, and less concerned with conformity than NE. I spent a fair amount of time visiting New York City. My impression is the people don't deserve their reputation for rudeness. They are busy, that's all.
Get away from the East Coast cities, and go into the Appalachian Mountains that is also on the east coast, and everybody is very laid-back. I live in the east coast mountains and everybody is very relaxed laid-back it's the easy life.
True, I think he's judging the East Coast based on New York and Philly, and those are extremely big cities and not necessarily representative of the whole East Coast
Shaun is totally cool---smart, articulate, personable, handsome, good build, great manners, observant and fearless. And he's from one of the most beautiful countries in the world---Scotland. And he has a great brogue.
I am a Kentucky born native whose father was in the military. I grew up around the world and in several US states. When my dad left the service we settled in Texas, with the condition that every other summer was spent on the family farm in KY. It gave me what my granny called the gypsy bug when I got older. I was able to backpack across the Rockies, the Catskills, the Smokeys and the Ozark mountain ranges. Even though they are very different from each other all are spectacular and the people in each area are very diverse, depending on the region's needs. I found that the people in the southern regions and the back hills areas were the friendliest and most giving. Those in the more developed areas or the areas with the harshest climates were not as friendly, but still giving if really needed. That's my story. I want to say thank you for your story and the new insight that I have gleaned from you.
Your observations are on the mark Shaun. As a kid, mine was a military family. We lived in several states in the US, in Europe for 4 years, and the Philippines for a couple of years too. I have lived on both coasts and visited most of the coastal states. I much prefer the "interior" states. The coasts are kind of their own worlds - and the interior seems much more deeply connected to the American way of life. That's just my perception and honestly, I have met good people everywhere I've gone.
I grew up in Fl and it's been destroyed by over development. I think in middle America they don't have that issue nearly as much so you're able to maintain the farmlands ,wildernesses, etc I HATE what's been done to FL. A 15 min drive is now 30..I moved from east coast to a small town in Central FL 30 yrs ago.. it had dairies, groves and many farms..1 light town.. today its nearly all become The VILLAGES. 200,000+ PPL moved into the villages and they are still building more for them. Ppl say, move.. where to??? WE DID MOVE to a nice little town and this crap follows you everywhere in Fl. And at 50+ you can't just pick up and start another 30 yrs to grow friendships and a life when you can't even work any longer due to medical issues. Back home on east coast I couldn't even afford to live there even when we did live there.. it was already getting harder to find anything affordable for manual labor ppl wages to live. You are VERY BLESSED if you live in an area that development /progression hasn't touched you much.
Sean it's obvious how well traveled you are now throughout America because this was a really accurate assessment of American culture from coast to coast. The Midwest which you still have to visit is the so-called "Heartland". It really is the beating heart culturally of America. California and New England are more fringe, but the heartland is the VAAAAAST interior of America. They represent the values of America. They are the most sober, the most connected to the land, the most concerned with the practical considerations of American society.
Ah, the good old "real America" argument. You are kind of insulting other Americans not from the Midwest when you claim that the Midwest is the real part of America. It is all real America. Different parts are different.
For east coast mountains, you need to go to VA & TN. Gatlinburg has great ones in Smoky Mountains. And beautiful cabins. And Natural Bridge has great trails. Also, in summer 2011, here in VA we got a tropical storm (a down graded hurricane), an earth quake & a tornade all in a 30 day time span.
Even though this was more of a generalized list it isn't too far off for me. I was born and raised in the Midwest. My family is from down south and in the south west. Where I grew up in Ohio it was more of a melting pot of cultures. Each block in town you'd hear a different accent and see different cultures.
True, grew up in Ohio too. They say that it is the west of the east, the north of the south, south of the north and the east of the west…also considered mid-west! The state can be almost blocked off into at least 4 regions/cultural styles. Example NE Ohio ( Part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, definitely has a kind of east coast vibe. SE Ohio is a lot like the South culturally. It is an agricultural and used to be a heavy manufacturing state, that is dotted with larger cities and an extensive highway system to get one around the State.
The Great River Road takes you from Minnesota to Louisiana, weaving back and forth between the states. I only took it from Alton to Vicksburg, dropped off for the Natchez Trace.
East coast girl here! Been to the west coast a number of times and found this to be a pretty accurate observation of the differences between East and West coasts.
I've lived on both coasts, northern and southern states, and in between in the Rocky Mountains. People are very different in each place. Good and bad everywhere. The weather and conditions are so different, they've had to adapt accordingly. I've been throughout the whole lower 48, and am trying to make my way to Alaska and Hawaii. I've been to parts of Europe and Great Britain. I've enjoyed myself everywhere. If we could get the leaders out of the way, we'd find that we all want about the same things from life. I really enjoy your channel, and that you are sharing it with all of us.
I think what you're picking up on with the East vs West coast accents is that the East coast was settled by English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and Germans, while the West Coast we settled by people from the East coast. Distinct regional accents based on the people that settled a given area, vs an amalgamation of those that settled the East and Spanish.
There is a significant population of Asians, and also Latinos on the West Coast. The West was "settled" by folks from back East who didn't fit it, or were looking for a better quality of life - not the well-to-do. They faced a lot of dangers to migrate West. Tougher than the rest.
Immigration is a big factor in accents. Some times scouts from mines and factories waited for the boats of immigrants to come in and would hire everyone who came off the boat. So youd have a decent number of immigrants settle in one town or area and when the rest of their families immigrated theyd settle with them. Where I came from there are lots of small committes that used to be for mine workers and not drastic changes in accents but you could hear it. With everything connected by the internet there is much more bleeding over and homogeniztion.
As a fifth generation native Californian who grew up partly in Colorado, and lives in the Mid-Atlantic region, I can assure you that you've only scratched the surface of the cultural variations.
By the way, Starbucks coffee sucks. If you want real, and real good, coffee, go to a local small coffee shop. Dunkin coffee, on the other hand, is simply vile.
@@laurac5451 fair enough. Or find a wizened old Turk sitting on a street corner, roasting the beans right in front of you. Did that in Bahrain. Completely ruined me for the crap brown water they call commercial chain coffee in America.
Having lived, worked, and traveled back and forth over much of the US, I would say that generally speaking, you're pretty much spot on. There are indeed nuances that you would likely have noted with more time. The one I'll mention: The Coffee thing - the Pacific Northwest is indeed (almost, IMO comically,) serious about coffee - but Starbucks, being Seattle based has a huge presence. But there are many other local / regional brands... like "Dutch Brothers" or "Stumptown" - based Oregon. Great Video - I look forward to watching more of them.
I'm from the PNW, and after reading your comment I had to laugh at myself because you are so spot on about the coffee thing here lol! As soon as I heard Shaun say that PNW coffee culture is Starbucks, my brain was like, "NOOO!!!" I wrote a comment about the multitude of local coffee shops in the PNW, and then read your comment and realized that, yes, yes we are all very (comically) serious about coffee! It also doesn't help that I have cat latte art as my profile picture. I'm feeling like more and more of a PNW cliche by the minute lol
@@alyson42 Not to worry - I enjoy my coffee too, and I've lived in the PNW for the last 10 years. (though I have some history going back more than 40 years). My favorite Seattle coffee shop story is from a place where they have at least 4 competitors within a 1 block walk. I was meeting someone one morning, when a woman walked in and asked for a "decaf drip". They told her: "We don't serve Decaf." I smile every time I think about that exchange. 🙂
Cool. That was fun! I've been to all those places myself and resided in many of them. Very interesting! One different thing ... I found parts of the East easy to visit but not so easy to come live in as a stranger. Some neighborhoods are very old and connected. Took longer to be invited into a community. A little faster to ingratiate myself with locals when living in the West. (Small towns excluded.) Very interesting, indeed, to get your inpressions.
It's fun to try coleslaw at various points throughout the US. The south tends to have a sweet creamy texture while as you are more north they tend to use more of a vinegar base. This is just something my husband and I like to do when we travel. Hush puppies too. They are different at different areas of the US. We moved to Florida almost 30 years ago from Ohio, on the edge of Lake Erie. We get a lot of people moving down here from Midwest and Northern US and their chain restaurants tend to make their way down here too. Very diverse thru food!
The west coast has different accents although subtle. The classic surfer accent originated in LA with the valley girl accent coming from the nearby San Fernando Valley. San Francisco their gay community created the high pitched gay accent you sometimes hear. Seattle has a sorta mix of French, and California accents, it’s a by product of their settlement by French Canadians who were in the lumber industry. California was mostly Spanish settled meaning there is a huge Latin community still speaking with accents all over California. Oregon is more lumberjack though they share accents with both regions. The more you look into accents the more you can pick them out. New York though is losing it’s signature accent for some reason. New York was Italian settled but less true Italians are going to New York these days.
Here is one I notice. I grew up in North Carolina and took a trip to the Pacific NW (Portland to Seattle) a couple years ago. I drove from Portland to Cannon Beach, OR and back, then from Portland to Seattle. I was in shock that pretty much every drove the speed limit. Don't do that in the Southeast unless you want to be run over. Speed limit is the right lane. Middle lane is 5mph+ over the limit. Left lane....10mph+ over the limit. That lane is for passing and for people with money for speeding tickets and higher insurance payments. 😂
Shaun, in California we also have Peets and Philz in coffee chains as well. In the Bay Area, Peets is really popular because it started in Berkeley here in the Bay Area. It's not just only Starbucks that's popular in California.
One thing to note is that most people on the west coast are from elsewhere originally. They used to say everybody in L.A. was from Iowa. On the east coast, a higher percentage of the people are from right there in the east coast.
I'm thinking that the west coast accent is because when people migrated from the eaat coast to the west they came from all areas of the east and just blended to a west coast accent.. where newyorkers still stayed in Ny and the people in the south stayed there and they kept their accents...
I absolutely LOVE your insight into American culture differences. A curious thought I have is 'what is Europe like after people left for America'? Particularly, was European history impacted noticeably by families leaving for America, and is there a stigma that has carried over from the generations since?
I have wondered similarly... So so many were forced to leave UK holdings as slaves, servants and if they fought against the crown as prisoners of war they came here. These ppl never could go back... they lost their family over time and made new family's here but everyone here who's ppl were from there have lost their heritage..I noticed that not all but many in Europe take offense if ppl say they are Irish, Scottish, etc.. meaning that's their bloodline.. of course they know they are American but they are trying to connect with what was stolen from their ancestors.. their entire heritage they've lost.
Good job on your observations! To understand the differences between regions, it helps to understand US history. For example, the distinct accents along the east coast were "cooked" for a couple hundred years before radio, TV & long distance travel were a thing. Regional accents, dress, cooking, manners, etc. were established long before interchange with other eastern states were commonplace. The west coast, on the other hand, is culturally "younger." Yes, there was definitely influence from the native populations in the area, but the settlers from "back east" were still making their way into the "wild west" just a little over a century ago. The settlers themselves were a mixed group in terms of ethnicities and accents, so the result is a more "neutral" or "non-specific" group culturally. By the time the individual areas began to have second- and third-generation occupants who might have developed their own regional accents, radio and later TV arrived, causing the groups to be exposed to voices of other Americans across the continent, preventing the vast number of regional dialects found on the east coast from forming. Same can be said with other cultural artifacts, like general demeanor and cuisine.
Stop blaming TV. TV and movie actors used to use a trans-Atlantic accent that nobody uses anymore.... How influential then could it be? Also, people from Minnesota still have a discernable/unique accent even though almost nobody on TV has a Minnesota accent.
You hit the nail on the head a few times. You have to know, and I'm sure you do, that there are 3 states on the extreme West Coast. California, Oregon, and Washington. On the East Coast you have quite a few more! The "Southern" states vs. the "Northerner" states will be the better comparison when it comes to accents, beliefs, and behaviors. The weather is so vastly different that it causes the citizens to react and respond so differently. We look forward to seeing you in the U.S. more often.
I used to always think there was just one general American accent, but when a couple of Canadians asked me what kind of accent I have I was like "American." I thought the question was unusual since they knew I was an American but then I started thinking about the varieties... New York, New Jersey, Southern, Boston, Maine, California "valley girl."
I enjoy seeing your take on American regions and the differences! Thank you, because I was never able to travel a lot. We did make the trip to San Antonio, Tx and the Alamo, when we went to see our brothers, stationed at Lackland AFB about 1965, and through several Western States, as native Californians with ancestors from Scotland, England and Norway.
As far as maritime culture, the East and West coasts get all the fame, but the US south coast in the Gulf of Mexico with all the traffic from the Mississippi, and the north coasts of the country on the Great Lakes with the huge industrual traffic between steel ports, actually built this countrby in far disproportionate measure. Just a thought to put a bee in your bonnet.
I can’t wait for your video on the southern states and the differences in cuisine! For instance, the differences between New Mexico vs. TexMex in Texas to Louisiana Cajun and Creole.
I love being in Arizona because it has the most amazing vibe and landscapes, but goes under the radar with the whole east coast vs west coast obsessions
I live in Washington State, I don’t consider that we have an accent at all, unless you just say we have an American accent. One of my brothers lives in New Hampshire, and he has a Boston type accent, and one of my sisters lives in Tennessee, and when her and her husband’s kids were young, and talked fast, I swear, I couldn’t understand a word they said, lol! After visiting back there for a week, I found myself developing a southern accent! I couldn’t help it, so funny, y’all! I recently discovered you, and love your content Shaun.
One difference on the outdoor front is the massive amounts of public lands in the west with unfettered access. In the east, much of the land is privately owned and has been well settled by both Native peoples as well as later European settlers. It still can be quite an adventure, though, in the Appalachian chain of mountains!
I've said "out west" and "back east" all my life and I never even thought about why I said it that way. You are teaching me things I didn't even know. Speaking of storm chasing- I really like Storm Chaser Daniel Shaw on TH-cam. He's got some good tornado videos (if you are into that kind of thing) and he doesn't show you only the tornado clips. He also shows you the entire storm chasing process from beginning to end from before a tornado even forms to the search and rescue afterwards. It's quite interesting and you almost feel like you are apart of the "road trip" while watching.
Hi Shaun: I had to giggle when you said you thought the East Coast didn't really have regional accents. I think you might need to hang out a bit longer to distinguish those regional accents - because I the difference between Brooklyn-ese and say.. Atlanta GA is quite extreme for accents.
Interesting observations, Shaun. I'm from California and have lived in Seattle, Texas, the Carolinas and visited many other states as well. I think your observations are valid, the only one you noted that I have not is the focus on Starbucks on the west coast. Having lived in Seattle and California, I have not noticed that. Also, you are correct, the accent on the west coast is all the same and extends into the midwest as well. Several states in the midwest are indistinguishable from the west coast, at least to my ear.
U.S. speech features the following accents: General American, Inland Northern (around Chicago), Midland (the lower Midwest), New York City, North Central (Upper Midwestern), Northern New England, Southern -- including Cajun & New Orleans English), Inland Southern, Texas: Central Texas English (Dallas, Lubbock, Odessa, San Antonio), non-Southern General American in Texas -- Austin & Abilene, marginally Southern English -- Houston, El Paso, Corpus Christi). Oklahomans also speak the Central Texas dialect.
Here's an odd thing I noticed. Here in the NYC area, divers in the Long Island Sound area are truly world class hard core. There are wrecks, and the water is murky and has crazy currents. This is perhaps the only outdoor activity where I think the east coast can stand toe to toe with much of the west.
as someone who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and traveled quite a bit up and down the west coast, yea, not any real distinguishable accent changes. Especially compared with what you will find between the various New England states and southern states. We are definitely more laid back in 'busyness', dress styles and pretty much everything else. In the PNW we dress for the weather. Layers, lots of layers because the weather can change every 5 minutes. Rain, cold, wind, sun & warmth all in a morning, the afternoon can dish out something else entirely. Hell, I've seen it rain across the street and yet sun in my yard. We also have a lot of liquid sunshine. Oh and sunny != warmth for most of the year. It's why you'll see lots of hoodies, flannel and socks with sandals 🤣
You said east coast people like easy vacations. Some do but you need to check out the Appalachian Trail that is 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine if you want to see forests and mountains. It all for hiking that far. Stay well and explore more.
Headed from east to west, there are four time zones in total. I think the reason you may have found more differences in culture/food/accents along the east coast is that there are simply more states along the way. On the west coast, there are only three states. Also, it's interesting that (as an American) we usually don't refer to the southern portion of the east as the "east coast." That's typically reserved for the northeast. We often just refer to the area with the Carolinas, Georgia, etc as "the south."
Makes sense as he took them from the Americans he asked in his feed. He basically just summarized what all us Americans said about east v. west. The dude is phoning it in. Unfollowing
I’m an American and I’ve traveled the world quite extensively. My least favorite place to visit is the east coast of the US. I like the small towns of the west coast, the big cities, not to so much. I love the diversity of the mountain west of the US. My favorite places outside the US are the highlands of Scotland and southern Ireland.
At 8:45 you are talking about east coast weather and Hurricanes. Look up a weather system known as a "Nor'easter". It is a hurricane that makes land fall in the winter and runs up the east coast from the Carolinas until Maine. Half of the storm is out over the ocean picking up warm water vapor from the atlantic, and the other half of the storm is over land and under the influence of a Canadian cold front. Imagine getting 3 feet of snow over 16 hours and for 8 of those hours the house was shaking from "thunder snow". The weirdest part of Nor'easters is sometimes they come back to bayonet the wounded. When the storm is done and blows out to sea some times the jet stream will push it back down to the Carolinas where it will pick up more moisture and take another sortie up the coast just as the people are finished cleaning up all the snow from last time. The build up of snow can get so bad after a second pass that you have to go out with a ladder and a snow shovel and clear your roof to prevent side wall blow out structure collapses.
The weather can be deadly here in the US. The east has their hurricanes and noreasters. The midwest has tornados and hurricanes. The west coast has perfect weather 10 months out of the year, but around August & September it can get very hot, and if you are not prepared it can be deadly. Usually around this same time we also get flash floods from the torrential rain generated by the thunder clouds that form from the heat. Fashion is probably a bigger thing back east, but probably because, at least here in CA, the weather is ideal for T-shirts, board shorts, bikinis and flip flops.
Next time you travel and hit the Midwest, be sure to come to Michigan. if you like the great outdoors, northern Michigan is the place to go. Though if you're looking for a city with lots of food and artsy things, you could come to Ann Arbor. it's one of Michigan's college towns. the other is in Lansing and there is definitely an in-state rivalry. There's also plenty of beach towns too. Either way, give us a visit.
Hi Shaun! Love your videos! Anyways, I'm an American from Chicago and I've noticed cultural differences in the US, too. In fact, I went to University in Wyoming in 1988 and it was SO different from Chicago that I wondered if Wyoming was part of the same planet! Anyways, Laramie, Wyoming is a college town that (like the state itself) got stuck in Eisenhower America (1950's) and the people very much resemble their pioneer ancestors with their stoic, independent, QUIET ways. You'd be surprised at how some states are VASTLY different from the rest of the country. Visit a state out west that has a small population and you'll see what I mean. Glad to have you visit us here across the pond ❤️❤️‼️
There is a good book that was published a few years ago by an Italian that came to the US to live for a bit in Georgetown in Washington DC called Ciao America by Beppe Severgnini.
I was born in South New Jersey. I lived there until I was 12 then moved to Lancaster Pa. Everyone said I had an accent. I've lived in Pennsylvania now for over 30 years and every once in awhile someone will tell me that they can still hear the South Jersey accent. There are so many of them up and down the East coast. You have a NY Bronx accent a different one for Harlem or Queens, Boston accent all the way up to Maine. Ist really interesting as to how many accents there are along the East Coast. I wouldn't live anywhere else. I have been to most of the places you have been to on your journeys. You definitely need to hit up Hershey Park in PA. Knoebles is awesome as well. CA doesn't have the extreme weather like the east coast. We get not only hurricanes but blizzards and heavy snow falls. Wind chills in the below zero degrees. Enjoy your journeys and maybe someday we'll bump into one another.
Pride in Starbucks? Oof! As someone from Washington State, please believe me when I say that most people think of Starbucks as the McDonalds of coffee. There are A LOT of other coffee companies and shops - large and small - in the PNW that are *far* better than Starbucks (I grew up in a small town in Washington and we had 11 or 12 independent local coffee shops - none of which used Starbucks coffee beans). Most of the people from the communities I have lived in over the years have their favorite local coffee shop that they frequent, and there can even be rivalries, to an extent, about which local coffee shop is the best one. Please know that Starbucks is *not* PNW coffee culture!
Interesting to hear your personal impressions. You're are right, we don't notice certain things. In the weather segment you didn't mention: tornados. Starbucks was founded in Seattle but there isn't a corner in any city where you'll not find it in all directions.
He didn't mention tornados, I think, because those happen more often in the Midwest, Plains, and the South, and not so much on the E/W coasts, which was the subject of this video.
Great video, Shaun! It was definitely interesting to hear your perspective, especially regarding the accents! I am from western Massachusetts and the accent from Boston to here is VERY different! And that is just within one very small state! I hope some day hour travels bring you to the Western MA, Upstate NY, and Vermont area. It is beautiful!!
You had some very astute observations on the differences between east & west coasts! Maybe next time you could spend more time in the middle of the US! And the southwest (New Mexico, Arizona). Thanks, Shaun!
I've lived in Florida, Indiana, southern Arizona, and southern California. Americans are generally helpful and friendly everywhere. I've been on road trips where farmers in North Dakota happily pulled me out of the mud with their trucks, and a trans woman in New Orleans told me about the history of the French Quarter. I really think a few days in a place isn't enough to get a feel for a local culture. One thing I would disagree with is that Westerners don't speak candidly. They do. However, I think folks along the west coast are more likely NOT to be offended by different ways of doing things and different cultures. They just don't let stuff bother them and are more likely to take you as you are. As for accents, you're right, and it's for the same historical migration patterns. Europeans and the people of African descent they forcible brought over have been in northeastern and southeastern areas for 400 years. California didn't start American settlement until 1849 and large scale immigration didn't occur until about the 1880s. There are small pockets of regional accents in the West though, and the Hispanic and Indigenous cultures have their own accent patterns. I highly recommend doing a search for "North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns." A great website.
In Boston you would be called a wicked Pissah. New York just a pisser or a piece of work. All compliments. A great country to explore. Have fun. Love to hear the impressions of someone from another country. BTW it’s called the Eastern Seaboard.. Cheers mate.
If the Gulfstream shuts down which takes warm water from the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida up to South Carolina, and then across the Atlantic to the UK. If that shuts down the entire UK turns into Iceland
I think the reason you don’t notice as much diversity on the west coast as east coast, is when you get west of the Mississippi River it’s a lot of wide open space. There’s not as many cities, not nearly as populated. There’s a lot more farm land. East of the Mississippi River it’s more densely populated.
I grew up in NY State and lived in Oregon for the past 30 years. I found your channel from your Outlander post six years go. Anyway, the West Coast has a lot of independent coffee shops better than Starbucks. We don't have Dunkin but we have others. Anyway, I'm moving BACK EAST because I miss my family and I agree with bracejuice7955. People on the West Coast are much friendlier at first but it's not so easy to make lasting friendships. Also the expense of life in the west is outrageous while the quality of life has gone down considerably. I look forward to your videos.
If I had the money, it would be fun to have an 'American visits Scotland' video series. I have been twice and very much loved it. Especially the old pubs where I got a chance to chat with local people.
Come to Cleveland. Tons and tons of great food places, great local pizza joints and excellent BBQ!! We are a food city!! Lots of Slavic and old European ancestry areas and a Little Italy!! Not to mention the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and the West Side Market, similar to the one u visited in Philly
As far as personality there’s a phrase “East Coast people are kind but not nice, and West Coast people are nice but not kind” It’s a generalization for sure, but there is definitely more of a vibe of people who talk roughly but will come out and help you in a pinch on the east coast versus people who are very cheerful and supportive in conversation but then flakey when you need a hand on the West Coast
Ayuh
I'd never heard this but it makes a lot of sense to me! (Easterner.)
It completely depends on where you live on the West Coast.
I think for the west coast it also depends on how well integrated you are. I think this may be very true for strangers
As a native southern Californian, that has not been my west coast experience.
I grew up and have lived in CA my whole life. I went to NY on a business trip with a coworker. He was wearing long shorts and a plaid shirt. I was wearing jeans and a top. When we walked into the hotel, everyone in the hotel was dressed so nice and business-like. We got a couple of looks. I felt like a foreigner in my own country. Haha. Strange feeling.
Wow... even on business trips Californians dress like that *wince* ... you people need to get out of the sun. The rest of the world doesn't work that way.
I’m from the east coast and when I went to California and Arizona I was always overdressed.
I moved from east coast of FL to Central and had to stop wearing bathing suit top without a cover on over it in the stores.. at home you would wear your two piece and just shorts with flip flops and barefoot if you were like on way to beach or waterway.. it was just normal. 😅
when I was 16, I hopped freight trains from Buffalo NY to Needles CA. Then I hitch hiked up and down the West coast. That was 50 years ago. I love this country!
In 1977 i and a friend took a bus from Pennsylvania to New Mexico, and backed packed through New Mexico and to Arizona to the Grand Canyon.
You sound very adventurous. I'll bet you have had quite a life.🙂
My boyfriend used to do the same exact things at the same age! Times sure have changed. You both got to really see the country.
Virginia is a fun state. We have SOOO much history here. 1st settlement, Williamsburg, Jamestown, 2 president's estates, Revolutionary War & Civil war on & on. Here near Richmond, we have people dig up Indian arrowheads, civil war relics & Revolutionary era relics in same location.
Looking forward to exploring Virginia :)
There's 4 President's estates. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. 😉
Chincoteague, Monticello, Skyline Drive... the list of Virginia highlights is endless. Not to mention, we're for lovers ❤
We used to go to Williamsburg Virginia and the old country all the time years ago.
Jeffersons estate is one to go to. Also explore the bay area . Tangier island is a remote island on the Chesapeake bay where the people have their own accent they sound English. Richmond has tons of brewery's and many many great restaurants plus Richmond was the capital of the confederacy during the civil war.
The "back East" vs "out West" has to do with the Westward migration of families as a result of Manifest Destiny, it's stuck around since then as many families that have been in the US for multiple generations still have family roots East of where they live. On fashion: as a native California boy I've grown up wearing t-shirts, shorts, sandals, and sunglasses for the better part of 40 years.
I grew up all over the US and I've also noticed sometimes huge cultural differences as I've changed geographic regions. As time has gone by though I've noticed that the larger cities have lost a lot of the regional culture and have become more homogenized. In other words, big cities tend to be more like all other big cities. Its the countryside where the true culture emerges.
Well said! I grew up in the South and it is very different from the Northwest. I had a difficult time growing up around so called nice southern folk, which aren't very nice and some of the biggest backstabbers you will ever meet,Lol, the racism, the male chauvinism was over the top, it's holds some very uncomfortable memories to say the least. Living in San Francisco was like moving to a new planet, everything was different including the way people think, the richness of different cultures, I knew this was my home and it's been that way since '72.
Completely agree.
I completely disagree. The cities tend to be more of a melting pot which is the truer definition of America. In the cities many different cultures, languages, and ethnicities live together as neighbors, families,friends, coworkers, and stranger’s who despite the stereotypes actual help each other especially during hardships and worship together. Whereas the country side is way more homogeneous and tends to frown upon differences wanting everyone to live, behave, and worship the way they dictate and say Americans should. People are typically shunned in the country side if they are different from their neighbors in any way so much so they end up moving out of the country side to the city in order to find people who are much more accepting of differences. There is a reason why the country side is smaller than the city and it’s not because of a lack of space. The country side has plenty of space even more than the city but people tend to be so closed minded and intolerant to differences. The countryside is the definition of homogeneous. If you don’t blend in you won’t fit in. After all the definition of homogeneous is multiple things that are all essentially alike or of the same kind. Homogeneous better describes country living and country folk.
As an American I can tell you that you have traveled across the US more than many Americans, including me 😉
and so much more to see :)
Yes, me too!!
I used to think that the whole west coast was pretty similar with regards to accent, except for some of the slang - and it is pretty darn similar - but when I moved from Washington State to Southern California, I kept being asked where I was from because many Californians thought I was Canadian. It was a very strange and unexpected experience!
I had a relative from Seattle and I thought her accent was Canadian.
I grew up in Arkansas and Texas, and my family moved to New Jersey when I was in college. I definitely experienced culture shock when I would visit. The best way for me to explain it to people who have never experienced that shock is that people in the North East are on the go constantly. They are very blue collar and work very hard. But, people in the South work hard, but also know how to slow down and appreciate life. I now live in Utah, which was another culture shock. People are definitely laid back, and very much come as they are. There are so many wonderful places to see, people to meet, and experiences to have across the US!
A friend from the Midwest told me that he felt that East Coast people have a hard, crusty exterior but a soft interior. Impatient and tough at first but will warm up to you in a short time.
I am from the Midwest, and I can vouch for part of this. I have lived on the East Coast now for 25 years. It is hard for them to let you in, but once you're in, you're good
We are too honest many times and ppl take us wrongly.. the gruffness is our honestly a lot of the time.. but if you break down or need something there's always someone whom will stop and do what they can for you.
I grew up in Northeastern PA. I believe that the natives tend to be guarded if not down right suspicious of just about anyone. And yes, the people are rather plainspoken. I have lived in VA and NC for over 40 years. I have been told that I can be a blunt talker. I always say,"Where I come from, people say what they mean and mean what they say. "
@@gordonschultz4788 yep. My mom & I were just talking about that. She told me “don’t pull any punches.” And I told her “I’m gonna tell “you” the truth, it might not have the finesse you want but you’ll know where I stand”. Then I said “you remember that blouse & skirt you asked if it went together?” In the politest way I said to her…”Well I’m NOT going to be wearing it! But if you want to, hey go ahead….. Just make sure when you get to church you let everyone (the “girls”) know what I said; so they at least know you asked me before you took to do what ‘you’ wanted.” “And you know I WONT let you go out somewhere looking “that way” with me & also without me”. 🙋🏻♀️Now, I’m not a rude child, mom turned 80 👵🏻early May this year & I turned 60 👩🏻🦳late May this year. She asks and I tell her the TRUTH, raised in NC & born in CA, USAFB baby. 🇺🇸✈️ My families (both sides) have either been in the Military or Law Enforcement so.… I guess I have a bit of a harder edge on my “truth” than I should🤔 (my bad).
*Plus being a “girl raised in the South” (G.R.I.T.S.) I still hold on to old traditions or styles… ie: NO, just NO to the “NO WHITE" pants, shorts, skirts & shoes BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY! and NO! to the same thing AFTER LABOR DAY!! It’s a Southern thing (I’m guessing) that has been ingrained in me (us) for as long as I can remember. I know some have become 🤫“backsliders”😔 and do it anyway.🤣🤣
*Sorry this comment got so long but this is what happens when you finally end up getting old!👵🏻 It sometimes ends up in a “rambling fest”. 🥱 😴 So ✌🏻🕊 ☮️ ALL!
@@gordonschultz4788me and my mom both moved to Arizona from. Pennsylvania a few years apart.
One day she's asking me about how I was adjusting and mentioned that lots of folks in Arizona thought I was too aggressive and confrontational. She said she had the same thing when she moved.
The funny thing is I was considered the most soft spoken person around, hell some folks thought I acted like I was better than other people because I was so quiet.
Shaun, I really appreciate hearing you, a Scotsman, comparing different regions of the USA. There are thousands of TH-camrs who focus on "cultural differences between [wherever they're from] and America." I often wish they would branch out to offer their perspectives comparing different places in America they've experienced, but almost none of them do. So thank you for being the exception by doing just that, and keep it coming!
We have earthquakes, weather, landslides, and fires. There is far more rural landscape and farmland on the West coast. Shawn, you make an excellent point about the accent differences. The West coast is mostly homogenous in how we speak. Culturally, every state is different. This is another reason Americans travel within the United States more than outside it. There is so much to learn right here at home. International travel is very expensive for Americans and time consuming. We would love to visit the UK eventually though.
East coast gal here. Raised just outside of Richmond VA & in DC btw divorced parents. And have TN family. DC is just 90 mins from Richmond but it's like a whole diff country. And my accent (I have a TN accent bc I was part raised by east TN Mamaw) sticks out like a sore thumb.
I am so fascinated by all the different accents
I've been waiting a whole entire year for your Tennessee and Florida and Southern travel videos.
7:45. You haven't travelled much in New England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, & Maine) yet, but when you do you will quickly realize that that part of the country is where you will see MASSIVE outdoor activities. Huge sections of New Hampshire, Vermont, & Maine are just forest, rivers, mountains, & thousands of hiking trails. :o)
Going back to the accents also remember that on the west coast there are only 3 states. Where the east coast has somewhere around 10. For some reason our accents seem to be settled in certain states. So the differences are more noticeable when you have more different people groups.
Always enjoy watching you and looking forward to more.
Eastern Seaboard is the term you were looking for.
You're correct. Isn't it strange that we never say the "western seaboard." At least I've never heard it.
I agree with you. I'm a Seattle native but spent 6 years living in New England. My experience has been the west coast is more socially reserved, less formal, more relaxed, and less concerned with conformity than NE. I spent a fair amount of time visiting New York City. My impression is the people don't deserve their reputation for rudeness. They are busy, that's all.
Get away from the East Coast cities, and go into the Appalachian Mountains that is also on the east coast, and everybody is very laid-back. I live in the east coast mountains and everybody is very relaxed laid-back it's the easy life.
True, I think he's judging the East Coast based on New York and Philly, and those are extremely big cities and not necessarily representative of the whole East Coast
@@LindaC616 You're exactly correct. But he has to look at it more like regions in the United States
Hi Shaun, love your videos. As far as the east coast it’s referred to as the eastern seaboard. 🇺🇸🙋♀️😇😇😇
Shaun is totally cool---smart, articulate, personable, handsome, good build, great manners, observant and fearless. And he's from one of the most beautiful countries in the world---Scotland. And he has a great brogue.
I am a Kentucky born native whose father was in the military. I grew up around the world and in several US states. When my dad left the service we settled in Texas, with the condition that every other summer was spent on the family farm in KY. It gave me what my granny called the gypsy bug when I got older. I was able to backpack across the Rockies, the Catskills, the Smokeys and the Ozark mountain ranges. Even though they are very different from each other all are spectacular and the people in each area are very diverse, depending on the region's needs. I found that the people in the southern regions and the back hills areas were the friendliest and most giving. Those in the more developed areas or the areas with the harshest climates were not as friendly, but still giving if really needed. That's my story. I want to say thank you for your story and the new insight that I have gleaned from you.
Your observations are on the mark Shaun. As a kid, mine was a military family. We lived in several states in the US, in Europe for 4 years, and the Philippines for a couple of years too. I have lived on both coasts and visited most of the coastal states. I much prefer the "interior" states. The coasts are kind of their own worlds - and the interior seems much more deeply connected to the American way of life. That's just my perception and honestly, I have met good people everywhere I've gone.
I grew up in Fl and it's been destroyed by over development.
I think in middle America they don't have that issue nearly as much so you're able to maintain the farmlands ,wildernesses, etc
I HATE what's been done to FL.
A 15 min drive is now 30..I moved from east coast to a small town in Central FL 30 yrs ago.. it had dairies, groves and many farms..1 light town.. today its nearly all become The VILLAGES.
200,000+ PPL moved into the villages and they are still building more for them.
Ppl say, move.. where to??? WE DID MOVE to a nice little town and this crap follows you everywhere in Fl.
And at 50+ you can't just pick up and start another 30 yrs to grow friendships and a life when you can't even work any longer due to medical issues.
Back home on east coast I couldn't even afford to live there even when we did live there.. it was already getting harder to find anything affordable for manual labor ppl wages to live.
You are VERY BLESSED if you live in an area that development /progression hasn't touched you much.
Sean it's obvious how well traveled you are now throughout America because this was a really accurate assessment of American culture from coast to coast. The Midwest which you still have to visit is the so-called "Heartland". It really is the beating heart culturally of America. California and New England are more fringe, but the heartland is the VAAAAAST interior of America. They represent the values of America. They are the most sober, the most connected to the land, the most concerned with the practical considerations of American society.
It was an accurate assessment because it came from the Americans he asked in his YT feed.
Ah, the good old "real America" argument. You are kind of insulting other Americans not from the Midwest when you claim that the Midwest is the real part of America. It is all real America. Different parts are different.
For east coast mountains, you need to go to VA & TN. Gatlinburg has great ones in Smoky Mountains. And beautiful cabins. And Natural Bridge has great trails.
Also, in summer 2011, here in VA we got a tropical storm (a down graded hurricane), an earth quake & a tornade all in a 30 day time span.
You forgot Vermont where you will find the only ski slopes on the east coast that are of west coast quality.
Even though this was more of a generalized list it isn't too far off for me. I was born and raised in the Midwest. My family is from down south and in the south west. Where I grew up in Ohio it was more of a melting pot of cultures. Each block in town you'd hear a different accent and see different cultures.
True, grew up in Ohio too. They say that it is the west of the east, the north of the south, south of the north and the east of the west…also considered mid-west! The state can be almost blocked off into at least 4 regions/cultural styles. Example NE Ohio ( Part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, definitely has a kind of east coast vibe. SE Ohio is a lot like the South culturally. It is an agricultural and used to be a heavy manufacturing state, that is dotted with larger cities and an extensive highway system to get one around the State.
For a future trip, it might be fun to follow the Mississippi all the way from Minnesota to New Orleans. Just like Huckleberry Finn...
The Great River Road takes you from Minnesota to Louisiana, weaving back and forth between the states. I only took it from Alton to Vicksburg, dropped off for the Natchez Trace.
East coast girl here! Been to the west coast a number of times and found this to be a pretty accurate observation of the differences between East and West coasts.
Eastern Seaboard. Earthquakes also happen on the East Coast in 2011, the Washington Monument was closed for 10 years.
I've lived on both coasts, northern and southern states, and in between in the Rocky Mountains. People are very different in each place. Good and bad everywhere. The weather and conditions are so different, they've had to adapt accordingly. I've been throughout the whole lower 48, and am trying to make my way to Alaska and Hawaii. I've been to parts of Europe and Great Britain. I've enjoyed myself everywhere. If we could get the leaders out of the way, we'd find that we all want about the same things from life. I really enjoy your channel, and that you are sharing it with all of us.
I think what you're picking up on with the East vs West coast accents is that the East coast was settled by English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and Germans, while the West Coast we settled by people from the East coast. Distinct regional accents based on the people that settled a given area, vs an amalgamation of those that settled the East and Spanish.
Also a lot of Polish and Italians
There is a significant population of Asians, and also Latinos on the West Coast. The West was "settled" by folks from back East who didn't fit it, or were looking for a better quality of life - not the well-to-do. They faced a lot of dangers to migrate West. Tougher than the rest.
Fair points all. I can't believe I forgot about the Polish and Italian population on the East coast on my close Polish/Italian friend's birthday.
@@natdatil6830 lol
Immigration is a big factor in accents. Some times scouts from mines and factories waited for the boats of immigrants to come in and would hire everyone who came off the boat. So youd have a decent number of immigrants settle in one town or area and when the rest of their families immigrated theyd settle with them.
Where I came from there are lots of small committes that used to be for mine workers and not drastic changes in accents but you could hear it.
With everything connected by the internet there is much more bleeding over and homogeniztion.
As a fifth generation native Californian who grew up partly in Colorado, and lives in the Mid-Atlantic region, I can assure you that you've only scratched the surface of the cultural variations.
By the way, Starbucks coffee sucks. If you want real, and real good, coffee, go to a local small coffee shop.
Dunkin coffee, on the other hand, is simply vile.
Get yourself some milage on the Appalachian Trail. Even Coloradoans find that a challenging hike.
If you want good coffee grind your own
@@laurac5451 fair enough.
Or find a wizened old Turk sitting on a street corner, roasting the beans right in front of you.
Did that in Bahrain.
Completely ruined me for the crap brown water they call commercial chain coffee in America.
Having lived, worked, and traveled back and forth over much of the US, I would say that generally speaking,
you're pretty much spot on.
There are indeed nuances that you would likely have noted with more time.
The one I'll mention:
The Coffee thing - the Pacific Northwest is indeed (almost, IMO comically,) serious about coffee -
but Starbucks, being Seattle based has a huge presence.
But there are many other local / regional brands...
like "Dutch Brothers" or "Stumptown" - based Oregon.
Great Video - I look forward to watching more of them.
Stumptown has started to appear here in Rhode Island, in supermarkets
I'm from the PNW, and after reading your comment I had to laugh at myself because you are so spot on about the coffee thing here lol! As soon as I heard Shaun say that PNW coffee culture is Starbucks, my brain was like, "NOOO!!!" I wrote a comment about the multitude of local coffee shops in the PNW, and then read your comment and realized that, yes, yes we are all very (comically) serious about coffee! It also doesn't help that I have cat latte art as my profile picture. I'm feeling like more and more of a PNW cliche by the minute lol
@@alyson42 Not to worry -
I enjoy my coffee too, and I've lived in the PNW for the last 10 years.
(though I have some history going back more than 40 years).
My favorite Seattle coffee shop story is from a place where they have at least 4 competitors within a 1 block walk.
I was meeting someone one morning,
when a woman walked in and asked for a
"decaf drip".
They told her: "We don't serve Decaf."
I smile every time I think about that exchange. 🙂
Then there is Peet's, by far the best coffee around.
@@sharidyer4332 🙂
Cool. That was fun! I've been to all those places myself and resided in many of them. Very interesting! One different thing ... I found parts of the East easy to visit but not so easy to come live in as a stranger. Some neighborhoods are very old and connected. Took longer to be invited into a community. A little faster to ingratiate myself with locals when living in the West. (Small towns excluded.) Very interesting, indeed, to get your inpressions.
It's fun to try coleslaw at various points throughout the US. The south tends to have a sweet creamy texture while as you are more north they tend to use more of a vinegar base. This is just something my husband and I like to do when we travel. Hush puppies too. They are different at different areas of the US. We moved to Florida almost 30 years ago from Ohio, on the edge of Lake Erie. We get a lot of people moving down here from Midwest and Northern US and their chain restaurants tend to make their way down here too. Very diverse thru food!
The west coast has different accents although subtle. The classic surfer accent originated in LA with the valley girl accent coming from the nearby San Fernando Valley. San Francisco their gay community created the high pitched gay accent you sometimes hear. Seattle has a sorta mix of French, and California accents, it’s a by product of their settlement by French Canadians who were in the lumber industry. California was mostly Spanish settled meaning there is a huge Latin community still speaking with accents all over California. Oregon is more lumberjack though they share accents with both regions.
The more you look into accents the more you can pick them out. New York though is losing it’s signature accent for some reason. New York was Italian settled but less true Italians are going to New York these days.
Here is one I notice. I grew up in North Carolina and took a trip to the Pacific NW (Portland to Seattle) a couple years ago.
I drove from Portland to Cannon Beach, OR and back, then from Portland to Seattle. I was in shock that pretty much every drove the speed limit.
Don't do that in the Southeast unless you want to be run over. Speed limit is the right lane. Middle lane is 5mph+ over the limit. Left lane....10mph+ over the limit. That lane is for passing and for people with money for speeding tickets and higher insurance payments. 😂
Shaun, in California we also have Peets and Philz in coffee chains as well. In the Bay Area, Peets is really popular because it started in Berkeley here in the Bay Area. It's not just only Starbucks that's popular in California.
Ohhh I’ll need to try Perts
Starbucks started off as a copy of Peets, believe it or not. I used to work a couple blocks from the original Peets in Berkeley, a long time ago.
Compass Coffee in Washington DC IS FAR better than Peets or Starbucks.
Also "Coffee Bean and Teaf Leaf". My LA wife misses them since we've moved to Seattle
You can find Peets in Boston, Shaun, as well as in supermarkets on the eastern seaboard
Can’t wait for your June series
One thing to note is that most people on the west coast are from elsewhere originally. They used to say everybody in L.A. was from Iowa. On the east coast, a higher percentage of the people are from right there in the east coast.
I'm thinking that the west coast accent is because when people migrated from the eaat coast to the west they came from all areas of the east and just blended to a west coast accent.. where newyorkers still stayed in Ny and the people in the south stayed there and they kept their accents...
I absolutely LOVE your insight into American culture differences. A curious thought I have is 'what is Europe like after people left for America'? Particularly, was European history impacted noticeably by families leaving for America, and is there a stigma that has carried over from the generations since?
thank you! I think a lot of that emigration happened too long ago to know how it impacts us today, so i'm not sure is the answer
I have wondered similarly...
So so many were forced to leave UK holdings as slaves, servants and if they fought against the crown as prisoners of war they came here.
These ppl never could go back... they lost their family over time and made new family's here but everyone here who's ppl were from there have lost their heritage..I noticed that not all but many in Europe take offense if ppl say they are Irish, Scottish, etc.. meaning that's their bloodline.. of course they know they are American but they are trying to connect with what was stolen from their ancestors.. their entire heritage they've lost.
Good job on your observations! To understand the differences between regions, it helps to understand US history. For example, the distinct accents along the east coast were "cooked" for a couple hundred years before radio, TV & long distance travel were a thing. Regional accents, dress, cooking, manners, etc. were established long before interchange with other eastern states were commonplace. The west coast, on the other hand, is culturally "younger." Yes, there was definitely influence from the native populations in the area, but the settlers from "back east" were still making their way into the "wild west" just a little over a century ago. The settlers themselves were a mixed group in terms of ethnicities and accents, so the result is a more "neutral" or "non-specific" group culturally. By the time the individual areas began to have second- and third-generation occupants who might have developed their own regional accents, radio and later TV arrived, causing the groups to be exposed to voices of other Americans across the continent, preventing the vast number of regional dialects found on the east coast from forming. Same can be said with other cultural artifacts, like general demeanor and cuisine.
Stop blaming TV. TV and movie actors used to use a trans-Atlantic accent that nobody uses anymore.... How influential then could it be? Also, people from Minnesota still have a discernable/unique accent even though almost nobody on TV has a Minnesota accent.
You hit the nail on the head a few times. You have to know, and I'm sure you do, that there are 3 states on the extreme West Coast. California, Oregon, and Washington. On the East Coast you have quite a few more! The "Southern" states vs. the "Northerner" states will be the better comparison when it comes to accents, beliefs, and behaviors. The weather is so vastly different that it causes the citizens to react and respond so differently. We look forward to seeing you in the U.S. more often.
Ive been watching you from Utah. Ive been here 25 yrs . Im from the Northwest coast. Ive enjoyed your take on the different regions. Thanks!❤❤❤❤
I used to always think there was just one general American accent, but when a couple of Canadians asked me what kind of accent I have I was like "American." I thought the question was unusual since they knew I was an American but then I started thinking about the varieties... New York, New Jersey, Southern, Boston, Maine, California "valley girl."
Great observation about not knowing where you stand with west coasters. That nails it for me -from the east coast.
Looking forward to your travels. Best wishes to you and Teka. 😊🌟
I enjoy seeing your take on American regions and the differences! Thank you, because I was never able to travel a lot. We did make the trip to San Antonio, Tx and the Alamo, when we went to see our brothers, stationed at Lackland AFB about 1965, and through several Western States, as native Californians with ancestors from Scotland, England and Norway.
As far as maritime culture, the East and West coasts get all the fame, but the US south coast in the Gulf of Mexico with all the traffic from the Mississippi, and the north coasts of the country on the Great Lakes with the huge industrual traffic between steel ports, actually built this countrby in far disproportionate measure.
Just a thought to put a bee in your bonnet.
You have named the differences between east and west coast very nicely.
Eastern seaboard is the term you were looking for😉
I can’t wait for your video on the southern states and the differences in cuisine! For instance, the differences between New Mexico vs. TexMex in Texas to Louisiana Cajun and Creole.
What's funny is that he's traveled extensively in the US, but he still hasn't been anywhere near my state or many others. 😂
Your observations are very astute!
I love being in Arizona because it has the most amazing vibe and landscapes, but goes under the radar with the whole east coast vs west coast obsessions
I live in Washington State, I don’t consider that we have an accent at all, unless you just say we have an American accent. One of my brothers lives in New Hampshire, and he has a Boston type accent, and one of my sisters lives in Tennessee, and when her and her husband’s kids were young, and talked fast, I swear, I couldn’t understand a word they said, lol! After visiting back there for a week, I found myself developing a southern accent! I couldn’t help it, so funny, y’all! I recently discovered you, and love your content Shaun.
Great video. You need to get up to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
One difference on the outdoor front is the massive amounts of public lands in the west with unfettered access. In the east, much of the land is privately owned and has been well settled by both Native peoples as well as later European settlers. It still can be quite an adventure, though, in the Appalachian chain of mountains!
I've said "out west" and "back east" all my life and I never even thought about why I said it that way. You are teaching me things I didn't even know.
Speaking of storm chasing- I really like Storm Chaser Daniel Shaw on TH-cam. He's got some good tornado videos (if you are into that kind of thing) and he doesn't show you only the tornado clips. He also shows you the entire storm chasing process from beginning to end from before a tornado even forms to the search and rescue afterwards. It's quite interesting and you almost feel like you are apart of the "road trip" while watching.
Hi Shaun: I had to giggle when you said you thought the East Coast didn't really have regional accents. I think you might need to hang out a bit longer to distinguish those regional accents - because I the difference between Brooklyn-ese and say.. Atlanta GA is quite extreme for accents.
You’ve done your research Sir, very good job!
Interesting observations, Shaun. I'm from California and have lived in Seattle, Texas, the Carolinas and visited many other states as well. I think your observations are valid, the only one you noted that I have not is the focus on Starbucks on the west coast. Having lived in Seattle and California, I have not noticed that. Also, you are correct, the accent on the west coast is all the same and extends into the midwest as well. Several states in the midwest are indistinguishable from the west coast, at least to my ear.
There is a huge difference between the North East and South East!
The whether out here in California can also be perilous. Why just last week I had to zip up my hoodie for an hour.
🙂L.A. story
U.S. speech features the following accents: General American, Inland Northern (around Chicago), Midland (the lower Midwest), New York City, North Central (Upper Midwestern), Northern New England, Southern -- including Cajun & New Orleans English), Inland Southern, Texas: Central Texas English (Dallas, Lubbock, Odessa, San Antonio), non-Southern General American in Texas -- Austin & Abilene, marginally Southern English -- Houston, El Paso, Corpus Christi). Oklahomans also speak the Central Texas dialect.
And you just left out the WHOLE Southern Eastern Seaboard! 🤔 🤨 ✌🏻from NC 😎
Here's an odd thing I noticed. Here in the NYC area, divers in the Long Island Sound area are truly world class hard core. There are wrecks, and the water is murky and has crazy currents. This is perhaps the only outdoor activity where I think the east coast can stand toe to toe with much of the west.
Shaun you're spot-on in this video good video keep it up😊😊😊😊
as someone who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and traveled quite a bit up and down the west coast, yea, not any real distinguishable accent changes. Especially compared with what you will find between the various New England states and southern states.
We are definitely more laid back in 'busyness', dress styles and pretty much everything else.
In the PNW we dress for the weather. Layers, lots of layers because the weather can change every 5 minutes. Rain, cold, wind, sun & warmth all in a morning, the afternoon can dish out something else entirely. Hell, I've seen it rain across the street and yet sun in my yard. We also have a lot of liquid sunshine. Oh and sunny != warmth for most of the year. It's why you'll see lots of hoodies, flannel and socks with sandals 🤣
As a Massachusetts girl, Dunkin’ is life
You didn’t go north enough for the wilderness on the east coast!
Great insights!
Howdy from Texas! I enjoy your videos 😊
You said east coast people like easy vacations. Some do but you need to check out the Appalachian Trail that is 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine if you want to see forests and mountains. It all for hiking that far. Stay well and explore more.
Headed from east to west, there are four time zones in total. I think the reason you may have found more differences in culture/food/accents along the east coast is that there are simply more states along the way. On the west coast, there are only three states. Also, it's interesting that (as an American) we usually don't refer to the southern portion of the east as the "east coast." That's typically reserved for the northeast. We often just refer to the area with the Carolinas, Georgia, etc as "the south."
Your observations were spot on. As you travel more you will learn the finer nuances which makes it even more fun. Great videos!
Makes sense as he took them from the Americans he asked in his feed. He basically just summarized what all us Americans said about east v. west. The dude is phoning it in. Unfollowing
I’m an American and I’ve traveled the world quite extensively. My least favorite place to visit is the east coast of the US. I like the small towns of the west coast, the big cities, not to so much. I love the diversity of the mountain west of the US. My favorite places outside the US are the highlands of Scotland and southern Ireland.
Thanks Shaun!
At 8:45 you are talking about east coast weather and Hurricanes. Look up a weather system known as a "Nor'easter". It is a hurricane that makes land fall in the winter and runs up the east coast from the Carolinas until Maine. Half of the storm is out over the ocean picking up warm water vapor from the atlantic, and the other half of the storm is over land and under the influence of a Canadian cold front. Imagine getting 3 feet of snow over 16 hours and for 8 of those hours the house was shaking from "thunder snow".
The weirdest part of Nor'easters is sometimes they come back to bayonet the wounded. When the storm is done and blows out to sea some times the jet stream will push it back down to the Carolinas where it will pick up more moisture and take another sortie up the coast just as the people are finished cleaning up all the snow from last time. The build up of snow can get so bad after a second pass that you have to go out with a ladder and a snow shovel and clear your roof to prevent side wall blow out structure collapses.
Definitely we always say “out west” and “back east”.
The weather can be deadly here in the US. The east has their hurricanes and noreasters. The midwest has tornados and hurricanes. The west coast has perfect weather 10 months out of the year, but around August & September it can get very hot, and if you are not prepared it can be deadly. Usually around this same time we also get flash floods from the torrential rain generated by the thunder clouds that form from the heat. Fashion is probably a bigger thing back east, but probably because, at least here in CA, the weather is ideal for T-shirts, board shorts, bikinis and flip flops.
Next time you travel and hit the Midwest, be sure to come to Michigan. if you like the great outdoors, northern Michigan is the place to go. Though if you're looking for a city with lots of food and artsy things, you could come to Ann Arbor. it's one of Michigan's college towns. the other is in Lansing and there is definitely an in-state rivalry. There's also plenty of beach towns too. Either way, give us a visit.
Hi Shaun! Love your videos!
Anyways, I'm an American from Chicago and I've noticed cultural differences in the US, too. In fact, I went to University in Wyoming in 1988 and it was SO different from Chicago that I wondered if Wyoming was part of the same planet!
Anyways, Laramie, Wyoming is a college town that (like the state itself) got stuck in Eisenhower America (1950's) and the people very much resemble their pioneer ancestors with their stoic, independent, QUIET ways. You'd be surprised at how some states are VASTLY different from the rest of the country. Visit a state out west that has a small population and you'll see what I mean.
Glad to have you visit us here across the pond ❤️❤️‼️
THANK you, Shaun ❤️❤️😘👍
There is a good book that was published a few years ago by an Italian that came to the US to live for a bit in Georgetown in Washington DC called Ciao America by Beppe Severgnini.
I was born in South New Jersey. I lived there until I was 12 then moved to Lancaster Pa. Everyone said I had an accent. I've lived in Pennsylvania now for over 30 years and every once in awhile someone will tell me that they can still hear the South Jersey accent. There are so many of them up and down the East coast. You have a NY Bronx accent a different one for Harlem or Queens, Boston accent all the way up to Maine. Ist really interesting as to how many accents there are along the East Coast. I wouldn't live anywhere else. I have been to most of the places you have been to on your journeys. You definitely need to hit up Hershey Park in PA. Knoebles is awesome as well. CA doesn't have the extreme weather like the east coast. We get not only hurricanes but blizzards and heavy snow falls. Wind chills in the below zero degrees. Enjoy your journeys and maybe someday we'll bump into one another.
Pride in Starbucks? Oof! As someone from Washington State, please believe me when I say that most people think of Starbucks as the McDonalds of coffee. There are A LOT of other coffee companies and shops - large and small - in the PNW that are *far* better than Starbucks (I grew up in a small town in Washington and we had 11 or 12 independent local coffee shops - none of which used Starbucks coffee beans). Most of the people from the communities I have lived in over the years have their favorite local coffee shop that they frequent, and there can even be rivalries, to an extent, about which local coffee shop is the best one. Please know that Starbucks is *not* PNW coffee culture!
The south east is also very casual except on Sundays 😅
Interesting to hear your personal impressions. You're are right, we don't notice certain things.
In the weather segment you didn't mention: tornados.
Starbucks was founded in Seattle but there isn't a corner in any city where you'll not find it in all directions.
Actually, when I left Madison Wisconsin, I don't think there was one there. They had so many other cafes. I could be wrong
He didn't mention tornados, I think, because those happen more often in the Midwest, Plains, and the South, and not so much on the E/W coasts, which was the subject of this video.
Great video, Shaun! It was definitely interesting to hear your perspective, especially regarding the accents! I am from western Massachusetts and the accent from Boston to here is VERY different! And that is just within one very small state! I hope some day hour travels bring you to the Western MA, Upstate NY, and Vermont area. It is beautiful!!
You had some very astute observations on the differences between east & west coasts! Maybe next time you could spend more time in the middle of the US! And the southwest (New Mexico, Arizona). Thanks, Shaun!
I've lived in Florida, Indiana, southern Arizona, and southern California. Americans are generally helpful and friendly everywhere. I've been on road trips where farmers in North Dakota happily pulled me out of the mud with their trucks, and a trans woman in New Orleans told me about the history of the French Quarter. I really think a few days in a place isn't enough to get a feel for a local culture. One thing I would disagree with is that Westerners don't speak candidly. They do. However, I think folks along the west coast are more likely NOT to be offended by different ways of doing things and different cultures. They just don't let stuff bother them and are more likely to take you as you are. As for accents, you're right, and it's for the same historical migration patterns. Europeans and the people of African descent they forcible brought over have been in northeastern and southeastern areas for 400 years. California didn't start American settlement until 1849 and large scale immigration didn't occur until about the 1880s. There are small pockets of regional accents in the West though, and the Hispanic and Indigenous cultures have their own accent patterns. I highly recommend doing a search for "North American English Dialects, Based on Pronunciation Patterns." A great website.
In Boston you would be called a wicked Pissah. New York just a pisser or a piece of work. All compliments. A great country to explore. Have fun. Love to hear the impressions of someone from another country. BTW it’s called the Eastern Seaboard.. Cheers mate.
If the Gulfstream shuts down which takes warm water from the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida up to South Carolina, and then across the Atlantic to the UK. If that shuts down the entire UK turns into Iceland
I think you were looking for the term “eastern seaboard.”
Good points.
Glad your finally doing nashville.
I think the reason you don’t notice as much diversity on the west coast as east coast, is when you get west of the Mississippi River it’s a lot of wide open space. There’s not as many cities, not nearly as populated. There’s a lot more farm land. East of the Mississippi River it’s more densely populated.
I grew up in NY State and lived in Oregon for the past 30 years. I found your channel from your Outlander post six years go. Anyway, the West Coast has a lot of independent coffee shops better than Starbucks. We don't have Dunkin but we have others. Anyway, I'm moving BACK EAST because I miss my family and I agree with bracejuice7955. People on the West Coast are much friendlier at first but it's not so easy to make lasting friendships. Also the expense of life in the west is outrageous while the quality of life has gone down considerably. I look forward to your videos.
If I had the money, it would be fun to have an 'American visits Scotland' video series. I have been twice and very much loved it. Especially the old pubs where I got a chance to chat with local people.
Come to Cleveland. Tons and tons of great food places, great local pizza joints and excellent BBQ!! We are a food city!! Lots of Slavic and old European ancestry areas and a Little Italy!! Not to mention the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and the West Side Market, similar to the one u visited in Philly
Remember, the country was settle in the East first then the Western migration happened. The East is older, the West newer.
And that's where out west in Becky's come from I think. Everything started here, moved out west, but we're still back East, back at the beginning