Homesick in Wisconsin
Jan 23rd 2020, 11:10 am
#91
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2019
Location: France atm
Posts: 747
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
Small town Wisconsin. If you come from a UK city or anywhere even within striking distance of a UK town the culture shock is giant and can easily induce symptoms that either mimic or are a depression. All of a sudden, everything you ever knew about people, interactions, and daily life is quite, quite different but they speak the same language so it's even more discombobulating. You think they should understand you, but they don't, and you don't understand them.
Jan 23rd 2020, 12:27 pm
#92
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
Looks just like small town GA, and I have had no trouble adapting.
In fact the wide open swathes of land between small towns is something that I now relish.
In fact the wide open swathes of land between small towns is something that I now relish.
Jan 23rd 2020, 12:33 pm
#93
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
(i) poverty hasn't been eliminated in the UK and Europe
(ii) the sheer scale of the US, and the remoteness of cities makes the delivery of basic services considerably more expensive - installing water and sewage utilities for example would be grossly impractical across most of the US, and cities are just so far apart, making each of them more or less an economic island with areas in between where people can just disappear economically.
(iii) there is something "different" about the US and the demographics. The UK imprisons about 1 in 800 of its population, which is significantly higher than any other country in Europe, whereas the US imprisons about 1 in 100 of its population, which can only be partially be explained by prejudical policing and sentencing practices. However this leads on to .....
(iv) European countries allow criminal records to "expire", so most criminal activity is expunged from your criminal record after ten years of "going straight", which allows people to get back into the economic mainstream, whereas the US system of maintaining a criminal record for life has created a permanent economic underclass that has no means to escape and rejoin society where reasonable jobs require a clean record.
(ii) the sheer scale of the US, and the remoteness of cities makes the delivery of basic services considerably more expensive - installing water and sewage utilities for example would be grossly impractical across most of the US, and cities are just so far apart, making each of them more or less an economic island with areas in between where people can just disappear economically.
(iii) there is something "different" about the US and the demographics. The UK imprisons about 1 in 800 of its population, which is significantly higher than any other country in Europe, whereas the US imprisons about 1 in 100 of its population, which can only be partially be explained by prejudical policing and sentencing practices. However this leads on to .....
(iv) European countries allow criminal records to "expire", so most criminal activity is expunged from your criminal record after ten years of "going straight", which allows people to get back into the economic mainstream, whereas the US system of maintaining a criminal record for life has created a permanent economic underclass that has no means to escape and rejoin society where reasonable jobs require a clean record.
Last edited by Moses2013; Jan 23rd 2020 at 12:37 pm.
Jan 23rd 2020, 1:00 pm
#94
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,543
Jan 23rd 2020, 1:24 pm
#95
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
Basically bang in the middle of the state.
Small Wisconsin towns all kind of have this look though, even Kenosha or some of the smaller towns in and around Milwaukee stick to these sorts of grids quite faithfully. It's kind of the same for Illinois too in the smaller towns, especially where there aren't any lakes to try to fit streets around. It's nice enough, and at least where I am, they're close enough together so you don't have to drive 45 minutes to do your messages, but spread out enough it it's quieter than the city.
Small Wisconsin towns all kind of have this look though, even Kenosha or some of the smaller towns in and around Milwaukee stick to these sorts of grids quite faithfully. It's kind of the same for Illinois too in the smaller towns, especially where there aren't any lakes to try to fit streets around. It's nice enough, and at least where I am, they're close enough together so you don't have to drive 45 minutes to do your messages, but spread out enough it it's quieter than the city.
Jan 23rd 2020, 1:56 pm
#96
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,447
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
Charlotte, NC broke parts of the downtown grid to fit in the football stadium, the basketball arena, and most recently, the baseball stadium. But prior to that, back in the 1960's I think, big chunks of the grid were ripped out to build an interstate-quality inner ring road, I277, with the fourth side of the square being I77 that runs close to downtown, thereby creating a substantial perimeter barrier between Charlotte's downtown core and all the surrounding neighborhoods. so although there are grid streets to some degree outside all side of the inner ring road, they are largely disconnected from the downtown grid, even though some of the names and numbers continue, even though there are several blocks of the street missing.
Jan 23rd 2020, 2:04 pm
#97
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
It's the same up and down the East Coast too - pretty much all towns are, so far as topography allows, laid out on a grid pattern in the historic center part. There are sometimes gaps in the grid for the railroad, or some streets aren't continuous because of a creek or gully, and having a bridge on every street would be a bit daft, not to mention expensive.
Charlotte, NC broke parts of the downtown grid to fit in the football stadium, the basketball arena, and most recently, the baseball stadium. But prior to that, back in the 1960's I think, big chunks of the grid were ripped out to build an interstate-quality inner ring road, I277, with the fourth side of the square being I77 that runs close to downtown, thereby creating a substantial perimeter barrier between Charlotte's downtown core and all the surrounding neighborhoods. so although there are grid streets to some degree outside all side of the inner ring road, they are largely disconnected from the downtown grid, even though some of the names and numbers continue, even though there are several blocks of the street missing.
Charlotte, NC broke parts of the downtown grid to fit in the football stadium, the basketball arena, and most recently, the baseball stadium. But prior to that, back in the 1960's I think, big chunks of the grid were ripped out to build an interstate-quality inner ring road, I277, with the fourth side of the square being I77 that runs close to downtown, thereby creating a substantial perimeter barrier between Charlotte's downtown core and all the surrounding neighborhoods. so although there are grid streets to some degree outside all side of the inner ring road, they are largely disconnected from the downtown grid, even though some of the names and numbers continue, even though there are several blocks of the street missing.
But we're not talking about cities anyway, and it is true that a lot of small towns have this same pattern, which is nice if the geography will allow it because it's virtually impossible to get lost in a grid, and they make one-way systems much easier to implement. Not like the one in Belfast city centre, which is interpretive at best. Plus if it was good enough for the Romans, etc.
I still feel like Wisconsin towns have a 'look', and I will admit that it could be entirely in my own head. Either way, I quite like it up there, at least to visit, unless we're talking about somewhere like Kenosha that's within half an hour or so from where I live now. I'd never actively move anywhere that gets more snow than we do here. Just isn't going to happen.
Jan 23rd 2020, 2:10 pm
#98
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
My local town (Pop. 7,000) doesn't have a grid pattern, but was first settled in 1808, which probably explains that 
Jan 23rd 2020, 2:25 pm
#99
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,447
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
To return to the theme brought up by @LiW, personally I think I would be nearly as "discombobulated" by a move to a small town in a rural area in the UK as I was moving to a small town in NC. In other words IMO comparing London, Birmingham, or another large city to small towns in the US is not a fair comparison as moving from London to say, (pulling a name out of a hat) Shrewsbury could be similarly jarring if you didn't make allowances for it being a very different place from London.
And also to a point LiW made, "speaking the same language but not understanding each other" can also apply in parts of Yorkshire!
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 23rd 2020 at 2:29 pm.
Jan 23rd 2020, 2:32 pm
#100
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
I'm not sure I see much that makes Marathon, WI distinct from here, a small town in VA.
To return to the theme brought up by LiW, personally I think I would be nearly as "discombobulated" by a move to a small town in a rural area in the UK as I was moving to a small town in NC. In other words comparing London, Birmingham, or another large city is not a fair comparison as moving from London to say, (pulling a name out of a hat) Shrewsbury could be similarly jarring if you didn't make allowances for it being a very different place from London.
To return to the theme brought up by LiW, personally I think I would be nearly as "discombobulated" by a move to a small town in a rural area in the UK as I was moving to a small town in NC. In other words comparing London, Birmingham, or another large city is not a fair comparison as moving from London to say, (pulling a name out of a hat) Shrewsbury could be similarly jarring if you didn't make allowances for it being a very different place from London.
As to your second part, that's probably true. I never really lived in a city, so I moved from a medium sized dormitory town in the suburbs with a population of 27k, to a large-ish suburban town of 28k. Other than the suburban sprawl as compared to the compactness of the Irish seaside town centre, there wasn't too much of a difference in getting around. I'm in a smaller town now but the feel is much the same, except this one has a town centre, and more footpaths to walk on.
Jan 23rd 2020, 2:33 pm
#101
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Jan 23rd 2020, 3:04 pm
#103
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
Larne's only purpose is containing the port that enables someone to quickly get out of Larne.
Parts of it are nice enough in fairness, but it's a running joke for people from Carrickfergus to take the piss out of Larne, like we're actually any better
Parts of it are nice enough in fairness, but it's a running joke for people from Carrickfergus to take the piss out of Larne, like we're actually any better
Jan 23rd 2020, 3:14 pm
#104
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
I've never been farther than Belfast and from us Co. Galway it would be 4 1/2 hours drive. It even has an Asda:-)
Jan 23rd 2020, 3:16 pm
#105
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Homesick in Wisconsin
