Why did you decide to live in America?
Mar 16th 2007, 9:00 pm
#92
Militant Ginger
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Wrong Side of the Hudson River
Posts: 2,311
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
OK positive things about living here:-
- Big, wide parking spaces and a lot of them so even I can park.
- Bigger homes, open plan homes
- Air-conditioning (why the UK still don't have it
)
- Mexican food
- Wide motorways easy to get around, not many small winding roads
- Shops open late, past 6pm (UK still quite rare) can go shopping and to the library after dinner
- Decent steaks, hamburgers (very hard to get a bad one here though haven't had a good one in the UK) and coffee (though later has only been found to me in Seattle)
- People more open and pleasant upon first meeting them
- cars and (minivans cheaper) have more cupholders and gadgets on them
- where I have lived, in all have felt very safe walking going places at night..maybe due to late night opening of shops?
- Don't walk down streets where I live and have drunken loud-mouth 18yr olds throwing up at your feet. Though I know downtown etc does happen. Suppose America is so big and the UK relatively small why you come across more in the UK.
- Big, wide parking spaces and a lot of them so even I can park.
- Bigger homes, open plan homes
- Air-conditioning (why the UK still don't have it
)- Mexican food
- Wide motorways easy to get around, not many small winding roads
- Shops open late, past 6pm (UK still quite rare) can go shopping and to the library after dinner
- Decent steaks, hamburgers (very hard to get a bad one here though haven't had a good one in the UK) and coffee (though later has only been found to me in Seattle)
- People more open and pleasant upon first meeting them
- cars and (minivans cheaper) have more cupholders and gadgets on them
- where I have lived, in all have felt very safe walking going places at night..maybe due to late night opening of shops?
- Don't walk down streets where I live and have drunken loud-mouth 18yr olds throwing up at your feet. Though I know downtown etc does happen. Suppose America is so big and the UK relatively small why you come across more in the UK.
That's exactly the stuff I wanted to hear. Thanks Irn Bru.
Mar 16th 2007, 9:08 pm
#93
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,577
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
There was a really long thread a while back called "things you like about the USA" (or similar)... you might want to search for that for a lot more posts like that one.
Mar 16th 2007, 9:12 pm
#94
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
OK positive things about living here:-
- Big, wide parking spaces and a lot of them so even I can park.
- Bigger homes, open plan homes
- Air-conditioning (why the UK still don't have it )
- Mexican food
- Wide motorways easy to get around, not many small winding roads
- Shops open late, past 6pm (UK still quite rare) can go shopping and to the library after dinner
- Decent steaks, hamburgers (very hard to get a bad one here though haven't had a good one in the UK) and coffee (though later has only been found to me in Seattle)
- People more open and pleasant upon first meeting them
- cars and (minivans cheaper) have more cupholders and gadgets on them
- where I have lived, in all have felt very safe walking going places at night..maybe due to late night opening of shops?
- Don't walk down streets where I live and have drunken loud-mouth 18yr olds throwing up at your feet. Though I know downtown etc does happen. Suppose America is so big and the UK relatively small why you come across more in the UK.
- Big, wide parking spaces and a lot of them so even I can park.
- Bigger homes, open plan homes
- Air-conditioning (why the UK still don't have it
)- Mexican food
- Wide motorways easy to get around, not many small winding roads
- Shops open late, past 6pm (UK still quite rare) can go shopping and to the library after dinner
- Decent steaks, hamburgers (very hard to get a bad one here though haven't had a good one in the UK) and coffee (though later has only been found to me in Seattle)
- People more open and pleasant upon first meeting them
- cars and (minivans cheaper) have more cupholders and gadgets on them
- where I have lived, in all have felt very safe walking going places at night..maybe due to late night opening of shops?
- Don't walk down streets where I live and have drunken loud-mouth 18yr olds throwing up at your feet. Though I know downtown etc does happen. Suppose America is so big and the UK relatively small why you come across more in the UK.
- parallel parking is skill that is easy to acquire; in any case, there is little need for it in the UK given the fact that there is such a thing as public transport.
- bigger homes - who needs them? Clutter fills the space available, plus more cleaning.
- the climate in Britain is so much more temperate; I really don't see a need for air conditioning just for a few really hot days each year.
- Mexican food??? I'll take a curry and a decent F&C any day.
- those small winding country roads are lovely - AND less scary than your average freeway here.
- not sure when you were last in Blighty, but supermarkets are generfally open till 8 or 9 pm. Anyway, the longer the shops stay open, the more $$$ one is likely to waste on stuff one doesn't need. (I wasn't aware that shopping is a recreational pursuit until I moved here...)
- I've never hada problem getting decent steaks and coffee in the UK; as for hamburgers, they can keep them.
- people MAY be more open an pleasant initially, but real connections are hard to establish; I have had more meaningful conversations with old ladies at bus-stops in London than with supposed 'friends' here...
- cars with cupholders and gadgets??? You ARE taking the mick, right???
(And the minivan we bought was MORE expensive - and less classy and more thirsty) than my lovely Peugeot 806...)- I lived in London most of my life and NEVER felt unsafe - even though I would often take the bus or tube back from the West End late at night.
- no problems with louts throwing up in the street where I lived (Putney), though I'm sure it happens in some places. But then again, there are some REALLY rough neighbourhoods in US cities - WAY more dangerous than anywhere in the UK bar Moss Side...
F***ing Hell, now I'm really homesick!!!
Mar 16th 2007, 9:14 pm
#95
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 535
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
One thing though about motorways, why are the on ramps so short?? You have to reach 70mph in about 3 seconds or you end up smashed to pieces or stuck on the off ramp & in a big loop
Oh, I promise. No more negatives.
Roland, did you get married here or in UK? We were going to get married in UK but when I was here once on VWP, we went to the INS to find out what to do. Basically they advised marrying here while I was on the VWP so I could stay here. I got an attorney just in case that caused a problem, but it was all pretty smooth. Much easier than waiting years for the visa to come through!
Mar 16th 2007, 9:15 pm
#96
Militant Ginger
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Wrong Side of the Hudson River
Posts: 2,311
Mar 16th 2007, 9:16 pm
#97
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Mar 16th 2007, 9:16 pm
#98
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 8,266
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
An American friend of mine was telling me a few weeks ago that she yearns to go and live in Germany where they were stationed a few years ago because of the fact that everything in their town shut down on Sundays and people could spend some real family time instead of hitting the malls like they do since they've been back.
Mar 16th 2007, 9:28 pm
#99
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mother Land.
Posts: 14,858
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
OMG - let's take this in order:
- parallel parking is skill that is easy to acquire; in any case, there is little need for it in the UK given the fact that there is such a thing as public transport.
- bigger homes - who needs them? Clutter fills the space available, plus more cleaning.
- the climate in Britain is so much more temperate; I really don't see a need for air conditioning just for a few really hot days each year.
- Mexican food??? I'll take a curry and a decent F&C any day.
- those small winding country roads are lovely - AND less scary than your average freeway here.
- not sure when you were last in Blighty, but supermarkets are generfally open till 8 or 9 pm. Anyway, the longer the shops stay open, the more $$$ one is likely to waste on stuff one doesn't need. (I wasn't aware that shopping is a recreational pursuit until I moved here...)
- I've never hada problem getting decent steaks and coffee in the UK; as for hamburgers, they can keep them.
- people MAY be more open an pleasant initially, but real connections are hard to establish; I have had more meaningful conversations with old ladies at bus-stops in London than with supposed 'friends' here...
- cars with cupholders and gadgets??? You ARE taking the mick, right??? (And the minivan we bought was MORE expensive - and less classy and more thirsty) than my lovely Peugeot 806...)
- I lived in London most of my life and NEVER felt unsafe - even though I would often take the bus or tube back from the West End late at night.
- no problems with louts throwing up in the street where I lived (Putney), though I'm sure it happens in some places. But then again, there are some REALLY rough neighbourhoods in US cities - WAY more dangerous than anywhere in the UK bar Moss Side...
F***ing Hell, now I'm really homesick!!!
- parallel parking is skill that is easy to acquire; in any case, there is little need for it in the UK given the fact that there is such a thing as public transport.
- bigger homes - who needs them? Clutter fills the space available, plus more cleaning.
- the climate in Britain is so much more temperate; I really don't see a need for air conditioning just for a few really hot days each year.
- Mexican food??? I'll take a curry and a decent F&C any day.
- those small winding country roads are lovely - AND less scary than your average freeway here.
- not sure when you were last in Blighty, but supermarkets are generfally open till 8 or 9 pm. Anyway, the longer the shops stay open, the more $$$ one is likely to waste on stuff one doesn't need. (I wasn't aware that shopping is a recreational pursuit until I moved here...)
- I've never hada problem getting decent steaks and coffee in the UK; as for hamburgers, they can keep them.
- people MAY be more open an pleasant initially, but real connections are hard to establish; I have had more meaningful conversations with old ladies at bus-stops in London than with supposed 'friends' here...
- cars with cupholders and gadgets??? You ARE taking the mick, right???
(And the minivan we bought was MORE expensive - and less classy and more thirsty) than my lovely Peugeot 806...)- I lived in London most of my life and NEVER felt unsafe - even though I would often take the bus or tube back from the West End late at night.
- no problems with louts throwing up in the street where I lived (Putney), though I'm sure it happens in some places. But then again, there are some REALLY rough neighbourhoods in US cities - WAY more dangerous than anywhere in the UK bar Moss Side...
F***ing Hell, now I'm really homesick!!!
Sorry Irn Bru, we all see thing's different.
Last edited by britvic; Mar 16th 2007 at 9:31 pm.
Mar 16th 2007, 9:29 pm
#100
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: WA
Posts: 7,997
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
OMG - let's take this in order:
- parallel parking is skill that is easy to acquire; in any case, there is little need for it in the UK given the fact that there is such a thing as public transport.
- bigger homes - who needs them? Clutter fills the space available, plus more cleaning.
- the climate in Britain is so much more temperate; I really don't see a need for air conditioning just for a few really hot days each year.
- Mexican food??? I'll take a curry and a decent F&C any day.
- those small winding country roads are lovely - AND less scary than your average freeway here.
- not sure when you were last in Blighty, but supermarkets are generfally open till 8 or 9 pm. Anyway, the longer the shops stay open, the more $$$ one is likely to waste on stuff one doesn't need. (I wasn't aware that shopping is a recreational pursuit until I moved here...)
- I've never hada problem getting decent steaks and coffee in the UK; as for hamburgers, they can keep them.
- people MAY be more open an pleasant initially, but real connections are hard to establish; I have had more meaningful conversations with old ladies at bus-stops in London than with supposed 'friends' here...
- cars with cupholders and gadgets??? You ARE taking the mick, right??? (And the minivan we bought was MORE expensive - and less classy and more thirsty) than my lovely Peugeot 806...)
- I lived in London most of my life and NEVER felt unsafe - even though I would often take the bus or tube back from the West End late at night.
- no problems with louts throwing up in the street where I lived (Putney), though I'm sure it happens in some places. But then again, there are some REALLY rough neighbourhoods in US cities - WAY more dangerous than anywhere in the UK bar Moss Side...
F***ing Hell, now I'm really homesick!!!
- parallel parking is skill that is easy to acquire; in any case, there is little need for it in the UK given the fact that there is such a thing as public transport.
- bigger homes - who needs them? Clutter fills the space available, plus more cleaning.
- the climate in Britain is so much more temperate; I really don't see a need for air conditioning just for a few really hot days each year.
- Mexican food??? I'll take a curry and a decent F&C any day.
- those small winding country roads are lovely - AND less scary than your average freeway here.
- not sure when you were last in Blighty, but supermarkets are generfally open till 8 or 9 pm. Anyway, the longer the shops stay open, the more $$$ one is likely to waste on stuff one doesn't need. (I wasn't aware that shopping is a recreational pursuit until I moved here...)
- I've never hada problem getting decent steaks and coffee in the UK; as for hamburgers, they can keep them.
- people MAY be more open an pleasant initially, but real connections are hard to establish; I have had more meaningful conversations with old ladies at bus-stops in London than with supposed 'friends' here...
- cars with cupholders and gadgets??? You ARE taking the mick, right??? (And the minivan we bought was MORE expensive - and less classy and more thirsty) than my lovely Peugeot 806...)
- I lived in London most of my life and NEVER felt unsafe - even though I would often take the bus or tube back from the West End late at night.
- no problems with louts throwing up in the street where I lived (Putney), though I'm sure it happens in some places. But then again, there are some REALLY rough neighbourhoods in US cities - WAY more dangerous than anywhere in the UK bar Moss Side...
F***ing Hell, now I'm really homesick!!!
sorry I didn't mean to make you homesick!I knew you would have a 'problem' with my post
The OP was wanting a positive thread about what we like here as there have been many negative ones. You know when a negative one comes up I can moan with the best of them
But to pick up on some points I know you are from a posh happening place in the UK
I'm not and unless you live in downtown Glasgow, you do get shops shut early, horrible steaks (unless you pay the earth)
When we were last in the UK a year and a half ago the dodge caravan (chrysler I think) was way more expensive there, I loved it here and it was the same price as a good car. But my point was more I love the number of cupholders here as in the UK we never seemed to get cars with more than one.
When you go into Tesco car park you can't parallel park and the parking spaces are so narrow it's hard to open your door.
I don't like curry (apart from tikka masala) sorry I love Mexican food
Driving to Morton-in marsh to see my MIL and suddenly meeting a car on one of those narrow lanes and I have to back up to me does seem dangerous
Don't know how but maybe open plan and bigger homes here, I clean far more easily than my cramped 3 bed semi in Britain (strange but true)
And I hate hot weather and strangely enough have survived a lot better in 2 hot places and here cause of AC than in the UK. Though as I hate heat I'd say it was more like 3 months that was unbearable to me in the UK
But everyones experience is different and I know there are quite a few hate it here and I understand but some of us do like it here as well.
To each their own
Mar 16th 2007, 9:31 pm
#101
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: WA
Posts: 7,997
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
Mar 16th 2007, 9:32 pm
#102
Militant Ginger
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Wrong Side of the Hudson River
Posts: 2,311
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
I just thought it would be nice to look positively on things. It's very easy to moan (it's the human condition.)
Just thought of another one. Pumpkin scented candles.
Man, I love 'em.
Barbeques. without the rain.
Ice in drinks.
Decent scrambled eggs.
Just thought of another one. Pumpkin scented candles.
Man, I love 'em.
Barbeques. without the rain.
Ice in drinks.
Decent scrambled eggs.
Mar 16th 2007, 9:34 pm
#103
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Mother Land.
Posts: 14,858
Mar 16th 2007, 9:40 pm
#104
who turned out the light?
Joined: Nov 2004
Location: WA
Posts: 7,997
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?
and sometimes it's good to look at the positive things here when you are a tiny bit homesick as it may remind you why you 1st came here or help even 
(unless you really hate it here)love yankee candle but you can get them in the UK now
yes less rain when doing outdoor activities (though since I am in Seattle I should shut up here
)ice in drinks
(my mum still gives me warm diet soda and never has ice if I'm lucky I get one lump!)2-3 car integral garages and garage door openers..
(could never afford equivalent at home) lovely pressing a button door opens and you can unload car without getting wet etc!
Mar 16th 2007, 9:41 pm
#105
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Why did you decide to live in America?