I love it in New York State, but I love New Jersey, too. I miss some things (like the pizza and bagels...you'll miss them, too. They're just not the same here).
I know I'll miss the bagels, but the pizza I've had in Rochester hasn't been too bad.
Also, no real NY style delis or bakeries or diners.
Yeah, I only know of one 24 hour diner up there. ONE!
🙁
But I also miss the Jersey Shore and the stores and shopping (we're renting a house at Belmar, though, for the whole month of June this year....can't wait!)
Belmar is great! I usually head to Spring Lake - fewer people.
😀
As for the accent up here...although it takes a while to get used to that flat A sound, I still do notice it, especially on people with a very strong accent. But you'll soon learn that we NJ folks are the ones considered to have the accent (though, of course, we pronounce everything perfectly in my opinion. Ha!)
I'm a former linguist, so I always hear accents, even the ones I'm used to. My fiance has a mild-to-moderate western NY accent, but it really comes out when he's ranting about something or talking to his family. Oddly enough, my NJ accent is actually a pretty neutral Northeastern one - no strong 'aw' sound in walk, talk, no 'wudder' for 'water', so most people can't place me.
You will love it here, though. It's just one of the most beautiful places on earth (again my opinion). My husband also dragged me up here for school (he went to U of R...bachelors, masters and PhD). We just seemed to stick around.
Looking forward to it! And since practically all of my family is in NJ, we'll be going back and forth quite a bit, I'm sure. At least the drive is nice and scenic.
And, HEY! No poking fun! I don't think my accent is too bad. I spend a lot of time with people who aren't from here, so it doesn't come out so much. It will rub off on you, I'm sure!!
I'm immune. You guys will never get me!
😀
And Bis, this place is so hard to leave. I went away for a year and came crawling back. It just sucks you in.
No kidding, everyone we know who left has gone or is going back, even the "I'm getting out and never setting foot in Crotchfester/Buffalo again!" people. And of course everyone who stayed always talks about how they want to gtfo, but they never make a move.
MissD- good choice going to Brockport. I WISH I chose that school over U of R, considering cost and overall ridiculousness of coursework. It was extremely competitive at U or R, and very hard to get good grades. I know someone that went to Brockport and ended up going to Purdue vet school, so I think you'll do great there. Kind of a hike, but not too bad.
We'll probably be living either downtown or somewhere west of downtown, so it hopefully won't be too much of a hike. I'd love to go to U of R (despite the psycho-hyper-competitive undergrads
😉 ), but it's insanely expensive. So Brockport it is! It's good to hear that people have gone from Brockport to vet school.
I'm just such a sun-lover, and I'm afraid that once you get used to CA weather, it's hard to deal with anything else. I totally understand why everyone on the East Coast thinks people from CA are such babies about the weather.
Most people are babies about some kind of weather or another.
🙂 One of my college friends was from around San Fran, and if it makes you feel any better, she survived 4 East Coast winters, with a few blizzards in there. And we only teased her for maybe a week during freshman year for busting out the heavy down coat and winter gear while average temps were in the mid/high 40s.
Even some people out here are affected by the lack of sunlight in winter, so it's a valid concern. But there are ways to cope/survive and stave off depression if you're sensitive to the weather.
But the food on the East Coast is awesome! Love all the delis!
The food makes it totally worth it to live here, even with all the driving in the snow.
