I remember having a bit of culture shock when I moved from California to New York for college. Everything around me felt new, and at the same time I suddenly saw myself through other people’s eyes. In our recent move from Brooklyn to Pittsburgh there’s been some of that, too. (For one, I must talk fast, because here I’ve found myself jumping into breaks in the conversation too soon and accidentally interrupting.) Of course being stuck in the house most days with babies, my perspective this time is a bit limited. Still, here are a few differences I’ve noticed so far:
1. Here people just ring your doorbell to say hello. The landlord, friends, neighbors, acquaintances. They drop by. In New York even your best friend wouldn’t ring your bell unannounced. You’d have to schedule with them a week in advance. If anyone was coming to your house (with plenty of notice) you’d have time to clean the place up and put on a good show. Of course, when people drop by they see the real you, in your pajamas at noon, dust bunnies all over the rug, unwashed bibs all over the table.
2. Not everyone looks totally put together all the time. Maybe this goes with the just-ring-the-bell mentality. It seems acceptable to wear whatever beat-up tshirt you happen to be wearing. That was different in New York.
2. People acknowledge and greet each other when they pass on the street, smiling or saying hello. In Brooklyn, skeezy men say hello if you’re youngish and female, everyone else respectfully avoids eye contact.
3. It’s very quiet at night. Very quiet. If I went outside I bet I could see stars. Actually, hold on a minute…Yes. I just went outside (that fast) and saw stars. Actually first I saw the moon, which is very full and bright, brighter than the streetlights. The sky is deep night blue, not the maroonish color it is in New York. There was nobody outside, just dark, and the night-lit houses.
Tonight at dinner D and I agreed that we feel a fondness for Brooklyn, though we don’t miss it.
Space Monkey Twins 
I get it. Coming from NY to CA had to get used to people saying hello to me on the street which is nothing compared to when I stay in IN with my in laws and they’re ready to barge on me when I’m still in my pjs!
It’s funny because a lot of these things are like the town where I grew up, in California, but I just haven’t experienced them in a long time.
My youngest sister just told me she is working on waiting longer to speak since she often talks over others and feels rude. How she phrased it reminded me of a study I read in college talking about regional differences in time between speech by different speakers. It’s funny then to read this, having had no chance to revisit that study in 14 years . . . and then twice in a week!
It’s funny when that happens. Those pauses in conversation are definitely something you never think about, until you move and your timing is suddenly off.
So..Pittsburgh sounds kinda cool…I’m liking the sound of it…ok ….we are coming…that ok? (In Seattle right now….((with great grandma Barbara))….family all says hello!!!!!
HI!!! 🙂 Yes when are you coming!
I love hearing all about this kind of thing. I’m from a city (Belfast in n. Ireland) and where I live now is so different and many ways similar to the changes you are experiencing.
I know, it feels almost like a city versus small town thing, except Pittsburgh is a city too.
Welcome to Pittsburgh! 🙂
Thank you! Excited to learn more about it from your blog 🙂
Different places bring different cultures for sure! We had a hard time adjusting to Colorado after the friendliness of Texas. Everyone is nice–don’t get me wrong–but it’s a “I’m going to mind my own business” mentality up here that is different. I wonder what your girls will think of as normal?
I know, it will be interesting to see, Pittsburgh will be their normal, and they won’t remember Brooklyn at all. We will go back and visit some day.