# What are the misconceptions of your hometown? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086 "2010-07-09T12:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/81 "2010-07-10T02:59:34Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You also have to know how to do defensive and offensive blocking with your own car to get through traffic. This sounds like something I started to post in reply here, as an example of the problem. You’ve gone native. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/82 "2010-07-10T03:00:28Z")
I’m from Detroit. Most misconceptions…probably aren’t. But the city does have some assets that get regularly overlooked…symphony, museums, medical centers that are a lot better than most people would expect. Plus our former mayor and city council have provided much entertainment to the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/83 "2010-07-10T03:16:15Z")
> [@Tixenfleaz](#): > > Because it was June! In California! It’s supposed to be _warm_, dammit! …no, it’s supposed to be foggy and chilly. If it were warm, everyone would freak out and complain about how hot it is. Trust me, I’ve been around **Troy McClure SF** when it was in the 80s (we _weren’t_ in San Francisco) and it was pretty much a nonstop moanfest about how hot it was. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/84 "2010-07-10T03:48:19Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > I’ve always thought so too, not true? What is a winter like in Seattle? And how are the summers? Seattle has a maritime climate, much like England. In general, the winters there are very mild. It does snow very occasionally, but only maybe once or twice a winter typically. Winter days tend to be around 40 F and gray/overcast. The summer is similarly temperate, with highs in the 70s and 80s. I understand that this is changing somewhat recently, with snowier/colder winters and hotter summers (we moved away in 2003) but that’s the basic idea. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/85 "2010-07-10T06:37:59Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Mark Twain said the coldest winter he ever saw was the summer in San Francisco. > [@Kyla](#): > > **Bijou Drains** , that quote is actually apocryphal. > [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Amen. Mark Twain supposedly once said that the coldest winter he’d ever spent was a summer in San Francisco - and that’s not far off. When I did my summer internship there, I loved the bar next to my apartment. Specifically, I loved it because it had a fireplace. > [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > [Not Twain.](http://www.snopes.com/quotes/twain.asp) This is performance art, right? ---
**Author:** ![QuercusMax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/8baadc/32.png) [@QuercusMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuercusMax)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/86 "2010-07-10T08:01:59Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > It’s entirely possible that they’re just visiting from some place a hell of a lot colder. Or also that they don’t know how to check a weather report. This is pretty much it. Last time I was in SF in January, I was walking around in short sleeves while everybody else was wearing heavy coats. Because I was coming from Cleveland where it was in the teens to a place where it was in the fifties. Might not have been LA, but it sure was much warmer than where I was coming from. San Francisco isn’t exactly the north pole - it’s pretty nice all year round, to somebody from a place where we actually have real winter. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/87 "2010-07-10T11:01:40Z")
> [@](#): > > California, despite its reputation as a place where other drivers will shoot at you, has much more courteous drivers. They’ll actually let you get on the freeway at an on-ramp. They’ll let you get out to an off-ramp. They brake for pedestrians. Very true. I remember when I first visited LA, we got a rental car and I was nervous about driving there, but it wasn’t bad at all–much easier compared to Dallas, which is the worst city (for driving) I’ve experienced. Orlando would be a close second. I haven’t been to Boston yet so I can’t speak to that. Before the first time I visited NYC, I had the impression that all New Yorkers were pushy and rude, especially to outsiders. Totally opposite to what I found to actually be true. First time I was there I got a little turned around in Brooklyn (walked the wrong way after getting off the subway), asked a bystander for help, and within two minutes I had a small crowd around me all trying to figure out the best way to help me. Everyone I met there was extremely friendly and kind. I know people have a lot of bad ideas about Oklahoma (I’m in Tulsa), and unfortunately I can’t deny a lot of them–we’re a very RED state. Lots of churches. Lots of right-wing insanity. But I hope people realize that we’re not ALL like that. San Francisco we are not, but there are quite a few people living in OK who are normal and sane and have no problem with the idea of gay marriage, or being atheist, or whatever. We’re the minority here, but we do exist. And before you ask, we normal ones live here because it’s a nice place to raise kids, the cost of living is awesomely cheap, and because our families and friends are here. And we do have, like, modern culture here, too. With highways and cities and the internet and stuff. My Dad once took a business trip to somewhere in California (can’t remember exactly where) and when the guy at the airport found out where he was from, starting trying to explain to my Dad how a freeway works. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/88 "2010-07-10T12:04:09Z")
I was born and grew up in Wigan. Orwell wrote a book about conditions amongst the working classes here in the 1930s (“The road to Wigan Pier”). Many believe the town is still like that, basically an industrial black hole. In fact, there’s hardly any manufacturing at all left in the town, mostly services and the like, and the area didn’t get hit by the pit closures of the 1980s, as the majority of the pits were already long gone. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/89 "2010-07-10T12:49:02Z")
To torn down misconceptions, I would have to know what is the stereotype of my hometown (Río Piedras (San Juan), PR). I’m not sure it is really a misconception… but I don’t think a lot of people even living in my current town (Athens) or in others realize that Athens depends a lot on research (outside of UGA). A couple of federal agencies (USDA and EPA) have multi-story research facilities here. Other regional industry associations also have labs here. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/90 "2010-07-10T14:01:19Z")
I live in Indianapolis. I do not care about car racing. I don’t grow corn. Also, I don’t work for Eli Lilly. It’s a metropolitan area of over 1 million people with fantastic variety of museums, music, and other cultural experiences. Any other misconceptions about Indy? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/91 "2010-07-10T14:36:26Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Misconceptions about where I’ve lived the past 20 years (Calgary) - nothing but rednecks here. No culture, **no festivals** , no music, no art, no tolerance, no nothing but working as a soulless drone in an oil & gas company. Well, there’s the Stampede. 😉 (For those not aware, it’s going on currently.) Also, I hear that Mark Twain once said that the coldest winter he ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/92 "2010-07-10T14:37:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Fortunately, it was in the 70s most of the time I was there. Yeah. Not as weird as the 60s, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/93 "2010-07-10T14:48:11Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Also, I hear that Mark Twain once said that the coldest winter he ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco. That’s actually a myth. Twain didn’t say it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/94 "2010-07-10T16:29:07Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > The most famous my hometown (Rockville, MD) got is from **R.E.M.**'s _(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville_, in which the city is portrayed: > > “Going where nobody says hello, they don’t talk to anybody they don’t know > You’ll wind up in some factory that’s full time filth and nowhere left to go > Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself” > > Everyone there is friendly; there were never any factories (it’s been quite urban since the early 1900’s); it’s a lovely place to live. Most important, it’s on the DC metro system. There’s really no reasons not to go (back) to Rockville. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/95 "2010-07-10T17:06:22Z")
> [@QuercusMax](#): > > This is pretty much it. Last time I was in SF in January, I was walking around in short sleeves while everybody else was wearing heavy coats. Because I was coming from Cleveland where it was in the teens to a place where it was in the fifties. Might not have been LA, but it sure was much warmer than where I was coming from. San Francisco isn’t exactly the north pole - it’s pretty nice all year round, to somebody from a place where we actually have real winter. Did you read the rest of the thread? I clarified later that what I meant was “tourists dress inappropriately in the SUMMER”. There aren’t really any places in the US colder than San Francisco in the summer. In the winter, I agree. I’ve lived in the Midwest for the last eight years and whenever I go visit my parents in the winter, I have bizarre disagreements with my mom about how I should dress. I saw my parents last in December and was sitting on the back porch (I should add that my parents don’t actually live in the city, they live in the North Bay, where it is warmer than in the city) thinking “ahhhh it’s 60 degrees! Sunshine! This is nice.” And my mom was in the kitchen, yelling at me to come inside because it was too cold for me to be outside. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/96 "2010-07-10T18:04:38Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Well, there’s the Stampede. 😉 (For those not aware, it’s going on currently.)\ Yeah, that’s not helping. 🙂 We went out for dinner last night and did some shopping, and were reminded once again why we should take our vacations during Stampede - frikkin’ country music everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/97 "2010-07-10T18:54:11Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > But you don’t need that – I once drove someone raised in upstate New York who’d never been to NJ before (and this was long before The Sopranos aired), and she was amazed at how rural most of New Jersey was… I took a road trip from Boston to KY a couple of summers ago. On the way we visited a friend living in central NJ. She’s surrounded by actual farmland – silos, horses, mooing cows in the distance. I nearly fell on the ground, gobsmacked. My BIL and his family live in north central NJ in a rural township. No farms, but lots of conservation land. I’m pretty sure the disconnect is the part of NJ bordering NY. Everybody seems to forget that there’s a whole central, western, and southern portion of the state. ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/98 "2010-07-10T19:24:47Z")
> [@PeskiPiksi](#): > > And we do have, like, modern culture here, too. With highways and cities and the internet and stuff. My Dad once took a business trip to somewhere in California (can’t remember exactly where) and when the guy at the airport found out where he was from, starting trying to explain to my Dad how a freeway works. Sheesh. I first met my sister-in-law’s Oklahoman father on a trip to Philly. He was well into his 60s at the time. It had been his first trip on an airplane, and it was certainly the first time he was in a big city too. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/99 "2010-07-10T19:29:42Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > I live in Indianapolis. I do not care about car racing. I don’t grow corn. Also, I don’t work for Eli Lilly. It’s a metropolitan area of over 1 million people with fantastic variety of museums, music, and other cultural experiences. Any other misconceptions about Indy? Yes, what is it’s reason for existance? I still can’t figure out why it is such a large, bustling city that doesn’t have a major body of water for shipping. Is it just because a country moving west needed a good resting point between St. Louis and Chicago? I’m serious, it has puzzled me for years. That said, I think Indianapolis is a lovely city with lots of amenities much nicer than IMS (which is technically in Speedway, isn’t it?). I do like IMS though. I miss the F1 races there.☹ Oops, one more thing: Why do so many Indiana residents keep pronouncing Minneapolis like it is supposed rhyme with Indianapolis? Can’t they read? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/100 "2010-07-10T20:00:28Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Why do so many Indiana residents keep pronouncing Minneapolis like it is supposed rhyme with Indianapolis? Can’t they read? What? Your “polis” is different than their “polis”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086.md?page=6)