I was ten years old when my family decided to move from Birmingham, Alabama to Rochester, New York. I had no idea what to expect and was not prepared in the least. I managed to come out alright, but it was definitely not easy to adapt to the very different culture of Upstate NY. For any of my southern friends thinking about moving north, here are some very important facts you should know first:
1. Snow is a thing. It is completely normal.
It is there. It is always there. If it disappears, it does not stay gone for very long, and yes, you can get 24 inches of snow in one night. Do not expect snow days; there will not be any unless there is an actual storm (and that is not something you want to wish for), and just in case always carry a jacket. On the bright side, New York roads are always nice and well-taken care of.
2. January is not the beginning of spring. It is, in fact, only the beginning of winter.
I used to wonder why some calendars had snowy pictures for the month of January and February, and then I moved to the northeast. There will be no running around barefoot outside in January because, in New York, January is one of the snowiest months. It was exciting at first, but it lost its grandeur rather quickly because winter tends to last until March.
3. People do not like you being polite.
It is not so much you being respectable and a decent human being that they dislike but more than they think you must be mocking them. “Yes, ma’ams” and “no, sirs” are not considered being nice; most will think you are making fun of them. Once they know you, though, and know you are not making fun of them but it is just a part of your upbringing, they will think you are precious and want to keep you.
4. Take a crash course on sarcasm.
Sarcasm is used as humor in New York, and if you are not prepared, it can seem like everyone is being rude and mean for no reason. On the other hand, sarcasm is also very much also an automatic defense. Practicing sarcasm before moving north would be a wise decision.
5. "Y’all" is not a thing.
There are a ton of different terms and phrases that are common in Alabama but will make people up north look at you funny. The accent will not help either. You will have a better time understanding them than they will have understanding you. I am not saying get rid of the accent or anything crazy like that, but learning some of the common northern phrases like saying “you guys” instead of “y’all” will help you adapt faster.
6. Kiss sweet tea and Chick-fil-A goodbye.
Restaurants in New York (and frankly anywhere not south) do not understand the concept of sweet tea. Not at all. The first time I order an iced tea in New York I had to restrain myself not to spit it out all over the table. It does not get better asking specifically for sweet tea because then they will just point you towards the Splenda packets. As for the Chick-fil-A, it is an absolute travesty. Chick-fil-A in the northeast is few and far between. It still makes me want to cry just thinking about it.
7. Embrace the Wegmans.
Wegmans is Upstate New York’s grocery store, and it is THE grocery store. Forget Walmart. Wegmans is going to become your home away from home. The store is nothing like normal grocery stores. It has a warm, homey feeling to it that makes grocery shopping a little more bearable. Wegmans also has a restaurant and a bakery section just in case you get hungry while shopping.
8. Summer is still hot.
Do not think that moving north means you escape the heat of summer. It still gets hot, very hot in New York. What you really escaped was the humidity, which really is still a win. I am just warning you, do not expect a cold summer.
9. Everything is more expensive.
When I say everything is more expensive, I mean it. The standard of living is higher, which means so are the taxes and all the goods—do not get me started on the gas prices.
10. NY does not equal NYC.
This is probably one of the most important points. New York City is only a small part of New York State, so no, I do not live, nor have I ever lived, near or around skyscrapers. I used to pass at least three corn fields on my way to high school every morning, and my hometown of Honeoye Falls, NY is calm and quaint. New York the state is much different than New York the city, and I have to say in my very humble opinion that New York the state is much more beautiful than the city anyway.
These ten points are only the beginning. You have your essential survival guiding points now, so go experience it first hand! Everyone's experience is going to be a little bit different. New York may be vastly different from the south, but it is still America, and there are so many things to love about New York state once you have settled a bit. I love both of my homes: Alabama and New York.
