Curious about small towns

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21 Comments

I've always been curious about small towns. Are more small towns more like this: a close, friendly, safe, laid back place where people are more simple, more caring, and helpful?
Or are they more like this: a bunch of crazy, ignorant rednecks always pickin fights, acting crazy and not knowing better, and absolutely hating any outsiders who dare enter their town?

I've seen movies which have showed small towns to be either things, depending on the movie.

I live in Kansas city and out in rural Kansas small towns, I have definitely found them to be closer to the second thing, crazy, fight picking rednecks who hate outsiders. But, I have heard that in other places, in some parts of America, small towns are more like the first thing, friendly, caring, true, and laidback, like one big happy family.

Anyone else know more on this?

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Based on 5 votes (4 yes)
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Comments ( 21 )
  • Dustyair
    6 years ago

    It depends on the town, and you.

    You could make some great friends, or you might get your fat ass raped so hard you'll spray blood out your ears :)

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  • NashamaTheWeird
    6 years ago

    It depends on the town. My small town is a very friendly, safe place where you are always running into people you know. Things are laid back and easygoing, with nice people and no drama.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      Your small town is very friendly and laid back with you because you're a local. They've all known you for years or even most of your life, you didn't say if you were born there or not. The locals of your town I'm sure would probably become less laid back and more on edge if they see an outsider. I don't think that small towners are really doing anything wrong being like that, it's hard to feel comfortable with an outsider stepping onto your turf in today's crazy world. 50 or 100 years ago, small town locals would've likely been much friendlier and at ease with an outsider than today. The world has changed, and most people everywhere are aware of that.

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      • NashamaTheWeird
        6 years ago

        I moved to my town when I was three. There are actually quite a few people who move here as there is a university not far away and it is in a good school district. We are in the south so hospitality is generally expected, although of course a stranger is not treated the same way a close friend would be (just like anywhere else).

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          6 years ago

          Yes, your town being in the South is part of the reason for the friendliness. Kansas towns got no Southern hospitality, they got no any kind of hospitality.

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  • Pumpurrnickel
    6 years ago

    It depends on the town. Some people are friendly, some people aren't. You can't really judge all small towns as just one or the other.

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  • Justmehere
    6 years ago

    Depends on where, really. I grew up in a small town, and, while very safe and insulatory, also small-minded, everyone knows everyone else's business (and have no problem yapping about it to others), the world doesn't exist outside the friendly confines, and, if you do go to college or whatever out of town..You're expected to return to rejoin the small-mindedness and misery. You're not allowed to do better. No one else has, why should you?

    Most are close-knit, yes..Very into high school football, and refer to anyone you may know as "so and so..they graduated with"..Often that frame of reference. If you're an outsider moving in, be prepared for a lengthy period of being looked at, questioned, and talked about.

    I've seen it from both sides. Lived in mine until college (referred to as "living away"), then moved to another small town close to my first job after, about an hour+ away from my hometown. Then, I was the new guy, the not one of us, until I was there awhile.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      I'm thinking that small towners will probably warm up to an outsider from another small town more quickly than to an outsider from a bigger city, and I'm sure that most small towner's can immediately tell.
      They'll probably warm up to you faster if you're from another small town in the same state, especially if the town is like no farther than about 50 or so miles away, verses someone from a small town way across America, especially if it's a different kind of town like let's say a farming small town in Kansas verses an Alpine small town in Oregon or in Western Canada cause there will be different types of small towns there I think.

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  • MR.mr
    6 years ago

    I've lived in relatively small towns my whole life, never more than 40k some less than 2k.

    People are people wherever you go, there are a bunch of crazy rednecks, that's my family. But I'd say they're peaceful places, like I said I know crazy rednecks but I've never known any of them to start trouble with random people usually they raise hell in their back yard with their drinking buddies, that's usually about it.
    And I've never encountered them having a strong hatred of outsiders.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      It may just be the particular small towns in Kansas that I'd been to where I had bad experiences. I mean the locals didn't actually like start trouble with me like that, it was more that the people there were extremely cold and unfriendly to me, I got stared at pretty good, and they just made me feel like I didn't belong there.

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      • MR.mr
        6 years ago

        that's strange, i've never had or seen that before

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          6 years ago

          What part of US are the small towns you're from in? You been to Kansas? You are also a local in your town, aren't you? Have you seen how the other locals treat outsiders or just how they are with each other? Also, if you have been a small towner most your life, you'll probably fit in better right away in most small towns because you have more in common with them. I'm from the city and I'm sure that shows to small town people.

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          • MR.mr
            6 years ago

            Arkansas.
            Yes and no, I was brand new when I went to college, also in a small town, still never had any issues with the locals. One of the local store owners mistook me for one of the jewelry store owners kids once, I fit right in. True I probably would have an easier time fitting in, but I've never seen anyone have issues with it myself.
            The only thing I've ever witnessed like what you described was the kids at my college complained about'townies' crashing their parties but I think this was just them being stupid because half the students were outsiders themselves and the college was only a few blocks away from the main road in town.

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  • Annaegg
    6 years ago

    I live in a tiny lil town in New Zealand. Everyone knows each other, and everything about each other. We help each other out, and trust each other. The trust is so strong that most people don't even lock their homes.

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  • [Old Memory]
    6 years ago

    I used to live in an extremely small town of less than 1,500 people. There were more coyotes than people there. It kind of depends. The town I live in now is small, but MUCH larger than the one before. People here are much more friendly. Whereas in the really small town it was more like a bunch of rednecks who were suspicious of eachother.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      I'm pretty sure now that people in small towns are probably alot more wary and uneasy of outsiders today than they were about 50 years ago. Most people even in the smallest off the beaten path towns are aware of how the world has changed and how there are more crazy people today than ever before. I now remember hearing somewhere how long ago, a lost traveler could be passing through a small town and one of the locals would put them up for the night, even make em breakfast in the morning before they set off on their way again. I'm sure that there is nowhere anymore like that with the way the world is today.

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  • rayb12
    6 years ago

    Too general of a category

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  • paramore93
    6 years ago

    Where I live in England the small towns and villages are really nice ..
    Everybody is friendly with each other and there's a proper community feel.
    We do get people from the cities coming over and breaking into houses at night, so we're allowed to be weary of outsiders haha ..
    As a town we are pretty welcoming to most people though.
    I couldn't have grown up in a better place.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      6 years ago

      Most English towns are nice, I've been there. In the Midwest in America, here in Kansas, the small towns are pretty rustic and full of unwelcoming redneck types. I've heard small towns are just as bad or worse in other Midwest States like Oklahoma, Missouri, parts of Texas, and in southwestern states like Nevada, parts of California, etc. But, I've heard that small towns are nicer, peaceful, and more welcoming in other parts like northern mountain States like Wyoming and Idaho, and Minnesota, Michigan, and up near Canada. In general, I've heard that the more north and closer to Canada you go, the nicer, more peaceful and welcoming small towns are. And the more rustic, crazy, redneck, and unwelcoming to outsiders the small towns are in the Midwest, southern Midwest, and Southwest. The deep South though, people are nicer due to the more old-time Southern hospitality there still is down there. I'm just getting this info from numerous sources and different people's opinions so I don't know how accurate this all is.

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  • Silverseen
    6 years ago

    I see small towns as island villages, everything made of straw and wood huts. I always wonder if they r like that

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  • CDmale4fem
    6 years ago

    With something like that I think it's going to depend a lot on the state and as for small towns, it can make a difference as to the size of the small towns. I know there are a lot of REALLY small towns here in Oregon. Some really have that small town feel where people in other side of town know when and why you flushed your toilet. I guess also it can depend way a whole lot on how much of the towns people are hooked on meth or heroine. 😨 yikes. If you are looking for new town to move to, then I would suggest calling the towns Chamber of Commerce. They can direct you to info stats for livability.

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