SC // NYC

I sat down with Tim Stratton, from Greer, South Carolina, this week and asked him about his life in the South and how it’s changed since moving to New York City almost 3 years ago.

And yes, he did the entire interview in his southern accent.

What is your favorite part of being southern?

“Obviously the great accents. No but really, definitely the southern hospitality.”

 Why did you decide to leave the south and move to New York?

“I wanted to live in a big city and Atlanta didn’t cut it. Plus, I knew I wanted to go to a Christian college, but I didn’t want to go to a school in the middle of nowhere.”

 Is there anything that you do or places you go in the city that remind you of the south?

“I occasionally go to The Liberty, which is the bar that hosts the NYC Clemson fan club, to watch the Clemson football games.”

 What does New York have that the south doesn’t?

“The city has more cultural diversity. And the south doesn’t have good Chinese food. Oh, and New York has pizza and bagels.”

What do you miss most about the south?
“I miss my family, football, the smell of freshly cut grass. The feeling of jumping in a cold pool on a hot summer afternoon and sitting on the back porch in the evening ‘shooting the breeze’ with the family. Also, I miss Bojangles and grits and fried green tomatoes. Did I already say Bojangles?”

 Do you think that you will ever move back to the south?

"Honestly, probably not. I really love New York and I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. I love the hustle and the speed of the city.”

The Sweetest Lil' Southerner

Hannah Silver, from Charlotte, NC, is without a doubt the sweetest lil’ southerner I’ve ever met. Below is the conversation I had with her about her experience as a Southerner of New York.

Where are you from?

“I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina. My family has only moved once, but we stayed in the same neighborhood. My mom is from Indiana and my dad is from Charlotte, so I’m a mixed breed.”

When did you move to New York, and why did you decide to leave the south?

“I moved here like 7 months ago, and it wasn’t for the weather. I came because I love adventure and people and culture. I wanted to experience something new.”

Is there anything that you do in the city or places you go that remind you of the south?

“No, not really. I mean I go to Trader Joe’s, that’s the closest I get to being home. There’s nothing much here that’s southern.”

What do you miss most about the south?

I miss the sky, the stars. I love being able to hike and explore and just be out in nature. I also miss my church. I went to this church where everyone knew my name, it was like a big family. People are just a little bit different in the south, I can’t explain it. The personal experience you have with cashiers and baristas is a little bit homier there. In New York it just seems like they want to get the job done.”

Do you think that you will ever move back to the south?

“Yes because that’s home to me. The city is a great adventure, but my roots are in the south.”

3 Things Southerners of New York Miss Most About the South

Living in New York City is truly an incredible experience. It's a new adventure every day, and there are so many one of a kind opportunities here. That being said, when you're from the South it's hard to not miss home, even if you live in a place as cool as NYC.

Here are the top 3 things Southerners of New York miss the most about living in the South!

Food
There is nothing like eating BBQ ribs, smothered in sauce on a Saturday afternoon. Something that I love about being home is when my dad is grilling while my brothers throw the football and my mom and I sit on the porch swing and watch it all happen. Come on, what's more southern than that?

Nature
The great outdoors are home to so many adventures. You can hike, or bike ride, or just explore new places. Unfortunately, in NY the closest we get to this is Central Park. Which is such a great place, one of my favorites actually, but still nothing compared to navigating through the woods or being on the beach.

Driving
Driving is the ultimate symbol of freedom, and it's something that southerners miss while in New York. Yes, some people here do drive, but that requires nearly getting hit every 10 seconds and sitting in horrendous traffic, and that's coming from a girl from Houston.

Southern Food > New York Food

Some people seem to be under the impression that New York City has some of the best food in the world. Sure there are great Irish pubs and restaurants that advertise "Japanese tacos and Mexican sushi", which sounds very risky to me. But don't let the abundance of Zagat ratings in the city fool you, Southern food is where it's at.



As a Texas girl, born and raised, I have a deep love for Mexican food. Some call it Tex-Mex, but whatever you want to call it, it's goooood. I've lived in NYC for almost 3 years and I have not found even 1 "Mexican" restaurant that comes close to the stuff back home.
The salsa here is basically a mixture of chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro, which down south I believe we call pico de gallo.
When I get beans with my meal I usually expect refried or charro beans to be served, but up north they only serve black beans. Such a let down.



BBQ doesn't exist in New York, and it deeply saddens me. Whether it's Carolina, Kansas City, Memphis, or Texas style barbeque I'm down. Personally, I'm more of a dry rub kinda girl, but seriously I have no prejudice. I'll try it all. There is a place in NY near my apartment that calls itself "Texas style BBQ". Of course when I first saw it I was so excited to have a piece of home in the city. Once I went inside I quickly realized that this was nothing like what I was used to. Apparently they fry their meat, like in a pan, and then put sauce on it. Needless to say, I did not even try it.

 





Even though Southerners of New York miss their BBQ and Mexican food, I think it's safe to say that we miss down home cooking even more. Who doesn't want to start out their day with chicken fried steak that's bigger than their face? I went to the Houston Rodeo a few weeks ago when I was home, and I was reminded of how many things you can deep fry, like oreos, nutella, and poptarts. But even when it's not rodeo season the South has no shortage of fried foods, such as, but definitely not limited to: chicken fried steak, fired okra, and fried pickles.

 

I think it's safe to say that it's obvious why Southerners of New York really miss southern food.

An Open Letter to the Great Outdoors

Dear Great Outdoors,

I miss you.

I miss going on adventures and exploring new places, like the time that my friends and I took a trip to Austin, Texas where we climbed all 102 steps, in the middle of July, to get to the top of Mount Bonnell. Even though we were extremely hot, it was so worth it because the views were incredible! We even ventured into some nearby woods to continue exploring. Sure we got a little lost, and sure we discovered some creepy creatures we had never seen before, but we eventually found our way out, and that's what counts!

 

I also miss seeing the stars at night. With all the city lights it's almost impossible to see anything in the sky, which is so disappointing. It's so fun to sit out in the backyard or a random field and look up at the sky. The stars have the ability to make you feel so small at the same time as making you feel like anything is possible.

Sometimes one of the most relaxing things is sitting on the porch and just enjoying being outside, and this doesn't happen in New York. We aren't able to go out back and sit on the swing on a cool fall morning and sip coffee, or on a warm summer afternoon and drink sweet tea. There are no birds chirping or dogs begging you to throw the frisbee.

 

Great Outdoors, I miss you. And so do the rest of the Southerners of New York.



Fast Cars & Freedom

One of the hardest parts of living in New York is not having the ability to drive places. I mean, people do drive, but it ends up looking like this:

Yes, that is me. I'm telling you, driving in the city turns you into a madman. 10 out of 10 would not recommend. Was most of my time spent with my foot on the break? Definitely. Did I almost hit a few cars? Yeah. Were a couple of pedestrians lives at stake? Possibly.



In New York we have an expansive subway and bus system that allows us to get all over the city. I'm sure you're thinking to yourself "it would be nice to be able to get places without having to put in the effort that driving requires."

To that I would say "you're wrong."

Trains are constantly running late or making more stops than you expected. Sometimes the train skips your stop for no apparent reason, and occasionally the subway tracks catch on fire.

Driving is a symbol of freedom. Being able to drive means that you can go anywhere, anytime you want. It allows you to be completely free and in total control.

Plus, who doesn't love a good roadtrip?? Being in the car with my friends is honestly where some of my favorite memories come from.





Driving is one of my favorite parts about the south. Every time I'm home, one of the first things I do is get in my mustang, turn on a good radio station, and drive. I don't even need a destination, I just love to be out on the open road, singing (very poorly), even occasionally steering wheel drumming.

When I left the south I had no idea how important driving actually was to me. As I talk to more Southerners of New York I'm realizing that this is just another thing that all of us miss about home.

Sweet Home Alabama

Earlier this weekend I sat down with Scott White, from Daphne, Alabama, and asked him some questions about being a Southerner of New York.

What is your favorite part of being Southern?

“I like how everyone in the South is nice, and of course the food. I also love the culture surrounding football in the South. Up here no one watches football except for the occasional pro game. I have never seen more people watch hockey than I have in New York. In the South we watch college football. Oh, and Roll Tide Roll.”

 When did you move to NY, and why did you decide to leave the South?

“I moved here almost 2 years ago, and I decided to move because I love the opportunity here. Not necessarily just job opportunities, but you never know what you’re going to see or who you will meet. Everything happens in New York first. You don’t usually hear about huge Broadway premieres happening in Montgomery or Atlanta.”

What do you miss the most about the South?

“Honestly, I miss knowing everybody. I grew up in a very small town, I went to school with the same 29 kids for years. I knew their brothers and sisters and their parents. I also have noticed there are no quiet places in New York. In the South you can go 10 minutes from the main street and it’s silent. People in the South take that for granted, but here silence is a treasured thing.”

Do you think that you will ever move back to the South?

“I think that eventually I will move back because that’s where I was born, it’s where I was raised. That’s where I feel the most comfortable. That’s home.”

7 Reasons New York Is Not The South

I'm from a small town outside of Houston, Texas, and am unashamedly proud of my southern roots. I simply feel that the south is one of the greatest places in the world.

But somehow I ended up moving to New York City and making it my new home! Don't get me wrong, I love New York, but it is nothing compared to the south.

Here are some of the reasons why:

1. The Seasons 
It's practically always summer in the south which means eating ice cream on the front porch... in February

2. Hospitality
Southern gentlemen open doors for ladies without question, but New York men wait for women to open the door for them

3. Food
The south is the only place where people consider macaroni and mashed potatoes to be vegetables

4. Sweet Tea
There's nothing better than a pitcher of iced tea that you know your mamma mixed half of a bag of sugar into

5. Country Music
George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson. If you think these cowboys are from the north, well bless your heart

6. Accents
The only things sweeter in the south than the sweet tea are the accents

 7.  Football
In the south, Sundays are for the Lord and Saturdays are for the SEC