How long do you have to live somewhere before you are a "local"?

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by plain fan

It's interesting to see that some of these responses are aligned with what I've seen in different places. I moved to CO a couple of years ago where the "native/local/transplant" thing can lead to arguments and fights (I've seen it). It seems that you're not a "local" until the natives call you that.

When I lived in Colorado, many had bumper stickers that said "Native". I tried to fit in as I really liked the people and lifestyle at the time. With the changes (due to the large influx of people from the west coast) over the last 30 years, I can see why one might make such a distinction. The best way to be considered a "local" or at least be tolerated has always been to stop trying to change everything into the place you came from.

[plain fan]

The best way to be considered a "local" or at least be tolerated has always been to stop trying to change everything into the place you came from.

Absolutely! When I talk to a lot of natives (and others that have been here long enough to be called locals) many bemoan the transplants that have arrived and changed things. In some instances for the worse, and sometimes for the better. I've had several natives mistake me for being a native, which I thank them for and let them know I'm a transplant, but I always consider it a complement.

[aigel]

It is an interesting tribal behavior. You'd think we would have overcome this sort of thing in modern times. I am glad to live in CA where everyone is from somewhere else and your origin isn't even a subject. I have fantasies of moving out to the desert some day and settle on a nice ranch for retirement, but then I remember how that felt like, last time I lived in an area with little growth and newcomers. You will ALWAYS get the "you aren't from around here, are you?" and "what church are you going to?" treatment.

I grew up in a small town in Europe where there were "house names" as described above. The house would be named after a long gone ancestor - not the last name of the people living in it. People of one family would live in the same house for hundreds of years. And families of the same nationality that were displaced during WW2 are still treated as "newcomers" even in the 2nd and 3rd generation.

G

[Alan A]

3 weeks to 3 generations.
Depends where you are...

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Alan A

3 weeks to 3 generations.
Depends where you are...

Yep....even here in NC....about 50/50...urban verses rural, and it's changed dramatically over my lifetime too.

"You ain't from around here are ya boy"....

Naw....I'm from over there ...

[Evans, Marv]

We're lucky to live in a small community where nobody pays attention to that. Our "down town" consists of a small Mexican restaurant, a small market with gas pumps, a little antique shop, and a post office. There are only somewhere between 1,500 & 2,ooo people. One thing that limits the number of people is a decent part of the area being bordered by forest service land. People greet each other & open doors for each other. One thing of concern is trying to keep the place from being discovered by the people down the hill.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

.... One thing of concern is trying to keep the place from being discovered by the people...

So... it's just like NC then ?

[pete3799]

Here if you're not a native you're a flatlander. Doesn't matter how long you've been here.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Baz

- or finished high school there

In New Zealand we move around quite a bit. So if you have been somewhere for, say, five years you are a local.

But everyone wants to know where you "are from" and I we tend to say where we went to high school as this is the most influential time of our lives.

[masraum]

I have no idea. I've moved around so much, I feel local within a couple few years. I have no idea if other folks think of me as local or not.

I'm nearly 50. The longest that I've lived in one home/house was our old house and that was about 17-18 years. I've been here now for almost 6, which makes this the second longest place (dwelling) I've ever lived. I've been in Houston now for just over 25 years. which is also the longest that I've been anywhere. Prior to this, it was about every 2.5-4ish years.

I've also always either lived in suburbs where hardly anyone was local or in places that were so big that no one would have any idea.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

If you can poke someone in both eyes with one finger, then they are 4th generation local

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by pete3799

Here if you're not a native you're a flatlander. Doesn't matter how long you've been here.

Round these parts that would be Kontac Cabmando, Wd etc. People from Ohio

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by KC911

So... it's just like NC then ?

Too late. Every Yankee over the age of 40 seems to be looking to move there.

[Otter74]

Without reading your profile information, I figured you were from Nova Scotia from the first sentence of your comment. I don't think I know of any other places that use "come-from-away."

Originally Posted by oldE

The term "local" depends entirely upon who is considering the individual. To your wife , you will always be a come-from-away. To anyone who has moved to your area in the past two decades, you are one of the weird locals.
I have been on this site for almost 38 years. To some of my neighbours, I am the guy from away a local girl met at university and brought home.
A decade ago, I was playing with a group and it struck me that of the 9 folks, only three of us were born in Nova Scotia. The rest came from other parts of Canada, the USA or the UK. It is that sort of community.
Frankly, you shouldn't give a darn.
Best
Les

[Otter74]

I've been in Chicago for twelve years now and that's enough to be "local" by many peoples' definition, but it depends on neighborhood. In Avondale (where I live) or Lgan Square, say, that's plenty local. If you're in some south side neighborhoods like Beverly or Hegewisch, twelve years and you're probably still considered like you just showed up.

I've always found the "where are you from" question to be problematic, as I'm not entirely from any one place and it really depends on who's asking and why. I'm from Venezuela, but I haven't lived there since the early 80s. Half of my family is from Colombia, but I'm not and despite that many USians think I'm "Colombian". I grew up after that in Atlanta, but I'm not sure I feel like I'm from there. I spend ten years in Detroit and I love it to death but I'm not from there. I've been in Chicago got twelve and I do feel like it's also where I'm "from" because it's where I live and where I've lived for a long time.

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Alan A

Too late. Every Yankee over the age of 40 seems to be looking to move there.

Yep...and change everything after they arrive.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by fintstone

Yep...and change everything after they arrive.

To make it just like the sewer they are running from...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Round these parts that would be Kontac Cabmando, Wd etc. People from Ohio

Yeah, you have kind of a native understanding, shared experiences. It may be expressed in language. You can feel a kinship with folks by the way they express themselves.

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

My dog got off the leash at 7 am this morning. I brought home a customers Porsche last night, so the only vehicle I had at my disposal that I would put a muddy dog in, was my yard cart, 1977 chevy plow truck. It looks like it is right off the farm in W Va.
I was fresh out of bed with my pj's on, and I really need a hair cut .
Whenever my dog runs away, he always ends up in the clean sterile brand new housing plan down the street . I call them the townies
So there I am loading my big dumb dog into my rusty redneck truck at 7am, in basically my underwear, when I notice an entire family watching this whole debacle out their bay window .
I told my wife, that I wondered what the new transplants thought of the locals while they were witnessing this episode , and she reminded me, that I am not a "local"
I have lived here for 22 years now . She was born and raised here .

She's right. Unless your parents were from there and you were born while they were on vacation?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Round these parts that would be Kontac Cabmando, Wd etc. People from Ohio

The irony here is Nick is from the Black Swamp which geographically has nothing to do with hill country Appalachians, but he’s still good people.