AIBU to ask you some questions about the USA?

[BreakfastInAmerica]

I've been reading lots of US fiction over lockdown, I've never been there.

What's the big deal with joining a fraternity house at College? What is the benefit of it? Why the Greek frat house names?

Is public access television still a thing?

Why do they call savoury muffins English Muffins when I'm more likely to see a blueberry or chocolate muffin when I'm out and about?

How do Americans eat things like thick pancakes with cream for breakfast, even the people who are slim?

What are grits?

Why are Automatic cars so prolific in the US, rather than manual/stick shift?

I'm sure I've got lots more questions and please pitch in with your own questions and answers.

AIBU to ask for your answers and questions about the small differences between the US and the UK?

@RichardMarxisinnocent the public trash pickup varies WILDLY across the states. I live in an area that has always had (for at least 50 years) public trash pickup at every house/building every week. For 30 years we've also had weekly recycling pickup. For 5 years we've had biweekly compost pickup. This is everyone in my urban area.

@x2boys

I can imagine *@HoldMyLobster* not dissimilar to the UK ,what about out of work benefits ,how does that work?

Unemployment Insurance is limited in terms of how long it lasts - although during times like these they are sometimes extended, and it depends on your state too.

There are some cultural and regional differences in Thanksgiving food but I think they are fairly minimal. For example in the South and for African American families nationwide, macaroni and cheese is a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. And then there is the matter of dressing or stuffing. Traditionally in the South, it is called dressing because it is cooked outside the bird and its main ingredient is cornbread. Bread stuffing, often with apples, nuts and raisins, is often found in New England.

This is a really weird question but do you have lovely cheese in the US? Like we have a lot of varied regional cheeses, but my only (limited) experience with American cheese is the very processed orange stuff!

What about social housing ( normally known as council housing or housing association,s in the UK) it's very varied in the UK mostly impossible to get in London and the south east of England although not so much in other parts of the UK( despite what Mumsnet says) whose entitled in the USA and how long would they wait ?

@Itstheprinciple

This is a really weird question but do you have lovely cheese in the US? Like we have a lot of varied regional cheeses, but my only (limited) experience with American cheese is the very processed orange stuff!

We do have lovely cheese. Wisconsin is a state with a lot of dairy farms and caves so you can buy varied domestic cheese that is almost as good as European cheeses. We also import a lot from you!

elp30 sorry I'm not sure where we disagree? I said the same, Christmas food depends on a lot on your family background.

I agree Thanksgiving tends to be more traditional American food but I still think this varies by region, we would not tend to have sweet potatoes or pecan pie in New York for example. Basically if you go from the Northeast to the South to the Midwest, you would see a lot of variation, except for the Turkey.

New York State also has great cheese. My favorite is New York extra extra extra sharp cheddar. Food of the gods.

When I was growing up you wouldn't see more than 6-10 kinds of cheese in a normal supermarket, I would say. Loads of Americans would still stick with those. But there has been a huge explosion in artisanal and local cheese making, it's a big food hipster enterprise, so these days yes there is a tremendous range of lovely cheeses in the US.

New York, New England, California all have great cheese makers. All over the country really.

Great goat cheeses and blue cheeses especially.

One big difference though is that Americans are not familiar with certain European cheeses because they are not allowed to be imported -- in particular, Brie de Meaux (the really stinky, oozy brie). So many Americans think brie is always really bland and boring, they've only really had the industrial bries.

Why is the whole ‘take half your meal home in a box’ the norm? I’m all for batch cooking and freezing properly at home, but food that’s been sitting about for a while, normally in a polystyrene box*, seen as a good thing?

Why wouldn’t it be the norm to just pay pay less and have sensible portions in the first place, particularly in areas with heavy tourism where people probably don’t have the facilities to do anything with it?

(*See also the habit of using disposable plates for normal family meals at home, so wasteful.)

Love the laundry rooms though, so much more sensible to have it all upstairs as my relatives do. Most houses wouldn’t have the room here. Mind you, that again is because they wouldn’t line dry clothes on a good drying day, I suppose, so again not good environmentally (plus the fact that fresh line-dried bedding is one of life’s best things).

Not wishing to side line the current flow of this interesting thread but If you don't mind a very random out of the blue question for Americans (in particular but of course to all others too) - which localities or cities, states etc would be ideal for a relocation in the USA (all territories including Hawaii though possibly not Porto Rico)** if you could chose anywhere without work or business related geographic limitation?

Just need to consider overall living quality, climate (and frequency of natural disasters such as seasonal hurricanes, flooding, wild fires, earthquakes) and overall cost of living and general quality of amenities (eg international air connections) etc.

Bit open ended so open to suggestions!

Personally I know and like bits of California (LA SF and Nappa etc) but costs are pretty high plus of course the regular natural disasters such as droughts and wild fires with extreme heat in most recent years and of course the density and traffic in many of the major urban centres (though that is expected and inevitable unless rural location I guess).

I am asking for say suitability for an open and flexible curious professional couple with young children, some savings with a penchant for outdoor lifestyle adventures and pursuits and possibly for a mid term relocation investment and laying down some roots even. Not necessarily the quintessential American dream but along those pioneering lines!

Thanks!

The term 'Master' as a form of address for a young male evolved from medieval times when there were Guilds of Master Craftsmen which in turn referred to a general term to a man of some social standing e.g. in Tudor times 'Master Cromwell'.
Around the 1700s 'Master' became our present day 'Mister' and 'Master' would be used to refer to a young male until he came of age in society.

We live in the greater Boston area in Massachusetts. It is a state where even the republican politicians are (mostly) normal, reasonable and rational. There is no state death penalty. Abortion is available and if Roe v Wade was ever overturned it wouldn't matter to us because we already have legislation in place allowing abortion. We declared same sex marriage a constitutional right at least 20 years ago. We are steeped in history, have great sports teams. Your kids (ours did) can sail in summer and ski/skate in winter and do soccer/baseball/lacross/swimming/whatever in between. Wonderful museums, good public schools, great orchestra (If that is ever a thing again) and great historical resonance. Easy access to wonderful state parks/hiking here and in nearby states. Cape Cod down the road (or over on the ferry) and Cape Ann up the road. Every school my kids were in had ski lessons if they wanted them (45 minutes up the road on a friday afternoon)

Few natural disasters but the way we are going can''t guarantee that. We also have a history of racism etc- not perfect by any means. oh and buying a house is very expensive.

Have I sold you yet? :)

@Itstheprinciple

This is a really weird question but do you have lovely cheese in the US? Like we have a lot of varied regional cheeses, but my only (limited) experience with American cheese is the very processed orange stuff!

Cheeses for sale at my local, fairly average supermarket www.hannaford.com/departments/deli/fine-cheese?displayAll=true

If I wanted an actual cheese counter I'd go to Wholefoods but I'd leave with no money.

Why is the whole ‘take half your meal home in a box’ the norm? I’m all for batch cooking and freezing properly at home, but food that’s been sitting about for a while, normally in a polystyrene box, seen as a good thing?

Because it is a good thing. And most hotels here have fridges and microwaves in the room, so tourists can reheat and eat next day if they wish. I often do.

I went to an American uni, frats are a big deal to those joining them but not everyone does, more don't join than do. It's a friends and connections thing. They have brilliant parties though. I can go to Facebook right now and read several posts between frat brothers who genuinely love each other and have been life long friends, they're in their 50's!

Yes, TV is still available without a cable deal.

English muffins aren't cake muffins, we get them here too but they're in the bread aisle.

People eat pancakes, even slim people but certainly not everyday, more of a treat thing. Most people have cereal and/or toast like here.

I taught several friends to drive manual and they loved it. The thing is, the country is massive and there are big long straight roads, so automatic are desirable.

@pallisers

Thank you for championing Boston!

I understand with some knowledge gained from first hand reports from friends at Harvard and MIT about Boston and indeed the greater New England region.

The physical rural environment especially of course in Autumn with spectacular wash of foliage colours to behold is a bucket list must see for hiking and camping adventures etc.

The higher educational excellence and traditional arts including music is very important and adds cultural pre-eminence.

I will put it on my one to watch and for further detailed due diligence research in due course.

The politics and demographic issues do not massively concern me (disappointment with current USA situation) as in my previous postings based on West LA I was forewarned about ensuring I do not inadvertently venture into certain no go unsafe neighbourhoods in case of issues. Unlike the UK I understand (some) Americans have access to weapons including high power guns which are rare in mainland UK as technically even our British police are not armed (bar a small select specialist units) and only equipped with non lethal policing tools. I also understand that in most American cities there is less mixing of communities and a greater diversity while in the UK cities you may have a different look and feel on either side of the same street (but some blending). This is something I never see in North America and amazes my American and Canadian friends when they visit.

Sorry, I realise the thread has moved on now, lol

California is lovely, but hellishly expensive in the places that are desirable. You might look at the central coast area though, like San Luis Obispo. A bit less expensive than SF of LA areas, because there are not so many jobs. I would also recommend looking at the Denver / Boulder / Colorado Springs Area. Big outdoor recreation area, big draw from the younger families escaping the high cost of California. The prices are going up, but it’s still cheaper than California.

Re: cheese, my ex and I went to a Korean wedding in the US some years back. There were many visiting relatives at the reception and someone asked the grandmother what she thought of the US. She paused for a moment, and replied "Such wide roads. And so much CHEESE!"

We have a LOT of cheese. Some artisan, some less so. For those not in the know, the wrapped plasticene sold as "American" in the shops in the UK is NOT American cheese, which is A: a proper cheese which is generally purchased sliced from a block and B: mild, smooth, and very creamy. There are yellow and white varieties and they make excellent grilled cheese.

@x2boys regarding social housing, there are programmes for social housing run both at the federal level by Housing and Urban Development -- section 8 can take anywhere from weeks to years to get into a place, and then there are state-backed and private ventures (which sometimes run on a lottery basis, like the estate I mentioned in an earlier post.)

@Gotakeahike

Thank you!

California is super as I driven around most of it including Pacific Coast Highway in a Ford Mustang convertible naturally! Yet to spend time exploring Lake Tahoe (and Sacramento). Love wine and gourmet touring in Nappa as a good relaxing less fussy contrast to Bordeaux but similar in some ways to both Stellenbosch in South Africa's Western Cape Winelands and Marlborough wine region in New Zealand.

I gathered most of California is pretty pricey especially of course more desirable mid to up scale neighbourhoods on outskirts of the main cities. And in recent years with the tech start up boom real estate pricing in Silicon Valley and surrounding areas have shot up in value (beyond recognition) both to purchase and long term rental.

I have always been fascinated with Colorado. I have yet to check out the region especially for the winter skiing and spring summer outdoor purists. I understand Aspen is long and forever a high net worth only territory but heard good things about Boulder and Colorado Springs. I am guessing these are areas where small (external) property investors are monitoring property asset values and potential housing price hikes once the economy recovers?

Since UK Brexshit (with potentially catastrophic WTO cliff edge pending) and recently our dismal Covid landscape with 60k Brits perishing to Covid leading essentially an economic collapse with UK borrowing "cheap money" to survive - many of us footloose intrepid explorer Brits are getting a bit twitchy and massively disappointed with the state of current affairs. This is not helped by many who are super Covid unaware nor concerned and seemingly relaxed with some even anti basic Covid mitigation measures like face coverings and social distancing.

I shall look into Colorado - a state I know less about but understand it is relatively wealthy and enjoys a high (in both sense of the word) lifestyle.

I also have Hawaii on my list but that is a totally different proposition altogether!

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia
Aspen is very pricy and access to Denver can be a bit tricky during winter months at times. Definitely a high net worth enclave. There are places for “normal” people, but they tend to be more remote. I would definitely live in the Boulder or Colorado Springs area though. My family seriously considered it relatively recently. Frankly, there are many areas of the US I wouldn’t consider, but I’m a bit of a location snob

It takes a certain kind to live in Hawaii. I know some who have. It’s very isolated, takes 4 hours just to get back to the west coast. The wages are relatively low and the cost of living is very high. Housing isn’t quite as bad as California’s major metro areas, but food costs will make your eyes water. The standard of living is not super high either. The whole “island time” is definitely a thing, so one has to be prepared for that. And the schools are awful. It is amazingly beautiful though.

Another spot is Portland, OR. It can be a bit dreary, but it’s definitely getting quite hip and more popular these days. Seattle is also lovely, but it’s about as expensive as the SF area at this point.

Oooh loving this thread. I just read through all the responses.

I'm in Manhattan and haven't driven a car in seven years, and while I love pancakes I don't have them that often - maybe for a blowout brunch a few times a year

Glad to see some other Churchill Tavern fans here. I've been to some raucous events there, it's always a good time.

@Gotakeahike

Thanks again very good to know information. You may not be the only location connoisseur with a general eye for the finer detail. The only USA UK favourable comparable for a Brit based in shall we say near to one of the more well known and pricey Monopoly parts of the big smoke otherwise known as central London is that we can technically cash in and be comparatively empowered to purchase in most of USA excluding super exclusive areas.

Unfortunately when I was last working and living in west LA it was at a time of US$2 to UK£1 or almost twice the value in favour of pound sterling. Now it is pretty much parity or close enough as with UK pound to Euro. Pre Covid my US friends were loving shopping in the UK as it’s apparently cheap (but not for us Brits) and you get back most of the sales tax.

Hawaii is also as I understand problematic (apart from its remote location) because of the volcano too. But not sure if it impacts the other main islands. I suspect Hawaii is best for holidays than for a serious medium term change of scene.

I have not been to Portland Oregon but my first time landing and base in America (apart from airport transits) was in Seattle. Nice smaller hipster vibe arty city. Good coffee and home of the original Starbucks etc and of course to nearby MicroSoft, Amazon and Boeing. I actually did my first introduction to the North American road trip adventure driving across the USA Canadian boarder from Seattle to Vancouver British Columbia and then on to the Canadian Rockies including Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper all the way to the Calgary Stampede Alberta. Amazing trip with breathtaking beautiful landscape in the Canadian summer. I do understand it is known to be wet and rainy in Seattle which for a Brit is too much undesirable memories!

I am going to try to squeeze in a USA trip early next year if the Covid disappears by then (taking note of Dr Anthony Fauci advice of course). Maybe Colorado will be on the radar. Just wish it did not sound a bit like a Mexican beer if get the hint!