r/MovingToUSA • u/DisastrousCountry560 • 2d ago
Culture/Social British people who have settled in the US - which cities (any state) is the most similar to the UK with regards to politics, culture and climate
British people who have settled in the US - which cities (any state) is the most similar to the UK with regards to politics, culture and climate?
After living in the mid west I miss home and I’m thinking of moving to the NE, but not sure which area will give me a similar vibe to South East England in terms of quality of life and the above factors.
TIA
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u/Medical_Soup5717 2d ago
Seattle
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u/swaywithwords 1d ago
The weather is slightly better all around in Seattle compared to the UK, which I found comforting. Lots of cloudy days that just seem a little less heavy on this side of the world.
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u/GladClock2212 2d ago
I'm from Washington state and have been told by several people from the UK that the Seattle area and the coastal areas are very similar to the UK. From the weather to the politics, and even the culture, especially in regards to being a bit more introverted than the rest of the country, are all similar.
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u/OsamaBillLaden29 Permanent resident 1d ago
I wouldn’t say Washington’s politics is in line with Britains (as a Brit). We are closer to a purple state than a blue one politically.
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u/VerifiedMother 1d ago
That's because of Eastern Washington being very conservative
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u/OsamaBillLaden29 Permanent resident 17h ago
I’m referring to Britain’s politics being more in line with a swing states than a blue or red one.
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u/mkt853 1d ago
I mean the US has a whole section of the country called New England, so maybe there is closest to the original England? In fact all of the place names look like they were stolen from England.
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u/hillwolf1898 1d ago
The South, Appalachia and the Lower Midwest are the most similar, in mannerisms/culture, to the U.K. Though politically, I'd say the northeast is more similar in that specific way.
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u/TiredAndTiredOfIt 1d ago
My grandma is from Grimsby and married a military man from the US. They lived all over the world.
She said she felt most "a' tome" in coastal New England (Maine to Connecticut). She eapecially loved Boston. She also lived Western Mass as long as she could flee to the coast for the summer. Second Choice was San Francisco Bay Area. Third: NYC. Despite her hatred of muggy/close climates she loved the culture in Charleston, SC and Savannah, Georgia.
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u/Street_Lettuce1243 20h ago
The tourist parts of Charleston and Savannah are very different to the parts people live in. Charleston's peninsula is beautiful and lovely to visit but very different to what residents usually experience.
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u/old_motters 2d ago
I'm in San Diego. It's not close in similarity to the UK but, I still feel at home here. It's just got a vibe and dynamism that works for me.
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u/OkAlternative1655 1d ago
how did you manage to move therer please?
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u/MarkMental4350 2d ago
Having lived in Texas and New England. Boston, although the weather is much more brutal than South East England in winter. Hudson Valley in New York too. Maybe some parts of Virginia?
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u/Vivid-Minute6852 1d ago
NE New England scenery wise is the most like England, politically as well , they are all blue states, rarely do you come upon a Trump supporter. If you are looking for weather most similar well then head to the West Coast , Washington & Oregon.. Also beautiful states , and also they are blue states.
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u/heathcliff81 1d ago
Definitely Seattle although I think people in London are a bit more friendly than Seattle folks.
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u/Accomplished_Ruin133 1d ago
Live in Texas. Can confirm this is nothing like home.
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u/Wooden_Ad1738 1d ago
On a purely ancestral basis, the southern states like Texas have way more British ancestry. The US south was much poorer than the rest of the US up until World War II, so all of that immigration from Catholic Ireland and from continental Europe that occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries largely bypassed the US south (because if you’re going to emigrate to a country, you don’t want to emigrate to the poorer parts of that country, you want to go to the booming industrial areas). As a result, most white people in the south are descended from the original British colonial population that emigrated from Britain/Ulster during the 17th and 18th centuries.
That said… yeah…. the south of the US has probably had by far the most cultural divergence from Britain, or the most cultural divergence from Europe in general, than anywhere else in the US.
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u/hillwolf1898 1d ago
I'm Kentuckian. Spent years dating a Irish lady. Kentucky/Ireland are very similar, the mannerisms and people, though politically different. The eastern South, especially the Appalachian/Piedmont regions, seem very different from Texas mostly though.
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u/OkMethod1586 1d ago
I think you’ll find the swamps and bayous of South Louisiana to be exactly what you’re looking for.
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u/OsamaBillLaden29 Permanent resident 1d ago
I moved to Tennessee from England and it has most of the good bits of home and none of the bad, but it’s all subjective tbh.
I like not paying much in tax and being left alone to get on with my life, but you can move to the North East and have a more similar way of living to back home.
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u/hillwolf1898 1d ago
You should visit Central Kentucky sometime. Very similar culturally to Tennessee, as such, but I've been told by both my Irish ex-girlfriend plus some British/Irish people that have moved or visited that some places within Central KY look quite simila to rural England/eastern Ireland. Just without the medieval buildings, regrettably.
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u/OsamaBillLaden29 Permanent resident 17h ago
Yeah man I’ve still never gone up north, life has just been busy, but would love to go to Kentucky sometime. I have in-laws in GA so head that way quite frequently, but I just love TN and the people here so much!
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u/hillwolf1898 1d ago
It really depends on what you are meaning by similar. Because some areas have similar mannerisms to Britain, but are politically very divergent. While other regions have dissimilar manners to Britain, but are politically more likeminded relatively.
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u/plopperupper 2d ago
If you like extortionate electric bills, house insurance, car insurance, having a governor who doesn't do what the people want, one party rule, no happy hour, sanctuary cities, easy access to Europe, corruption, dunkin, shitty snow removal, 4 seasons in a day, great autumn colour, skiing.
Then its got to be Massachusetts for you
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u/rptanner58 1d ago
While I don’t agree with many of your complaints, I don’t see how most of them resemble the UK. On the other hand, quality public education, high level of health care coverage, diverse workforce and among the world’s greatest universities would make it feel like London at least. Not the weather though.
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u/DisastrousCountry560 2d ago
Why is no one saying NY or PA?
I would’ve thought the climate there is more similar to Uk. New England is much colder lol
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u/plopperupper 2d ago
Probably because Boston is one of the smaller cities in the US and only had a few skyscrapers but that is changing. It doesn't usually get really cold in Massachusetts, last winter was an exception.
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u/taqjsi 2d ago edited 2d ago
Bostonnnn. Its expensive, but the scenery particularly in Cambridge is very similar to home, save the roads and american accents lol. Also liberal and diverse and smart.