The U.S. as a whole is quite diverse. From culture to dialect to interests to economies, there are significant differences in the US as you travel from place to place. But realistically, we’re all one country, so the areas can’t be that different, right?
When we think about East Coast vs. West Coast, our minds likely go to the Hip-Hop rivalry of the ‘90s and the great diss tracks that followed, but it’s important to embrace our differences and enjoy what each area has to offer. Whether you’re looking to make the move from coast to coast, or you’re just interested in the cultural differences of the two areas, here are a few things that make the coast unique from each other.
Population
One thing you’ll notice if you’ve visited both sides of the country is the density of the population on the East Coast. The most important, obvious reason why is something you might remember from grade school history class. If you recall, the original 13 colonies were on the East Coast and included the land from New Hampshire all the way down to Georgia. Millions of people settled here before we even began to move out west. Because a lot of families planted their roots in these colonies, many of those families still reside in their home state, all these generations later.
Another reason the East is so densely populated is because it has a more moist climate. Because of the West’s dryness, it’s more difficult to grow and sustain crops for a large population. But, that comes with other positives.
Open Space
The West Coast is way more open, and you can see a lot of undeveloped land along the lesser populated areas of California in particular. The density of the East Coast means a lot of homes were built on top of each other. During these early years of America, there were no vehicles, so there was no need to accommodate for parking. Now, multi-car households are packed tightly together in the eastern cities, particularly in big metropolitan areas that have continued prominence throughout the years.
If you’re looking for a lot of land, you may have a better chance on the West Coast, although Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Bellevue houses for sale are a little more packed in, as they are larger cities.
Lifestyle
One of the main differences between the general vibes of West Coast individuals vs. East Coast is the pace of their lifestyle. In the west, you’ll often have a more laid back experience, less likely to worry about getting there on time or stressing yourself out over something you cannot change. This zen way of being can certainly improve mental wellness and fits with the health-conscious lifestyles of many West Coasters, however at times this can be misconstrued as lazy or uninterested.
The East Coast, particularly the big cities like New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, is known for being very fast-paced. The opposite of laid-back Californians, these East Coast city folk are always on the go and often get a bad reputation for being cold or rude. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the East Coasters are some of the best tippers in the country when it comes to eating out at restaurants. However, every East Coast resident should take a page out of the Western playbook and decompress once and a while!
