Which coast is better: the East Coast or the West Coast? Both have their advantages and drawbacks, and in many areas it is a close call. But in the end, the East Coast wins the contest. Here are ten reasons why everybody knows the East Coast dominates the West Coast…
10. The East Coast is RealThink about what the West Coast (most notably California) is most known for. Hollywood, the silver screen, plastic surgery, perceived low work ethic, trendy, and superficial notions. The West Coast is fake. People there are laid back to the point where they get virtually nothing done, and no work ethic is exhibited, trends and styles change on a whim based on whatever the latest celebrity or designer says, plastic surgery is modifying people’s bodies at an all-time high rate, and Hollywood dominates the ideology of much of the area. The East Coast could not be more opposite than that. People there are workaholics, often putting in over 60 hours at their place of work in order to either keep up with competition or rise up the corporate ladder. Most people are genuine and it is easy to tell what kind of person they are upon first meeting them. Drugs and crimes do not run rampant across entire regions in the east as they do in the west, and celebrities do not run the cities. I mean, come on, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the governor of California! The Governor! I can’t take a state, or in this case, coast seriously when its major attraction gives all its power to a movie star.
9. Accents and Dialects
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever heard a West Coast native say? Hella? “Mad *insert adjective of choice here*”? Maybe some abbreviation that’s indecipherable to anyone outside California? That’s what I thought. Get real folks. Everyone knows the East Coast has better words native to its lands, and oh by the way, have you ever heard a west coaster talk with an accent or dialect? I didn’t think so. Not like they do in the east. Massachusetts has had its famed “wicked” and over-exaggerated “ahhhh” sound demonstrated throughout history to the point that everyone instantly knows it. States south of Virginia exhibit the so-called “southern drawl” that has been made famous by country music and barbeques everywhere. New Yorkers even somehow manage to insert the letters “o” and “w” into nearly every word in the dictionary: New Yawrk (New York), cawffee (coffee), wawter (water), wawrk (work). Every region in the east has its own dialect or accent to its credit, and while not really contributing anything tangible to society, it sure makes thing interesting and unique, something the West Coasters cannot duplicate.
8. Variety
As mentioned before, on the East Coast it is possible to drive through numerous states in a matter of hours. While on this journey one can see another fact that makes the East Coast better than the west: variety. Variety in people, places, culture, history, and diversity. What’s great about the east is that it’s not just northern California and So Cal and then Washington and Oregon, it’s a mishmash of different kinds of people and those differences are reflected in their states. Florida is a haven for vacationers and retirees; North and South Carolina for their delightful mix of beach life and southern zest; New Jersey (a.k.a. the “Dirty Jerz”) is infamous for the attitudes of its residents; New York is the city that never sleeps and where everything happens at an amazingly fast pace; Massachusetts and Connecticut are sports nuts and the backbone of America’s academia; Vermont and New Hampshire have their share of “hippies” and cows; and Maine – well, the moose and lobster live up there. Every state offers something completely different than the last, and there are so many more opportunities to experience the world within this great country on the East Coast.
7. Shorter International Travel
Want to travel outside the US? Care to try your hand in Britain or France? Maybe Germany and Italy are more your style. Mexico, Canada, South America, and Africa are also at your fingertips. Live on the East Coast and travel to Europe is easy. Hop on a plane in virtually every major city and you will find yourself cruising at 20,000 ft over the smaller of the two major oceans, right into the vacation of your dreams. Settle in the west and, yes you can still travel internationally, but only to the likes of Mexico, Australia, Japan, China, or the Philippines. While some of these places are undoubtedly nice travel destinations, the facts remain that more vacationers travel to Europe than to China or Japan, and with the proximity to our eastern neighbors, why not go pay them a visit?
6. Statistically… the East is the Best
Look up any database that compiles and categorizes statistics by state, and you will see that quite literally, the East Coast is the best of the best. The East Coast has the smartest state (Vermont), the biggest city (New York City), the richest state (Connecticut), lowest obesity rate (ALL of New England), best dressed (New York, Connecticut, Washington D.C, and Boston) and more. It’s the biggest, most clever, and most physically fit. Oh and not to mention, the president lives on the East Coast. That’s right, the most powerful man on the planet has always chosen to make his residence on the coast with more to offer. As awesome as the governator is, I don’t think that anyone can counter that point, even Arnold.
5. Sports
East Coast sports are better than yours. It’s a fact. Seriously, look at the numbers. East Coast teams have won of the last 17 of the last 23 world championships, and that same number, 17, is the number of NBA titles the Boston Celtics have won in their history. No sport is spared: MLB has seen a team from the east win 5 of the last 7 World Series titles, 8 of the NFL last 10 Super Bowl champions are from the east, even the NHL saw 4 of its last 6 championship teams hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in victory somewhere on the East Coast. And I’ll do you one better: the Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees. Two of the most storied sports franchises in history, and the most bitter, hated, violent, rivalry that transcends all sports. Even if you’re not a fan you either love or hate one of these two dynasties. The best teams provoke fan reactions no matter what, and this is never truer than in the Bronx for a Game 7 Championship Series. Game over West Coasters. Nothing beats the Yankees and the Sox battling it out every summer. Nothing.
4. Proximity and Size
“They just decided they were sick of drawing border lines so they went, square, square, square, kind of square, Idaho, more squares, and whatever’s left we’ll call California”. This is the conversation I always have with people in regards to geography of the US. It’s no secret that the East Coast is split up hundreds of ways on the map with each state taking the shape of a puzzle piece that must be put together. As you move west, this changes after the likes of Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. Next time you look at a map consider the above quote and I dare you to disprove it. That being said, the East Coast and all its crazy borders is a good thing. The states are smaller, so there are more of them, which means you can visit many of them in the span of a few days. To drive the entire state of California from tip to tip would take you 15 hours, and you will not leave the state! Drive 15 hours on the East Coast and you could go from Vermont (yes, it’s a state – the one next to New Hampsh…err… New York. No, not the city) to Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s nine states. Nine. Google it if you don’t believe me. There’s so much more to see in the East, and besides, who wants to drive for that long and not even see a single welcome sign?
3. Climate
Ok, ok so here’s where people get confused. “Why would the East Coast ever have a better climate, it gets COLD there! I mean, they have, like, blizzards and ice storms!” First off, yes, it does snow a good amount in the East. Blizzards roll through and ice storms ravage the area with bitter cold temperatures far into the negative values. But the crazy thing, and part of what makes the East so unique, is that the people there, particularly those in New England, will tell you they love it and can’t imagine life otherwise. East Coasters from Maine all the way through parts of Florida expect to be cold for anywhere from 2-7 months of the year, and it’s just sort of accepted. People either embrace it and do things like ski or snowshoe, or they, well, leave; they travel to places like Florida or California. Those who hate the cold find ways to avoid it. And hey, nobody ever said fireplaces weren’t inviting on a -40 degree day. Second, there’s something else to be said for all the weather the East Coast receives: it happens. 4 unique and distinctly separate seasons are a major part of what makes the East so appealing. Spring, summer, autumn/fall, and winter, these are the four yearly seasons for those of you in sunny Cal or rainy Seattle who forget that there actually are four of them. Which one is the best? Take your pick; spring gives new life to the year and offers a break from those stricken with cabin fever from the cold, summer is still summer, autumn offers a bloom of color on the landscape along with tasty treats from newly ripe apples, and winter, daunting as it may seem, can be a lot of fun if you make the effort. I know a few West Coasters who have changed their mind about the snow once they experience all you can do in it.
2. History
You can’t throw a stone on the East Coast and not hit something of historical value, (unless you’re in, say, West Virginia or something). The East coast is drenched in history, and for good reason. The East has the first British colony ever settled on North America (Jamestown, VA), the first state admitted to the Union (Delaware), the first University (Harvard 1636), the first daily newspaper (Pennsylvania Packet and General Advertiser, Philadelphia, 1784) and about a hundred other things. Of course this is not exactly fair to the West Coast, as the US was settled by Europeans, but it remains true nonetheless. From its traditional, 200-year-old, red and white brick buildings and picturesque city streets to the harbors, libraries, and countryside, the East Coast is history. After all, it’s pretty cool to know that when you step foot in Philadelphia, you are just a few short blocks from where this country was founded. Sorry California, you just can’t compete with that.
1. Sunrises
Who doesn’t love a good sunrise? Well, if you’re from anywhere other than the East Coast, you may not have had the luxury of seeing a true sunrise in all its majesty. Let me just say there’s nothing like it. If you’re fortunate enough to live on the tidal coast or have mountains nearby, you are the lucky few who get this opportunity. Sure, anyone can see a sunrise so long as they get up early enough. It doesn’t matter where you are, the sun always comes up. Well, of course, but until you experience the sheer natural beauty; the sudden and immediate change from darkness to twilight and finally to daylight; the yellow and orange of the sun mixing with the blue and green of the waters and mountains; until you see it for yourself, you can’t ever say you’ve seen a sunrise as good as the ones on the East Coast. Camp out at the top of a mountain and watch as the rays of warmth from the sun slowly creep over the valley below for the first time, or take a loved one to the beach and lie in the sand as the light and color engulf your bodies. I assure you, it’s breathtaking. Not to mention – when the sun rises on the East, it rises on America. It begins a new day, week, month, or year, and offers a fresh start from any troubles past. If that’s not awesome symbolism then I don’t know what is.
