thatguyinlondon: well said. People have different personality types and different views on what 'friendly' is. That is something that you can't change, and really shouldn't have to. Everyone is different.

That being said; assholes are assholes and they should be nicer.

Greg - look back at the origins of any permanent community at this inland riverside location. When this middle Forks site was Reserved by Lt. Gov. Simcoe for his fantasy of a Capital City rising in the wilderness, he thought the river was navigable, and safe from American agression. The place was finally settled when the Courts were move inland from Lake Erie, to the site, more central for the agricultural settlement in the townships. Read the Founding of London provincial plaque and the Vittoria one for a quick history fix. Not much can be done about it now, so we must capitalize on the foresight of his legacy of a connecting Governor's Road (now Dundas St.) and the coming of the railroad. Back some decades, London was more Roman Catholic than the various protestant dominations as we recall it..

Even more.....

I remember walking down the street and seeing a woman with absolutely fantastic hair. I remember smelling an exceptionally nice perfume. I wanted to pass on a compliment, but couldn't. I would be looked upon as a dirty old man coming on. There is more to our seemingly unfriendly society than just being unfriendly.
I use two examples of women because I, as a guy, can toss a compliment to a guy and he won't think I am trying to bed him. He'll just think I'm nuts.

Is that Mike again or one of his puppets? I reread Jennifer's words over and over and cannot see any attacks or insults towards a specific ethnicity. Her words actually opened my eyes a bit. Yeah, I walk with my head down and don't make a lot of eye contact. I don't know the names of people at store I shop at.
This isn't always because we are unfriendly. I mean if I just walked up to someone all cheerful and all they'd wonder what I was after. I for one, thanks to Jennifer, will try to hold my head up and at least smile and nod when I make eye contact. Thanks Jennifer, you just made London a better place, one guyinlondon at a time. :)

For the record, when it comes to people, I am colour blind. My only prejudice is towards is towards assholes, and they are not race or gender specific. So Rich or Mike wannabes, if you want to improve your life and improve how people treat you, stop being assholes.

(sorry if that word offends, but I could think of no other that fit)

I agree entirely with Jennifer. Although I was born and raised in London, I have traveled extensively across North and Central America, and I have consistently found London to be very unfriendly, even less so than Toronto. I have ever felt at home here, despite my best efforts to reach out to others, and I have made the decision to leave London once I am done my post-secondary education. It is almost impossible to break into any social group here. Indeed, all of my good friends are people who are not from London.

I'm VERY proud of our city (London). I'm in my 30's. Moved here from TO for work. Love how clean it is, vibrant the night life is,the history!!!! Amazing. BUT....I always heard that London was snobby or WASPy. I disagree. To say that London is snobby would be somewhat a complement on some scale (Not mine) There are NO manners, etiquette or "brotherly" love. NOT saying ALL Londoners are like this. But a larger group are!!
Reality is, this IS what other cities DO think of us. I have lived here for 5 years now. I have lived in the same house, goto the SAME grocery store, Gas station, restaurant, LCBO, etc...and none of them make a point to remember my name. Say "Hello...how are ya" or even give a smile of recognition. This also goes for my neighbours.
So "hir hir" Jennifer O'Brien....LOOSEN UP LONDON! Take it from me who has lived in many major Canadian cities. We are VERY lucky. London is a beautiful city...RELAX and enjoy it and its great people!

I've spent my entire life in London and over the last few years I have realized a few things.

The problem with our city is that it's a student town. UWO and Fanshawe college bring in thousands of young adults from surrounding areas. It's good for downtown businesses throughout the school year, but downtown can turn into a ghost town when they leave.

I don't know how to say this without offending someone out there BUT, I work in a restaurant downtown. Students are the worst customers that I have ever dealt with. They're rude, they're cheap, and they are annoying because they all act like airheaded bimbos. That's not to say ALL students, but it's worth noting. When summer starts and the students go back to their mansions in Toronto we are left to enjoy ourselves with our regular customers who have been with us from the start, and are some of the kindest people that I have ever met in this city.

Part of the reason that this city may seem so unfriendly is because a lot of people aren't actually FROM this city, they don't really care about it or the people who live here.

Do media people today expect too much interest in them, as "celebrities"?
That went out with the mythic fedora and PRESS card image years ago.
There was a day when a newspaper person in the neighbourhood would be the centre of the action. Ideas, information and sometimes help, using professional leverage. Interaction with some of you online suggests you are not all rthe knowledgeable or gracious people to whom old, young and family class residents would look to for leadership in a crisis.
Yes, London has a staid past which made it a comfortable place to raise a family. Where everybody pretty well knew everybody making us self-sufficient. And it does need to be gingered up to compete in the larger world.
Start with the City Hall website where our "Creativity" side is portrayed with a woman of colour painted up and singing and dancing about. Sexist, racist and just ethnic Arts, not intellectual adventurousness..
One "loser" image of London enabled by media in a hospital-dominated community is people always shoving their personal health problems in everyone else's faces and demanding money. Lots of us have challenges and deal with them privately.
Good luck in this endeavour, a brilliant use of New Media resources. Hope we will from churches and schools about their role in creating and nurturing their geographic neighbourhoods.

Jen, you're right.
My aunt -- who is a wonderful person born and raised in London -- admitted to me a few years ago that it's true, people here could be friendlier.
I noticed as soon as I moved here no one waves when you let them in in traffic. Never seen that before.

Well said Jennifer. I think the problem is that we are very apathetic to all that goes on around us. If we take the time to talk to each other, smile at each other, that kind of positive energy will create a buzz about a city that has a lot of other great things going for it.

London has been a very warm friendly place for me to live. I have met the kindest most decent people of my lifetime here. Stop and breath the air, talk to some people and see for yourself. Every town has it's share of crusty people. As far as Ontario goes, London is the most friendly of the larger cities. Think what you like, my opinion is unwaivered. I've been around and know the difference.

There is a kind of city-that-fun-forgot element to London; maybe it's a residue of the 19th-century protestant work ethic that made the city a prosperous, but dull, place. Cities closer to larger influences — other countries, seaports, etc. — normally don't pack such reserve.