Not the impression I got when I was there a decade ago. Poor, and despondent, all the social and economic problems… but not conservative in that sense or insular just forgotten and suspicious of having their collective heart broken. Everyone who could leave had left already and not many but a few foolhardy souls were coming to a poor old steel town.
Nope. You wrote authoritatively but omitted the usual clarification of credibility (e.g. "I've lived there all my life"; "I graduated from Franciscan eight years ago"), so I thought I'd ask.
Also, people sometimes don't want to change for very good reason, and change is often bad. Especially in a downtrodden area like that, I think people are understandably distrustful of anything that upsets the status quo without offering substantial improvement.
Actually I don't think either of you are accurate. In the last year or two there have been dozens and dozens -- maybe a hundred -- new families that have come here, because of the Catholic community, but also because the cost of living, especially housing, is cheaper than almost anywhere else. You will find a few curmudgeons anywhere who are totally closed, but generally we are a welcoming bunch. And half the Catholic talking heads of the world make their way through here at some point, so it's not like we don't mix with the outside world -- lol.
Recently Matt Fradd said something like (I don't remember precisely) 110 families had moved to Steubenville last year to be part of the Catholic subculture there.
Steubenville is very conservative and insular. I suspect they don't want outsiders.
Not the impression I got when I was there a decade ago. Poor, and despondent, all the social and economic problems… but not conservative in that sense or insular just forgotten and suspicious of having their collective heart broken. Everyone who could leave had left already and not many but a few foolhardy souls were coming to a poor old steel town.
A decade ago. Things change. They don't want change.
Do you live there?
I have friends who currently live there. Do you live there?
Nope. You wrote authoritatively but omitted the usual clarification of credibility (e.g. "I've lived there all my life"; "I graduated from Franciscan eight years ago"), so I thought I'd ask.
Also, people sometimes don't want to change for very good reason, and change is often bad. Especially in a downtrodden area like that, I think people are understandably distrustful of anything that upsets the status quo without offering substantial improvement.
Actually I don't think either of you are accurate. In the last year or two there have been dozens and dozens -- maybe a hundred -- new families that have come here, because of the Catholic community, but also because the cost of living, especially housing, is cheaper than almost anywhere else. You will find a few curmudgeons anywhere who are totally closed, but generally we are a welcoming bunch. And half the Catholic talking heads of the world make their way through here at some point, so it's not like we don't mix with the outside world -- lol.
Recently Matt Fradd said something like (I don't remember precisely) 110 families had moved to Steubenville last year to be part of the Catholic subculture there.
It's significant. Definitely not every new family is Catholic. But I'd venture to say probably most are.