Those of you who live in states populated by the Amish: Is seeing them common?

27 comments

1. My family lived in Lancaster PA and seeing them around was very common, but the only interactions I ever had with them were as a customer in some of their stores.

   So there’s no way I can comment on who they are as people.

2. They don’t live across the entire state of Pennsylvania, more like a pocket of the state, so if you don’t live in that area you aren’t going to see them. But if you go to Lancaster, where they mostly live, yes you’ll see them out and about. Never interacted unless specifically going to an Amish store though.

3. Depends on where you are. I grew up in an area that had a very secluded Amish population. They live in Burkes Garden, VA, really beautiful place. About the only time that anyone would really see them though was at the local festivals. A family would set up a stand and make really awesome donuts. Where I live now there is a fairly large Amish community nearby. I see them out all the time at Walmart, the library, when they are going to church on Sundays, etc. Around where I live they either get around with horse and buggy or tractors. Typically though tractors is the more common form of transportation that I see for them on everyday but Sundays. Most Amish aren’t very big on talking to outsiders even when in public. Like everyone else. Some Amish are more approachable than others. Most around me use a form of German and rarely use English. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had interactions with them. I helped one Amish woman grab something off a higher shelf and also helped an Amish family gather their groceries off the floor after their buggy/shopping cart broke. Along with that I’m also greeted somewhat often when I pass an amish person in public, which Im not sure why. Maybe something to do with my appearance as I do have blonde hair. No idea why though. Back the other day I was walking a local trail when I crossed paths with two Amish women. There were talking in English about wanting to woo an English, what they call non-Amish, man. Now I will say that some Amish businesses are pretty corrupt, like I wouldn’t go buy a puppy from an Amish puppy mill. Not too long ago there was an Amish guy arrested for trafficking narcotics. I think he was growing some of the devils cabbage.

4. Similar to other states, the Amish in Indiana live mostly in the north-central-ish and northeastern part of the state, though there are some communities in the southern third.

   In Indianapolis, you may see them at the downtown hospitals. Or if you use the Amtrak line that runs through town, onboard the train. They also have booths at many of the Farmer’s Markets around town.

   There’s also the Mennonites, some of whom are kind of like Amish-Lite and others that are more urbanized and integrated into modern society.

5. I see them at the local Lowes all the time. They do a lot of contracting around here and they always hire a driver to take them to job sites and to pick up supplies. You will quite often see a roadside lot filled with backyard storage sheds/mini-barns and gazebos for sale

6. My parents live outside of Lancaster, PA and their neighbors are Amish. Buggies going past their house are as common as cars.

7. We have a recently established Mennonite community in Northeastern Alabama. They keep to themselves but have an amazing farmer’s market.

8. Can’t speak to the others, but in rural Indiana, they’re rare, but definitely exist. You won’t find a horse and buggy on the road often, but it can happen. They mostly keep to themselves.

   The ones I’ve met have been solemn but polite. One of them went to my elementary school, and he seemed to be a pretty normal kid. He didn’t invest as much in developing friendships as the rest of us though because he knew it wouldn’t last. Still, he was missed when he stopped going to school.

9. They’re generally pretty friendly but they do tend to stick to their communities. And if you live near them, it’s very common to see them. Many own businesses, especially construction. In Lancaster they make big tourist bucks.

10. depends where in pennsylvania you are. pittsburgh or philadelphia? not likely. lancaster county? very common

    I’ve never spoken to an amish person outside of a business context and I imagine that’s the case for most “english” (they call anyone who isn’t amish english). they are polite, if somewhat standoffish in my experience. if you’re a woman you might not get much conversation out of an amish man at all. there might be some sexism behind it but I think it comes more from it not being “proper” for them

11. When I lived in western PA, here and there yeah. Would see Amish and Mennonite shopping and stores a lot(prob more Mennonite) and occasionally see them on backroads.

12. Big question though, how do you pronounce Lancaster, PA. Only one right answer.

13. I live in a place that is known for its Amish population. I see them around, but very rarely have meaningful interaction with them.

    My wife regularly works with them in a professional context. They are, for the most part, just normal people with a distinctive lifestyle.

    They don’t like being treated as a novelty or a tourist attraction, so they can be wary of non-Amish people who they don’t personally know.

14. There’s a small contingency in Missouri, non Amish mostly interact with them through their stores Aj’s driving around their carriages.

15. We have an Amish population near me as well (northern Michigan). Yes, I see them almost daily.

    They generally don’t go into town for anything other than building supplies. One family has a stand at the corner of two roads on weekends where they sell baked goods.

    Other than than seeing them at the hardware or stopping to buy a pie, I’d have no reason to interact with them. They’re working their fields, driving their buggies, the kids are at school etc. They’re not aliens, they say hello and engage people if spoken to.

16. I live in South Central PA (not Lancaster County though), and I see the Amish and Mennonites quite regularly. It’s pretty normal to see a horse and buggy at least once a day. Don’t have too much of an issue with them outside of the horse shit on the roads lol.

17. You see them a lot in certain parts of the state, I don’t have to go very far west from the city to start running into Amish and Mennonite communities, and they do come out this way to sell their goods in many cases. I’m in pennsylvania

18. If you drive through or live in Lancaster County, you will encounter them. Pennsylvania is huge by land mass so outside of Lancaster and maybe the outskirts, it’s rare to see them.

    The only time most interact with them is at their stores/businesses or if you buy dogs from them (but don’t do that lol). I wouldn’t describe them as not wanting to talk to “outsiders” considering that though they live rural, they will still interact with others while off the farm.

    Outside of Lancaster County, there are many of the adjacent group Mennonites. They can drive cars and not dress as “plain” as Amish do. They’re more secular to varying degrees. I grew up knowing many Mennonites and they are very nice. Many do contracting and make a good living that way.

19. I grew up in NE Ohio, and it wasn’t uncommon to see them once you got out of the city. My only real interactions with them were buying vegetables and once when someone I knew hired them to build a barn.

20. I live in south central Kentucky. Although not one of the blue states highlighted, I see Amish almost daily. We used to joke about my SIL living so far out in the country, she lived behind the Amish. Now I have a farm that far backroad.

21. Starting about a 20-minute drive south of me is an area popularly known as “Amish Country”, and yes, it’s common to see them driving buggies down the road.

22. They tend to live in enclaves here in Michigan at least. So unless you drive through rural areas where they live you won’t see them.

23. I live in Iowa and once you are out on some local roads in the country or smaller towns, they are very common to see. Not all areas, obviously, but I never go a summer without seeing at least a few buggies on the side roads. My cousin had a farm in southern Iowa and we would always wave at the buggies going by and they waved back, but that’s about the extent of any meaningful interaction aside from store clerks.

    I knew someone who used to make some extra cash driving some of them around on longer trips.

24. Here in Wisconsin we have a decent sized amish population to our north (I live in southern Wisconsin) and we really run into them if we are going up north. That being said, they are extremely nice people, they even helped us build our house.

25. Not around here, but Lancaster is not too far away.

26. I live about 30 minutes north of the Amish area in Illinois, around Arthur. 99% of them stay in the few towns in that area.

    A few of them work in carpentry and I’ve seen them build houses in my town. They build normal houses with modern tools, or hammers at least. They carpool together with a non-Amish driver to get to the jobsites.

    The ones in my area allow themselves to use modern tools and equipment in their businesses to stay competitive with the regular world.

    A lot of their businesses are in their area and people go there to buy their stuff, like Amish furniture or meats or cheeses.

27. Almost every day. I drive around for work and pass them working at their homes or traveling on buggies or bicycles on the back roads. There are quite a few Mennonites that work at the nursing homes that I visit as well.

    My wife works in an adoption agency and interacts with their communities frequently. She generally loves visiting their homes because they’re usually very welcoming.