I don't know if northerners go in the good or bad column because the kindness of the people really depends where in the North you are

idk if you're counting NYC as "north" given that I struggle to consider it "well designed" unless you're comparing it to the other shitholes in this country, but we New Yorkers can be shockingly kind IF you deserve it. We're like Gordon Ramsay on Kitchen Nightmares vs how he is on Master Chef Junior; if you deserve to be read to filth for being obnoxious in public, then you will be, but if you deserve to be walked through how the subway works and what stop to get off at for ten entire minutes and told to enjoy your day and don't worry about it, then you will be.