Why does Chicago have so many "tough guys"...? (Lexington: neighborhood, best)

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I'm pretty sure this is the closest one. And they also speak with southern drawls there, which I never realized existed in Indiana until I went to this particular Waffle House. That drawl penetrates deep into Indiana, apparently.

Same for southern Illinois and southern Ohio. Once you get far enough from the Great Lakes, the accent in those states sounds very Southern.

[j33]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

... northern prarie part of the state was settled by New Englanders and New Yorkers after the Erie Canal opened. For various reasons southern settlers penetrated farther north into Indiana than they did in Illinois.

Interesting. I guess my family has carried on the tradition of New Englanders settling the northern midwest, they moved here in the late 60's (1960's)

[icebergsyndrome]

Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan

Assuming we're talking about the same one, that's down near Royal Blue, TN. Just south of Jellico.

jellico,tn - Google Maps

Also at that exit: A huge fireworks joint, a store that sells stuff only seen on TV, a giant rocket, and a rusty ferris wheel up on a mountainside.

No Waffle House, though.

Hey I once witnessed a car on fire by the gas station just up the road at 3 AM coming back from Florida. Nothing makes me more pious than when a poor guy's car packed with all his belongings is burning on the shoulder of I-75 with that gigantic cross in the background.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by icebergsyndrome

Hey I once witnessed a car on fire by the gas station just up the road at 3 AM coming back from Florida. Nothing makes me more pious than when a poor guy's car packed with all his belongings is burning on the shoulder of I-75 with that gigantic cross in the background.

Sounds sort of apocalyptic... Were there zombies roaming about?

[icebergsyndrome]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Sounds sort of apocalyptic... Were there zombies roaming about?

No but as we were calling 911 on behalf of the car's owner an Iraq vet rolled up in his truck and began yelling at us to move farther from the car (though we were at least 100 feet away). I guess all those roadside bombs got to him.
I don't rule out zombies roaming around in the woods, however.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by j33

Being rather familiar with NW Indiana (which I jokingly call the 'new jersey of the midwest'), no, they don't have one either.

I think they used to. I think it was in Rensselaer or Lafayette. Somewhere around there.

[Lookout Kid]

I think the Waffle Houses start roughly where the White Castles end... It's the Waffle House/White Castle line.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I think the Waffle Houses start roughly where the White Castles end... It's the Waffle House/White Castle line.

Lexington Ky has both, White Castle was the OTHER good place to eat in Lexington. Christ, it's good to be back.

[j33]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I think they used to. I think it was in Rensselaer or Lafayette. Somewhere around there.

Ah. You and I have different definitions of what constitutes NW Indiana. I pretty much confine it to Lake and Porter counties, the rest is just .... Indiana.

[analyticalkeys]

This is why I love Chicago... look how easy it was to change the topic.