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Is South Carolina considered the more genteel and historic of the two?
Yeah, most attributable to Charleston.
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Also, is it common for people in either to identify as just a Carolinian irrespective of north or south, or do people from the two states actually make particular effort to distinguish themselves from the other?
Most will specify but sometimes I might say something about going down to Carolina due to my strong ties to both states, but I'm in the minority.
Cities/Urbanity: So, I know NC is a more populous state and thus should win.. but I really think that SC might trump NC on quality. Charleston, while I'm not obsessed as some, is a PROBLEM, matchup wise (ranked as one of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world most recently), that I don't think any NC city, even Wilmington can match in that Old World/European/general urbanity sense. I think that underrated Greenville can actually match or even top Asheville. I think that Columbia actually matches up surprisingly well with Raleigh in an urban form sense. I consider Winston Salem and Beaufort to sorta cancel one another out. SC I don't think has anything like Durham... but I also don't think NC has anything like Myrtle Beach, in the dense coastal resort town sense. Charlotte is the only thing that SC has no answer for... but I still think what SC does have in a qualitative sense, right now at least, edges out what NC has. I also think that SC's case is somewhat bolstered by having certain metropolitan amenities across state lines from places like Charlotte, Savannah and Augusta.
Culture/Art: This one I think is gonna go to NC. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill combine to probably have, for a metro area of it's size, an outsize collection of cultural and arts institutions, etc. That alone is more than anything in that regard that SC has, though Charleston doesn't do poorly here.
Attractions/Entertainment: I really think this one is a relative draw. NC might have more overall.. but I mean I think both have a fair amount of whichever attractions the other one lacks.
Livability/Comfort: Both have a fair amount as far as I'm concerned.
Traffic/Transit: Gonna say it's a draw. SC has less traffic due to less population and major cities.. but NC, or at least Charlotte, has a functional metro system unlike anything SC has to offer.
Location/Day Trips: NC as a state has a better location to me. There is more of it too.. but NC also just connects better to other regions. From the northern exit of NC on I-95... you are only 2.5 hrs. to Alexandria, effectively in the heart of Urban DC/Metro Area. From the northern border of NC along I-77... you are less than 4 hrs. removed from the Midwest (Ohio)
Parks/Scenery: SC doesn't fare poorly here... but in the mountains and sea category.. the most scenic stretches of NC outpace the most scenic SC ones. There is also much more of them.
Food/Drink: I'm stuck here... I think RDU and CLT are gonna have much more of an ethnic foodie scene and options given their size. On the other hand-neither are known for that in any sort of national sense... and meanwhile, on a local scene.. Charleston's food scene is far more noteworthy and unique to area than any other individual city in the Carolinas. I suppose there is Carolina BBQ.. but I tend to think of that as shared between the Carolinas.. with Columbia and Florence having some pretty strong options too in that regard, even though the official capital of that type of cooking seems to be SE of Raleigh in the Greenville vicinity.
Overall Preference: The area of SW NC surrounding Highlands/Franklin, etc., is almost certainly my favorite rural/outdoor rec area in the Southern US. I think because of that and because I like the sports scenes-pro of Charlotte, college of Raleigh, I'm inclined to say NC. That said.. it is quite close though... but I think a lot of the credit for how close it is goes to Charleston here.
Uh, growing up in Southeastern NC on the SC border, the Carolinas seemed like one big state from my point of view. Of course like any "state", it has regional character from Greenville, SC to the Outer Banks. I think the previous poster captured the essence of the two states.
NC and SC complement each other very well. Though different in some respects, it's a straight up draw.
Cities/Urbanity: So, I know NC is a more populous state and thus should win.. but I really think that SC might trump NC on quality. Charleston, while I'm not obsessed as some, is a PROBLEM, matchup wise (ranked as one of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world most recently), that I don't think any NC city, even Wilmington can match in that Old World/European/general urbanity sense. I think that underrated Greenville can actually match or even top Asheville. I think that Columbia actually matches up surprisingly well with Raleigh in an urban form sense. I consider Winston Salem and Beaufort to sorta cancel one another out. SC I don't think has anything like Durham... but I also don't think NC has anything like Myrtle Beach, in the dense coastal resort town sense. Charlotte is the only thing that SC has no answer for... but I still think what SC does have in a qualitative sense, right now at least, edges out what NC has. I also think that SC's case is somewhat bolstered by having certain metropolitan amenities across state lines from places like Charlotte, Savannah and Augusta.
Culture/Art: This one I think is gonna go to NC. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill combine to probably have, for a metro area of it's size, an outsize collection of cultural and arts institutions, etc. That alone is more than anything in that regard that SC has, though Charleston doesn't do poorly here.
Attractions/Entertainment: I really think this one is a relative draw. NC might have more overall.. but I mean I think both have a fair amount of whichever attractions the other one lacks.
Livability/Comfort: Both have a fair amount as far as I'm concerned.
Traffic/Transit: Gonna say it's a draw. SC has less traffic due to less population and major cities.. but NC, or at least Charlotte, has a functional metro system unlike anything SC has to offer.
Location/Day Trips: NC as a state has a better location to me. There is more of it too.. but NC also just connects better to other regions. From the northern exit of NC on I-95... you are only 2.5 hrs. to Alexandria, effectively in the heart of Urban DC/Metro Area. From the northern border of NC along I-77... you are less than 4 hrs. removed from the Midwest (Ohio)
Parks/Scenery: SC doesn't fare poorly here... but in the mountains and sea category.. the most scenic stretches of NC outpace the most scenic SC ones. There is also much more of them.
Food/Drink: I'm stuck here... I think RDU and CLT are gonna have much more of an ethnic foodie scene and options given their size. On the other hand-neither are known for that in any sort of national sense... and meanwhile, on a local scene.. Charleston's food scene is far more noteworthy and unique to area than any other individual city in the Carolinas. I suppose there is Carolina BBQ.. but I tend to think of that as shared between the Carolinas.. with Columbia and Florence having some pretty strong options too in that regard, even though the official capital of that type of cooking seems to be SE of Raleigh in the Greenville vicinity.
Overall Preference: The area of SW NC surrounding Highlands/Franklin, etc., is almost certainly my favorite rural/outdoor rec area in the Southern US. I think because of that and because I like the sports scenes-pro of Charlotte, college of Raleigh, I'm inclined to say NC. That said.. it is quite close though... but I think a lot of the credit for how close it is goes to Charleston here.
The Highlands / Franklin area and the NC mountains in general are closer to people in the Greenville SC CSA than most people in NC.
North Carolina doesn't have any place like the Lake Jocasse and Lake Keowee area of SC. South Carolina also has one of the most pristine whitewater rivers , the Chattooga, and a high number of waterfalls. The views from Table Rock, Ceasars Head, Pretty Place, Big Rock, Glassy Mountain, Sassafras Mountain, Jumping Off Rock,etc in SC are as good as any in NC
I'm not sure why you compared Greenville to Asheville specifically but Greenville is a larger metro with a more diversified job market than Asheville. Asheville more of a retirement / tourism town, a grittier version of Hilton Head with a little more industry. Greenville gets a lot of stuff that Asheville does not.
I'm cool with SC not having an 'answer' for Charlotte and ..... Durham. Durham is one of the most unappealing places in the southeast in my view.
Last edited by ClemVegas; 04-04-2020 at 08:57 AM..
Uh, growing up in Southeastern NC on the SC border, the Carolinas seemed like one big state from my point of view. Of course like any "state", it has regional character from Greenville, SC to the Outer Banks. I think the previous poster captured the essence of the two states.
NC and SC complement each other very well. Though different in some respects, it's a straight up draw.
Ironically, my mother’s family is from that same part of SC and the nearby parts of NC are very similar to where if there wasn’t a sign, you wouldn’t know where one state ends or begins. A lot of people have family/roots on both sides of the border too(in my case Fairmont, Lumberton, etc. in NC and Mullins, Lakeview, etc. in SC).
Ironically, my mother’s family is from that same part of SC and the nearby parts of NC are very similar to where if there wasn’t a sign, you wouldn’t know where one state ends or begins. A lot of people have family/roots on both sides of the border too(in my case Fairmont, Lumberton, etc. in NC and Mullins, Lakeview, etc. in SC).
I grew up in that area of the Carolinas. Mullins, Lake view, Dillon, Loris etc in SC feels no different than Fairmont, Lumberton, Tabor City, Whiteville etc in NC to your point. I used to always wonder why people thought the two states were even that different. Florence and Fayrtteville are like brothers from a different mother.
Cities/Urbanity: So, I know NC is a more populous state and thus should win.. but I really think that SC might trump NC on quality. Charleston, while I'm not obsessed as some, is a PROBLEM, matchup wise (ranked as one of the 50 most beautiful cities in the world most recently), that I don't think any NC city, even Wilmington can match in that Old World/European/general urbanity sense. I think that underrated Greenville can actually match or even top Asheville. I think that Columbia actually matches up surprisingly well with Raleigh in an urban form sense. I consider Winston Salem and Beaufort to sorta cancel one another out. SC I don't think has anything like Durham... but I also don't think NC has anything like Myrtle Beach, in the dense coastal resort town sense. Charlotte is the only thing that SC has no answer for... but I still think what SC does have in a qualitative sense, right now at least, edges out what NC has. I also think that SC's case is somewhat bolstered by having certain metropolitan amenities across state lines from places like Charlotte, Savannah and Augusta.
northern border of NC along I-77... you are less than 4 hrs. removed from the Midwest (Ohio)
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I'm a bit perplexed on this one.
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Durham is one of the most unappealing places in the southeast in my view.
