Regional City Powerhouse Poll (accent, live, largest, population)

[machiavelli1]

Northeast

1) Wash DC
2) NYC
3) Boston
4) Philly
5) Baltimore

South

1) Houston
2) Atlanta
3) Dallas
4) Miami
5) Charlotte

Midwest

1) Chicago
2) Minneapolis
3) St Louis
4) Detroit
5) Cleveland

West

1) LA
2) San Fran
3) Seattle
4) San Diego
5) Phoenix

[theATLien]

Originally Posted by wpmeads

Well, DC is listed in the South (which in my geography class, I was all ways taught it was in the Northeast) and Houston and Dallas are listed above Atlanta. This thread could hostile fast.

But in all seriousness, I don't see why DC is considered "the South." Normally, the South is considered Confederate slave states during the Civil War and it was neither a slave "state" (although technically it's not a state it's a district) nor part of the Confederacy. In fact, I believe it remained the capital of the Union during the Civil War. In addition, doesn't the Northeast Corridor (or BosWash) go from DC to Boston?

Legally DC was considered the south because in order for the southern states to ratify a new Federalist government (the kind we have now) away from the confederate government it had to give the south something.

So the deal was that the new federal government would assume all the war debts and in exchange the capital of the United States would be relocated to the south. Compromise of 1790. And not only in the south but two of the most predominantly wealthy southern states Maryland and Virginia.

During that time many in the northern legislators didn't even want to do the deal. They would have taken the debt, but the deal was made and for decades many in the DC area were griping about why they had to relocate to the swamp... So it had little to do with the civil war.

[theATLien]

^^^^
Just to clarify when I say confererate government I am talking about the first true government that emerged out of the Revolution not the one the came before the civil war

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by ReluctantGardenStater

Yeah, I don't think anyone (besides the outdated U.S. census and those who still go by the civil war-era Mason-Dixon line) can see D.C. as South, so I would replace Pittsburgh and Buffalo for the Northeast with Washington D.C. and Baltimore, respectively.

This was not meant in an insulting way, but it's just silly when people claim D.C. is a Southern city. Or Baltimore for that matter.

It's arguable, not silly. Both of those cities felt pretty Southern, up until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.

[blkgiraffe]

The thing you have to look at when determining DC as a southern or northern city is the people. The people of DC don't consider themselves neither, but they will admit they identify more with the north than the south.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Why is the regional designation of Washington D.C. such an issue for some people? It is not the topic of this thread, and the OP even stipulated D.C.'s location for the purposes of the thread.

It's a very trivial topic that seems to be really important to a very few people. Who cares?

This is city-data.com! Of course it will be an issue for some posters, and NOTHING is too trivial on c-d.com. (And don't read this as sarcasm, this is the beauty of forums like this one! )

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

The thing you have to look at when determining DC as a southern or northern city is the people. The people of DC don't consider themselves neither, but they will admit they identify more with the north than the south.

Did you take a poll? Who did you ask, transplants, or those who've lived in DC for generations? And this raises the question, who gets to define a city, anyway? Locals? Outsiders? Transplants? The Census Bureau? Weather Channel? Geographers? Demographers? Economists? Can Northerners or Southerners reject a city as being part of their region? Can Southerners or Northerners declare a city as being part of their region?

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Did you take a poll? Who did you ask, transplants, or those who've lived in DC for generations? And this raises the question, who gets to define a city, anyway? Locals? Outsiders? Transplants? The Census Bureau? Weather Channel? Geographers? Demographers? Economists? Can Northerners or Southerners reject a city as being part of their region? Can Southerners or Northerners declare a city as being part of their region?

I believe the majority of DC people will consider themselves neither. I've visited DC plenty of times and when ever DC people are in the south; they don't never say they from the north; they just say their from DC. Lots of DC people actually believe they are above both because they're home of the Capital.

Culturally the south is more slow-paced, suburban, friendly, and laid-back. DC is the opposite of this. Now you can debate this all you want, but you have different regions because they aren't the same. DC felt more like a northern city than a southern city.

[theATLien]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

The thing you have to look at when determining DC as a southern or northern city is the people. The people of DC don't consider themselves neither, but they will admit they identify more with the north than the south.

Peoples opinins don't shape facts.

If you asked most people what they think money is made of they will say paper

The fact is money is made out of a mostly cotton fiber.

If you asked most people which region they would put DC they would say the north.

The fact is DC is legally in the south.

As a matter of fact it is the only sure thing as far as thats concered. It is a law made from the comprise of 1790...

So until the law is reversed DC will always be in the south. That's the fact
people can have have their opinions though.

[theATLien]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Culturally the south is more slow-paced, suburban, friendly, and laid-back. DC is the opposite of this. Now you can debate this all you want, but you have different regions because they aren't the same. DC felt more like a northern city than a southern city.

I disagree with you...

Generally the south is viewed as more slow-paced, but compared to what??? The south is freakin huge compared to the northeast. Population-wise and area-wise. That's not a good comaprision.

Exclude DC and 4 of the 10 most populated cities are in the south. How slow-paced is that. I agree with what somebody said earlier. Each state is like its own country. Georgia is just as diffrent from Florida as it is from Pennslyvania.

Wouldn't you agree that Atlanta has a lot more in common with DC than it does Valdosta, Albany, or Macon?