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Ive lived in 4 areas here. South Florida, Orlando, Gainesville and Tallahassee.
South Florida is not southern at all. It never really was. Its always been an eclectic mix of peoples with most of the original development being owed to Northern business tycoons.
Orlando is not very Southern either. There are some Southerners but from the last decade or so its becoming more and more like South Florida/NE. The metro area has some towns with a Southern feel to them but they are few and far between. Giant cookie cutter housing developments filled with retirees from Central and South Florida and the NE have taken over the area and have now pushed up to Ocala.
Gainesville struck me as more of a northern city than anything. Its a university town first and foremost and since most of the people attending there were from the other major metro areas of the state it tends to reflect that. Plus most of the people working there work for either UF or Shands and are from somewhere else as well. It has Southern elements but its not much.
Tallahassee is by far the most Southern city Ive lived in Florida. There is alot of elements of Southern culture and alot more people here identify with the rest of the South. Theres still a strong Southern cultural presence. But Ive had Southerners telling me they dont think this place is very Southern. The Panhandle does seem to me to be very Southern.
ive travelled throughout the South as well and done some stops in most the major cities and alot of tailgating at SEC schools. The stereotype seems to be that Southerners dont consider Florida part of the South. Id agree there. Culturally were not. Florida is kind of its own weird thing. Its a bigger melting pot than anywhere in the South.
Aside from parts of Northern Florida, Southern culture never got engrained in most of Florida. Spain controlled Florida for 300 years and it became a hideaway for runaway slaves and Indians. Florida was only part of the US for 40 years when the Civil War broke out. Most of the development that came starting in the 1890s came from Northerners, Midwesterners, and even Cubans. its history is unlike any Southern state, or any other state for that matter. And its culture reflects this history.
I've lived in all those cities too. I agree with much of what you say, however Gainesville is every bit as "Southern" as Tallahassee - once you get over to the east side of town, and away from the university. There is more to Gainesville than the university, but most people who go to Gainesville to attend school or to work in some industry that relies on the university in some way, seldom experience much of it.
As for the "Southerness" of Florida generally, I now live in Lake City, Florida. It's in Columbia county, and the northern border of the county is the Florida-Georgia state line. I've been here for ten years. Take it from someone who's lived in Macon and spent time in Birmingham and Oxford. This place is Southern.
Once you get away from the beaches in West Florida it's very Southern as well. I worked for a number of years in Washington County, and lived in Jackson County. They both border Alabama. The joke around there is that West Florida is really "LA", i.e. lower Alabama. It is. They all chew tobacco, hunt, fish and talk just like any good old boy.
Long ago I used to make fun of these people. Then I went back to work in South Florida for a while. I finally got out and came back up here. These people are the salt of the earth. Yeah they're religious, but if you're not they don't care, and it turns out that religious people actually have principles and morals and can be trusted.
Recently I spent a week in Coral Gables. I couldn't stand it. I was glad to get back up here where the cops haven't yet morphed into paramilitary thugs and people say hello to you if they see you a couple of times, even if they don't know you.
If the economy crashes as many people are predicting, South Florida is going to turn into something out of a Mad Max movie overnight. Up here, well, things will be tougher but there's a lot of agriculture and there are places to fish and hunt, and there aren't so many people living on top of each other. I think we'll get by as long as we can hold off the hordes from the south.
I've lived in all those cities too. I agree with much of what you say, however Gainesville is every bit as "Southern" as Tallahassee - once you get over to the east side of town, and away from the university. There is more to Gainesville than the university, but most people who go to Gainesville to attend school or to work in some industry that relies on the university in some way, seldom experience much of it.
As for the "Southerness" of Florida generally, I now live in Lake City, Florida. It's in Columbia county, and the northern border of the county is the Florida-Georgia state line. I've been here for ten years. Take it from someone who's lived in Macon and spent time in Birmingham and Oxford. This place is Southern.
Once you get away from the beaches in West Florida it's very Southern as well. I worked for a number of years in Washington County, and lived in Jackson County. They both border Alabama. The joke around there is that West Florida is really "LA", i.e. lower Alabama. It is. They all chew tobacco, hunt, fish and talk just like any good old boy.
Long ago I used to make fun of these people. Then I went back to work in South Florida for a while. I finally got out and came back up here. These people are the salt of the earth. Yeah they're religious, but if you're not they don't care, and it turns out that religious people actually have principles and morals and can be trusted.
Recently I spent a week in Coral Gables. I couldn't stand it. I was glad to get back up here where the cops haven't yet morphed into paramilitary thugs and people say hello to you if they see you a couple of times, even if they don't know you.
If the economy crashes as many people are predicting, South Florida is going to turn into something out of a Mad Max movie overnight. Up here, well, things will be tougher but there's a lot of agriculture and there are places to fish and hunt, and there aren't so many people living on top of each other. I think we'll get by as long as we can hold off the hordes from the south.
So basically the only areas of florida that aren't in the panhandle or very north florida that are "southern" are the black areas right. I just want to know where the crazy people end in Florida....it's probably around the same line where it starts getting southern.
Ive lived in 4 areas here. South Florida, Orlando, Gainesville and Tallahassee.
South Florida is not southern at all. It never really was. Its always been an eclectic mix of peoples with most of the original development being owed to Northern business tycoons.
Orlando is not very Southern either. There are some Southerners but from the last decade or so its becoming more and more like South Florida/NE. The metro area has some towns with a Southern feel to them but they are few and far between. Giant cookie cutter housing developments filled with retirees from Central and South Florida and the NE have taken over the area and have now pushed up to Ocala.
Gainesville struck me as more of a northern city than anything. Its a university town first and foremost and since most of the people attending there were from the other major metro areas of the state it tends to reflect that. Plus most of the people working there work for either UF or Shands and are from somewhere else as well. It has Southern elements but its not much.
Tallahassee is by far the most Southern city Ive lived in Florida. There is alot of elements of Southern culture and alot more people here identify with the rest of the South. Theres still a strong Southern cultural presence. But Ive had Southerners telling me they dont think this place is very Southern. The Panhandle does seem to me to be very Southern.
ive travelled throughout the South as well and done some stops in most the major cities and alot of tailgating at SEC schools. The stereotype seems to be that Southerners dont consider Florida part of the South. Id agree there. Culturally were not. Florida is kind of its own weird thing. Its a bigger melting pot than anywhere in the South.
Aside from parts of Northern Florida, Southern culture never got engrained in most of Florida. Spain controlled Florida for 300 years and it became a hideaway for runaway slaves and Indians. Florida was only part of the US for 40 years when the Civil War broke out. Most of the development that came starting in the 1890s came from Northerners, Midwesterners, and even Cubans. its history is unlike any Southern state, or any other state for that matter. And its culture reflects this history.
The panhandle is deep south. Most of north Florida is southern.
Once you get in to the peninsula, there are elements of southern-ness until you get to Broward/Dade...then it stops.
The interior of the peninsula is pretty southern, but not deep south-ish. For example, today I was driving on SR 70 between Okeechobee and Lake Placid. The person in front of me had two large hogs in the back of his open-bed pickup, which had a gun rack in the window and a rebel flag decal. You don't see that in New Jersey.
So basically the only areas of florida that aren't in the panhandle or very north florida that are "southern" are the black areas right. I just want to know where the crazy people end in Florida....it's probably around the same line where it starts getting southern.
Well yes as african americans tend to be the only true natives of the state. but theyre also pockets of southern culture in other cities south of ocala. like clewiston, lake wales, mulberry, sanford, belle glade, pahooke, and parts of lakeland
NO HOSPITALITY of any kind down here. A bunch of old people that want to retire and be left alone. We live in the Daytona Beach area with 2 kids and are not wanted bc of it. Not welcoming. At least not here. They are mean and rude no matter how nice you are
NO HOSPITALITY of any kind down here. A bunch of old people that want to retire and be left alone. We live in the Daytona Beach area with 2 kids and are not wanted bc of it. Not welcoming. At least not here. They are mean and rude no matter how nice you are
Ever consider the thought that maybe its you, and not them?
Daytona Beach, since 1990, has turnd in to a complete Dump. Bikers, Rednecks thanks to NASCAR, and moderately well off pension NE people ( Not like Broward's NE super, mega rich ) and they want to be left alone on the Beach.
The Bill France family controls most of daytona city and a lot of Volusia County, and they lobby hard to keep it a small NASCAR Redneck dominated town.
A community without soul ....
Something happened to Daytona around the late 80s, and for the worse.
Daytona Beach, since 1990, has turnd in to a complete Dump. Bikers, Rednecks thanks to NASCAR, and moderately well off pension NE people ( Not like Broward's NE super, mega rich ) and they want to be left alone on the Beach.
The Bill France family controls most of daytona city and a lot of Volusia County, and they lobby hard to keep it a small NASCAR Redneck dominated town.
A community without soul ....
Something happened to Daytona around the late 80s, and for the worse.
It's sad really ....
What does this have to do with the OP?
Oh, thats right, nothing.
Daytona Beach, since 1990, has turnd in to a complete Dump. Bikers, Rednecks thanks to NASCAR, and moderately well off pension NE people ( Not like Broward's NE super, mega rich ) and they want to be left alone on the Beach.
The Bill France family controls most of daytona city and a lot of Volusia County, and they lobby hard to keep it a small NASCAR Redneck dominated town.
A community without soul ....
Something happened to Daytona around the late 80s, and for the worse.
It's sad really ....
We've been over this before. The France family would love to see more people show up in Daytona - especially people with money. Right now they're developing "Daytona Live!" which includes a movie theater, restaurants, a hotel and an office tower for NASCAR, ISC and other companies. In no way do they want to keep it small and the riff-raff around doesn't make them any money.
What did one of the France boys do, run away with your wife?
But kshe95girl is correct. This has nothing to do with the OP. Just another unfounded France family rant.
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