[mwalker96]

Originally Posted by slduvall

Can't speak for the rest of Florida, but in NW Florida there really isn't a heavy accent. Way too many people stationed here in the Air Force from all over the country. I lived here from 66 til 1990 and moved to Ohio, my words were definitely southern, "y'all" etc, but my accent was rather neutral. If you hang around listening to people that sound really southern, they most likely weren't raised here, but come from neighboring states. At one point I could pinpoint where a tourist was from - LA, GA, MS and AL, and in some cases what region in that state, northern LA sounds way different from southern LA.

I think the rest of Florida that experiences a flood of people moving there over the past 40-50 years would be the same.

Intresting, but it makes sense being such a military town. Most people from other parts of Florida think of the Panhandle of Florida as the deep south like Alabama and Mississippi levels of southern. Fayetteville NC is another military town that's transient but still southern at it's core. What makes NW Florida different than most of the state is that it has a less influx of northern transplants so the transplants are more likely to adjust to southern culture rather than the town pandering to them. Midwesterners do seem to like the Panhandle a lot.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

Intresting, but it makes sense being such a military town. Most people from other parts of Florida think of the Panhandle of Florida as the deep south like Alabama and Mississippi levels of southern. Fayetteville NC is another military town that's transient but still southern at it's core. What makes NW Florida different than most of the state is that it has a less influx of northern transplants so the transplants are more likely to adjust to southern culture rather than the town pandering to them. Midwesterners do seem to like the Panhandle a lot.

Panhandle is also a closer drive for places like Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois Northern AL. Orange beach is another one that gets a lot from that region because of the easier drive. Their season is in the summer and people on vacations.

[mwalker96]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Panhandle is also a closer drive for places like Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois Northern AL. Orange beach is another one that gets a lot from that region because of the easier drive. Their season is in the summer and people on vacations.

Yea my friend from New Hampshire thinks the Panhandle is too southern and too far for her. Ohioans favor the panhandle a lot tho.The whole gulf coast from Pensacola to Naples is attracting midwestern transplants.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

Yea my friend from New Hampshire thinks the Panhandle is too southern and too far for her. Ohioans favor the panhandle a lot tho.The whole gulf coast from Pensacola to Naples is attracting midwestern transplants.

Lots of New Englanders here in SWFL during season. NY, NJ, MA, PA, NH outnumber people from Indiana, OH, IL easily around these parts during season.

[mwalker96]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Lots of New Englanders here in SWFL during season. NY, NJ, MA, PA, NH outnumber people from Indiana, OH, IL easily around these parts during season.

Naples does come off more Ny-ish but the Northeasterners seem to prefer the east coast a lot more than the gulf.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

Naples does come off more Ny-ish but the Northeasterners seem to prefer the east coast a lot more than the gulf.

Yep, Naples especially.

But remember the Northeast also has the most money and Naples is expensive so they can afford it.

I live in Charlotte County and Punta Gorda during season and even off season the New Englanders outnumber the midwest, upper south license plates big time.

[mwalker96]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Yep, Naples especially.

But remember the Northeast also has the most money and Naples is expensive so they can afford it.

I live in Charlotte County and Punta Gorda during season and even off season the New Englanders outnumber the midwest, upper south license plates big time.

Funny you say that cause I met a family from NC who moved to Port Charlotte before moving back. I heard once the Florida heartland (from Lakeland to lake Okeechobee) is very southern

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

Funny you say that cause I met a family from NC who moved to Port Charlotte before moving back. I heard once the Florida heartland (from Lakeland to lake Okeechobee) is very southern

Quasi southern I'd call it. Kinda like Oklahoma or southwest Missouri around Joplin. Still not full southern like Mississippi for example.

[mwalker96]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Quasi southern I'd call it. Kinda like Oklahoma or southwest Missouri around Joplin. Still not full southern like Mississippi for example.

Well everyone has there own definition of what's southern, but Okeechobee does feel like old Florida. It has that Florida cracker vibe.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by mwalker96

Well everyone has there own definition of what's southern, but Okeechobee does feel like old Florida. It has that Florida cracker vibe.

True but I don't hear the thick deep south accents that much. It's still watered down. Rural and southern are two different things.


The other thing is that before the invention of the AC, hardly anyone lived in 2/3rds of FL. Most lived in north FL. Most of the state was swamps and woods. That's why north FL is still more southern. Northerners then settled the south half of the state. Even back then many came from places like NY and developed it. That's why there isn't much of a southern culture. When FL was considered a true southern state hardly anyone lived in much of the peninsula.