Is the Midwest more like the West or Northeast? (live, car)

[spicymeatball]

I think it's much more similar to the Northeast overall. The urban accents are similar to the accents of Pennsylvania, New York, and New England (pahk the car etc), the landscape is similar (green humid forests, rolling hills and prairies), the climate is more or less the same with 4 seasons/humid summers/cold winters as opposed to the constantly mild/hot/dry/sunny semi-tropical weather of the states from the Rockies westward.

It's also been settled since Colonial Times like the Northeast which would differentiate it from the West which was still settled mostly by Native Americans or uninhabited well into the 20th century so it has more of an "American" vibe like the Northeast rather than the Global/Multicultural vibe you find in the Western states.

[JerseyGirl415]

Originally Posted by spicymeatball

I think it's much more similar to the Northeast overall. The urban accents are similar to the accents of Pennsylvania, New York, and New England (pahk the car etc), the landscape is similar (green humid forests, rolling hills and prairies), the climate is more or less the same with 4 seasons/humid summers/cold winters as opposed to the constantly mild/hot/dry/sunny semi-tropical weather of the states from the Rockies westward.

It's also been settled since Colonial Times like the Northeast which would differentiate it from the West which was still settled mostly by Native Americans or uninhabited well into the 20th century so it has more of an "American" vibe like the Northeast rather than the Global/Multicultural vibe you find in the Western states.

People in the Midwest say "pahk the car (should be "cah," really, if you're going off New England)"? News to me.

The most obvious Midwestern accent I hear is a difference in "o" sounds, while Boston/NYC area tends to drop the "r."

I do agree about general look and climate, though.

I think there is a global/multicultural vibe in parts of the Northeast, as well. Hard to call the NYC area as quintessentially "American" as some parts of the Midwest, for example. Interior Northeast, more rural, is definitely more "American" in the sense I assume you mean it. Any urban area, near a major city, is going to be a bit different, though, anywhere in the country - while small towns will also be similar to one another everywhere.

[nep321]

I've been to both extensively, and definitely it's more like the northeast, hands down. Similar scenery, although much flatter. Similar lifestyles, too.

[Bobloblawslawblog]

The Midwest is a huge region, and in my experience different parts seem to have a more Northeastern vibe and others seem slightly more Western... but overall I'd say it shares more in common with the Northeast, given the criteria. Especially the Eastern half of the Midwest, like Detroit, Cleveland, or Toledo. However, Minneapolis doesn't seem very Northeastern to me at all, though it doesn't seem Western either. It has it's own unique vibe.

Some parts of the Midwest, and obviously I mean the Southern parts, seem to feel more Southern than they do Northeastern or Western. However it's a pretty small part of the region.

[spicymeatball]

Originally Posted by nep321

I've been to both extensively, and definitely it's more like the northeast, hands down. Similar scenery, although much flatter. Similar lifestyles, too.

I agree. The Midwest is very similar to Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

[LexusNexus]

I'm from the Midwest, lived in the Northeast (PA). My wife is from Pittsburgh. I've been to upstate NY. I've lived in the West for over 20 years. The Midwest has its own unique flavor and is very different from both places IMO. Even though the proximity to the Northeast is closer, there still is enough of a distinction to make the two regions as different as the Midwest and West are.

[Drewcifer]

It is weird reading threads like this. I understand why people say the Midwest is like the northeast, but Minneapolis is nothing like the northeast, and looks westward despite not being part of the west.

[Bobloblawslawblog]

Originally Posted by Drewcifer

It is weird reading threads like this. I understand why people say the Midwest is like the northeast, but Minneapolis is nothing like the northeast, and looks westward despite not being part of the west.

Exactly. Minneapolis felt more like the PNW to me, minus the mountains and ocean, than anything on the East coast.

[West of Encino]

More like the Northeast and the South. Lot of Rust Belt places in these regions.

[spicymeatball]

Originally Posted by Bobloblawslawblog

Exactly. Minneapolis felt more like the PNW to me, minus the mountains and ocean, than anything on the East coast.

Yeah I'd say Minnesota and the Frontier Strip states are arguably more like the West, but the rest of the Midwest is more like the Northeast by far.