What is the northernmost Southern city? Southernmost Northern city? (home, neighborhoods)

[StuyTownRefugee]

Originally Posted by anonymous

I don't know about Kentucky, Ohio, etc., but when you're talking about the eastern seaboard, I'd say that the northernmost southern city is Richmond, and the southernmost northern city is Baltimore.

Also, I don't look at this from a historical perspective. I don't care where the original mason-dixon line was, or who fought for who in the war between the states. I'm thinking about the people I know, and the places I've been, and what I've seen. For example, some of y'all say Baltimore is southern. A few weeks ago, I met a girl from Baltimore with strongest northern accent I've ever heard. We actually had a brief conversation about how the weird and different the south is. (actually she said it was wee-yahd)

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Many parts of Md speak very Southern, what's left of Southern speech anyway. But you can get anything from border towns.

Usually when people talk about the South they are talking where it was divisionally created. Not out it Kansas, so perhaps the author should define whether they mean purely South georgraphically as in Tx or Az or culturally which would refer to the East Coast divisions.

Some people here might care and it makes a difference.

[john_starks]

well, DC has a LOT of transplants so i don't feel a real regional identity. but i guess the NOVA border/influence makes it southern.

[Pathwalker]

Inland: Cincinnati, hands down. It has the general feel of being a northern city, but with a lot of people that are originally from the south. A lot of southern influences around here, too.

There's no way Indianapolis could remotely be considered a southern city. It has too much of a northern cultural ambiance to it. Louisville is more southern than northern, and I think it tends to identify itself more as such.

Eastern Seaboard: Either Baltimore or DC.

[StuyTownRefugee]

Originally Posted by john_starks

well, DC has a LOT of transplants so i don't feel a real regional identity. but i guess the NOVA border/influence makes it southern.

I always say the DC area is National and Int'l, you're right no real regional identity until you get to Fredericksburg abouts going South, or Balto north bc Baltimore and VA and DC all share that Chesapeake Bay. Yet a separate kind of Northern/Southern culture blend.

Alexandria somehow has a Southern feel to it still in its old town, but it's really so old, like very colonial but very stately with Mt Vernon close by.

I go by architecture too and DC has much of that Georgian with columns, but people forget Baltimore has that too in some areas of its old families.

[noland123]

I would say Miami,Florida is the Southernmost Northern city. If you find a true southerner living in that city ,good luck!!!!! Miami is a melting pot like New York City with palm trees.

[Pathwalker]

Originally Posted by noland123

I would say Miami,Florida is the Southernmost Northern city. If you find a true southerner living in that city ,good luck!!!!! Miami is a melting pot like New York City with palm trees.

Interesting perspective. Not sure that's what the OP had in mind, but you do have a valid point!

[chitownwarrior]

St. Louis, Louisville, and Cincy most northern southern city for inland

Indy for most southern northern city inland.

[mead]

Miami doesn't really feel like its part of America anymore (no English). So I would vote Ft. Lauderdale as being the southernmost American city, or perhaps going a little bit further, somewhere in the Florida keys.

[jonjj]

I agree with noland. I think Miami?Key West would be the most southern northern cities. The most northern southern cities would be Alexandria/Arlington on the east coast. In the midwest it gets strange because places like Indy and even Detroit and Chicago have a lot of southern roots to them. St Louis is also in that iffy area. Now if we consider the entire mainland, would LA be considered the most southern northern city? Or for that matter, Honolulu?

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by montanamom

I grew up around D.C. and lived near Baltimore for over 10 years. Then I lived in the actual South (North Carolina/South Carolina area) for 12 years. There is absolutely NOTHING Southern about any areas of D.C. Or Baltimore whatsoever.

I'm sure that compared to North and South Carolina DC appears to be a very northern city. However, when you are coming from a more northern locale, such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England, DC seems like a very southern city.

The climate in DC is so much different than the climate of cities to the North. Many times when I would go to DC in the summer, the combination of heat and humidity would be worse than I ever recalled growing up in Miami. Additionally, winters seem to be a lot milder in DC and points South than in northeastern cities such as Philly, NY, and Boston.

Additionally, there are huge magnolia trees planted all around DC and its suburbs. Many people associate magnolias with southern cities in this country. You don't see magnolia trees AT ALL in New York and Boston, and you see much smaller ones in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

It's true that accents in the DC area don't seem to reflect what would typically be considered "southern." However, I think that has more to do with the fact that so many residents are originally from somewhere else. It seems that the true DC native accent does have quite a bit of a southern twang in it.

Others determine southerness by the availability of sweet tea. Using that measure, DC would definitely be southern. In my experience, most major chain restaurants in the DC area have sweet tea. Many of the smaller family restaurants have sweet tea, as well.

Other cultural elements that are typically associated with the South, such as a slow-paced environment, a large active Christian population, and general kindness are really not found in DC or its suburbs. However, once again, compared to Philly, NY, and Boston, DC is slower placed, probably does have a larger active Christian population, and likely has less abrasive people.