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I meant to reply to this point earlier. I know people tend to think of the coastal plain/Deep South as the "most Southern" part of the South since it was more conducive to agriculture and thus developed earlier than the upland South, but I don't think this necessarily makes a coastal plain city "more Southern" than a Piedmont city. For instance, I'd consider a city like Greenville, SC more quintessentially Southern than New Orleans. Also, Atlanta's location in the Piedmont where the coastal plain South, with a larger Black population, and upland South, with a larger White population, meet made it a natural magnet for people from both of these subregions which also makes it more representative of the South as a whole. Thus you have a city that was home to a noted prosperous Black business community (Sweet Auburn) and was also an early center for country music.
Which is why I said Houston is more southern than Atlanta in several ways, but not totally. Each represent the South in ways the other doesn't as much.
Still, it can't be denied that, when most people think of the South, they picture this:
Which is why I said Houston is more southern than Atlanta in several ways, but not totally. Each represent the South in ways the other doesn't as much.
Still, it can't be denied that, when most people think of the South, they picture this:
...images that are better represented in and around Houston.
And we're no slouch, when it comes to numerous regions of the South coming together.
If we're going by stereotypical views of the South, than that disqualifies Austin, SA, and the rest of Texas, West of 45. Unless you were using this logic to show, why folks shouldn't use this to determine what is Southern and what isn't.
If we're going by stereotypical views of the South, than that disqualifies Austin, SA, and the rest of Texas, West of 45. Unless you were using this logic to show, why folks shouldn't use this to determine what is Southern and what isn't.
I know he's going to tell me I'm wrong 8 million ways to Sunday, but it also disqualifies Houston. Contrary to wild imagination, there are no cotton fields in Houston, and you'd probably be pretty hard-pressed to even find many of them in the farmland immediately surrounding much of Houston today. As for Spanish moss hanging off Oak trees, well, there are a few landscaped areas like Bayou Bend in Memorial Park and perhaps the River Oaks Country Club where you'll see that, but believe me, it is definitely not a common sight there.
If we're going by stereotypical views of the South, than that disqualifies Austin, SA, and the rest of Texas, West of 45. Unless you were using this logic to show, why folks shouldn't use this to determine what is Southern and what isn't.
Well, I wouldn't be able to say that about the rest of Texas without saying it about Atlanta, now, would I?
I'm not saying these are dominant by any stretch the the imagination, but would you consider the following cities to be southern:
OKC
Louisville
St. Louis
I've never been to any of those cities, but I can't imagine St.Louis being considered a Southern city. Everything I've ever heard, or seen on TV, or in music(Nelly) points to St.Louisans associating themselves with the Midwest, rather than the South.
I know he's going to tell me I'm wrong 8 million ways to Sunday, but it also disqualifies Houston. Contrary to wild imagination, there are no cotton fields in Houston, and you'd probably be pretty hard-pressed to even find many of them in the farmland immediately surrounding much of Houston today. As for Spanish moss hanging off Oak trees, well, there are a few landscaped areas like Bayou Bend in Memorial Park and perhaps the River Oaks Country Club where you'll see that, but believe me, it is definitely not a common sight there.
I distinctly remember seeing cotton fields down in Fort Bend County, as a kid. I don't know how many are still there.
Spanish moss was also all over the place in my old neighborhood (Acres Homes) growing up. There's less of it today, but it's hardly confined to landscaped lawns and planned parks. Please.
Sounds like I know Houston better than you do. Tell us more about Seattle.
Which is why I said Houston is more southern than Atlanta in several ways, but not totally. Each represent the South in ways the other doesn't as much.
Still, it can't be denied that, when most people think of the South, they picture this:
...images that are better represented in and around Houston.
And we're no slouch, when it comes to numerous regions of the South coming together.
I'm well aware of Houston's coastal plain/Gulf Coast location. However, I wouldn't say that makes it more Southern--perhaps more characteristically Southern in terms of popular imagery, but not in absolute terms.
When I speak of Atlanta as a meeting place for different regions of the South, I mean in geographical terms. It's in the Piedmont, which is where the coastal plain begins giving way to the foothills/mountains and this explains why you get both Appalachian and Deep South influences in Atlanta. Houston isn't geographically located in such a transitional area.
I distinctly remember seeing cotton fields down in Fort Bend County, as a kid. I don't know how many are still there.
Spanish moss was also all over the place in my old neighborhood (Acres Homes) growing up. There's less of it today, but it's hardly confined to landscaped lawns and planned parks. Please.
Sounds like I know Houston better than you do. Tell us more about Seattle.
Yes, you said that once before. You really should come up with some better rebuttals. I feel like I'm having to explain this to my 3 year old son, but here goes anyway: Seattle is just a place I happen to live right now. I'm not from here. I'm 45 years old and I grew up in inner-loop Houston. Still go back there all the time since my family, who go back 5 generations there, still live there, and are scattered all over the city. But I already told you this. The fact that I have lived in Seattle for the last 4 years is irrelevant and takes nothing away from my knowledge of Houston.
The way you tell it, Houston is like some scene from "Gone With The Wind". As if all Houstonians do is dress up like Colonel Sanders and sip mint juleps on the front porch of their plantation homes. I never said Houston wasn't a Southern city, but it's nowhere near as Southern as Atlanta. It doesn't make either city more or less important than the other.
Try this some time: drive around different neighborhoods in Houston. I mean really explore. All over the city - inner loop, suburbs, North, South, East, West, rich, poor, middle class. Then count the number of Texas flags you see on people's houses versus the number of confederate flags you see. I think you will find a vastly larger number of Texas flags.
Last edited by Bobloblawslawblog; 11-18-2013 at 09:28 PM..
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