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The one thing that makes the northeast distinct from the rest of the regions is that it really ought to be broken into smaller bits, and not lumped together. It is simply not homogenous throughout like the other regions are. That is why people have so much trouble trying to describe the "northeast". This region only exists geographically and not culturally.
Each part of the Northeast is different from each other. No other region is like this to the extent the northeast is. You have Boston which is different from the rural New England. NYC and NNJ are different from Upstate and South Jersey. NEPA is different from Philly, and Philly is not like the rest of PA. Delaware is on its own. Baltimore is its own city, and DC is practically in Virginia which is southern.
Honestly we can add Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City to the Northeast, and they are Canadien.
Location: Mid-Michigan by way of Northern New Hampshire
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I don't know, I'd feel more at home in rural upstate NY or PA than I would in rural MI or WI. I think that the hilly topography has a lot to do with that. I wouldn't feel at home in the southern Appalachians however because the accents and cultures are too different than where I'm from.
I've never lived in upstate NY or central/western PA so I'm not sure if my thesis would hold up.
A better question might be:
"Is there a uniform rural (or urban) Northeastern culture?"
The one thing that makes the northeast distinct from the rest of the regions is that it really ought to be broken into smaller bits, and not lumped together. It is simply not homogenous throughout like the other regions are. That is why people have so much trouble trying to describe the "northeast". This region only exists geographically and not culturally.
Each part of the Northeast is different from each other. No other region is like this to the extent the northeast is. You have Boston which is different from the rural New England. NYC and NNJ are different from Upstate and South Jersey. NEPA is different from Philly, and Philly is not like the rest of PA. Delaware is on its own. Baltimore is its own city, and DC is practically in Virginia which is southern.
Honestly we can add Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City to the Northeast, and they are Canadien.
Ehh. DC is practically in Maryland. You'd be surprised at how different the vibes are on both sides of the Potomac, especially if you've lived here for a good long while. Arlington and Alexandria seem like extensions of DC though (which is obvious considering that they used to be part of DC and Alexandria actually predates DC's existence).
Ehh. DC is practically in Maryland. You'd be surprised at how different the vibes are on both sides of the Potomac, especially if you've lived here for a good long while. Arlington and Alexandria seem like extensions of DC though (which is obvious considering that they used to be part of DC and AlexandriaactuallypredatesDC'sexistence).
Right, and since Virginia has always been an educated/influential/and prominent state/commonwealth...its more like Washington DC is/was an extension of Virginia...being named after one of the first in a dynasty of Virginian presidents and all that.
Last edited by 757Cities Southsider; 10-24-2014 at 10:51 AM..
The one thing that makes the northeast distinct from the rest of the regions is that it really ought to be broken into smaller bits, and not lumped together. It is simply not homogenous throughout like the other regions are. That is why people have so much trouble trying to describe the "northeast". This region only exists geographically and not culturally.
Each part of the Northeast is different from each other. No other region is like this to the extent the northeast is. You have Boston which is different from the rural New England. NYC and NNJ are different from Upstate and South Jersey. NEPA is different from Philly, and Philly is not like the rest of PA. Delaware is on its own. Baltimore is its own city, and DC is practically in Virginia which is southern.
Honestly we can add Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City to the Northeast, and they are Canadien.
You could say the same thing about the South. Definitely.
The one thing that makes the northeast distinct from the rest of the regions is that it really ought to be broken into smaller bits, and not lumped together. It is simply not homogenous throughout like the other regions are. That is why people have so much trouble trying to describe the "northeast". This region only exists geographically and not culturally.
Each part of the Northeast is different from each other. No other region is like this to the extent the northeast is. You have Boston which is different from the rural New England. NYC and NNJ are different from Upstate and South Jersey. NEPA is different from Philly, and Philly is not like the rest of PA. Delaware is on its own. Baltimore is its own city, and DC is practically in Virginia which is southern.
Honestly we can add Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City to the Northeast, and they are Canadien.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 757Cities Southsider
You could say the same thing about the South. Definitely.
I disagree with this for two major reasons.
First of all, the Northeast is already the smallest region. Breaking it up further makes no sense to me.
Second, as Southsider noted, you can say the same things about the South. And the Midwest and West for that matter. For example is the entire West like Southern California? Or is the West like the Rocky Mountain wilderness? Or is the West like the extreme desert of Death Valley? The answer is of course that the West is all three places (and more). But does that mean it makes sense to break the region up?
I think it's probably worth mentioning that people in many parts of the Northeast are kinda uptight, close-minded, and "to themselves," so to speak, regardless of income or location. This seems to be unifying sociocultural theme of the region's populous, IMO--I was born and raised in RI, but have lived in multiple Southern and Western states and currently live in CA. Those types of personality traits or canned responses don't lead to integrating all that well to the other three major regions of the US.
Other personality traits like the general lack of manners (e.g., you see few men holding doors open for women in the Northeast) or letting every unfiltered, uncensored thought or idea that hits the brain manifest into some sort of vocalization (usually a complaint) or facial contortion doesn't lead to integrating well in other regions, either.
It's hard to find people who live in the present in the Northeast, too--lots of people seem to be constantly planning the future without actually enjoying the present. Sometimes, this leads others, especially from other regions, to feel as if Nor'easters are always "scheming"--not always, but in some situations it certainly comes off like that. It's healthy to be future-oriented for the most part, but not overly.
I find the Northeast to be quite insular, too. Not so much in the major metropolitan areas, but definitely in the smaller metros, for sure. Lots of people on the City-Data forum have given me slack in the past for making this claim because they tend to paint with a broad brush based on political affiliation and voting trends, are indifferent to the smaller metros and rural areas of the Northeast, or just have limited to no personal experience with the region outside of the major cities. However, if you're familiar with the smaller cities like Providence, New Bedford, Worcester, Springfield, Binghampton, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, etc., then you're well aware of the time warp those cities truly are. All most people in those cities talk about, including my family and old friends, is family and the past, kinda like a mass pool of stagnating energy. However, it's the way they see things (i.e., through the past). I understand that convention and tradition run deep among many of the families and social circles in the Northeast, but geez, how many times can you flog a dead horse? So, it goes without saying that the attitude in many of those cities is equivalent to "things haven't changed here in 60 years, so why to change things now?" Definitely not a "go-with-the-flow" kinda place or a place for movers and shakers.
Conformity rules in the Northeast, too, although I think this one can be applied to the East in general. However, the Northeast is especially guilty of this, IMO. People live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools and places of worship, shop at the same markets, etc. as their parents, grandparents, and so on. For example, my mother has lived on the same street for her entire life. I hope this illustrates my point a little better. By comparison, in the West, where I've lived a total of six-going-on-seven years, people seem to make the rules as they go and are free to develop their own identity, style, and "rules," so to speak--much more creatively conscious. That type of outlook/attitude meshes better with my personality. YMMV.
Basically, the pace of the urban northeast is faster than a lot of other parts of America.
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