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Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessemh431
All that is totally true. Every state has some part of it that doesn't belong. IMO, though, those areas are not really as relevant to the state as a whole. NYC, the Hudson Valley, eastern upstate, etc. is all Northeast. Western parts of NY State and the border along PA definitely are a strange mix of Appalachia and Great Lakes. But that part of the state is SO overshadowed by the areas that are strongly Northeast. Similarly, North Carolina is Southern even though western is Appalachian. Even Maryland is Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, while far western portions of the state are Appalachian. But in MD, the areas around DC and Baltimore, and to an extent the coastal region, are the most prominent parts of the state.
PA to me is different. Philly is obviously Northeast. Central PA like Harrisburg/Lancaster/York is Appalachia-lite. Western PA is a mix of Appalachia and Great Lakes. However, the difference is that Pittsburgh and Harrisburg play a very important roles in the state. Buffalo and Syracuse are not as important to the state of NY as NYC/LI/Hudson Valley/Albany/areas in the eastern part of the state. Philly is PA's premier city, but each region of the state has something that contributes, and Philly does not overpower PA in the same way NYC's metro overpowers the state of NY.
I see your angle and it makes sense. By my reckoning I'll take every corner into account regardless of its political or cultural relevance within its own state.
As a resident of one of those "lost corners", it's a bit personal to me to not be lumped in just because we're muffled. It's frustrating enough already to have to call yourself a New-Yorker, be from the mountains or farmlands, and have people assume Manhattan or Queens and so-on by default; to be a laid back country or small town guy, and have people assume you're in a high wealth urban rush to get to the next snob convention wherein everybody screeches in terror at innocuous insects. Among other things.
That said, a good bit of the southern tier of NY has been trying to join PA or become a state for decades (dividing the state has been a live topic all over NY for just as long). That should somewhat convey the general opinion of NYC and its alleged importance around here.
I see your angle and it makes sense. By my reckoning I'll take every corner into account regardless of its political or cultural relevance within its own state.
As a resident of one of those "lost corners", it's a bit personal to me to not be lumped in just because we're muffled. It's frustrating enough already to have to call yourself a New-Yorker, be from the mountains or farmlands, and have people assume Manhattan or Queens and so-on by default; to be a laid back country or small town guy, and have people assume you're in a high wealth urban rush to get to the next snob convention wherein everybody screeches in terror at innocuous insects. Among other things.
That said, a good bit of the southern tier of NY has been trying to join PA or become a state for decades (dividing the state has been a live topic all over NY for just as long). That should somewhat convey the general opinion of NYC and its alleged importance around here.
Oh I totally get that! Definitely not meant as anything insulting to you at all, it's just very hard to argue the fact that NYC, LI, the Hudson Valley and the general eastern half of the state control NY State. OTOH, Philly and its burbs don't control the state of PA in the same way. But trust me, I know how different parts of Upstate can be. I have a lot of family in Utica/Rome and outside Rochester. It's very different there, regardless of whether you see that negatively or positively. The accents and culture and lifestyle and industry/work is far more similar to other parts of the Great Lakes/Appalachia than NYC metro. But the smaller cities of Upstate do not contribute to the state of NY's economy and politics the same way Central PA and Pittsburgh contribute to the state of PA. So to me, I guess you could say it's where the bulk of the importance is located that determines how I view a state's region.
This poll could've included all 50 states as choices despite some states not being to regionally classify at all. I made a poll with almost 100 choices.
West Virginia. Now, I consider it "Northeast" (Mid-Atlantic specifically) but its admittedly very much like the South. Its 100% Appalachian, though. For geographical purposes, I can't consider it in the South. Its equilateral to way more northern than southern states. However, I see Appalachia similar to the Great Plains. Its cross-regional.
Good post.
I also consider West Virginia as part of the Northeast--in the Mid-Atlantic region.
And this excludes Southern West Virginia.
In terms, of Virginia, I consider it as part of the South. Excluding Northern Virginia.
It's almost like there should be an exchange:
1. The current Southern West Virginia becomes part of Virginia.
2. The current Northern Virginia becomes part of West Virginia.
Then, the formation of two re-configured states:
North Virginia = (Current West Virginia - Current Southern West Virginia) + Current Northern Virginia
South Virginia = (Current Virginia - Current Northern Virginia) + Current Southern West Virginia
North Virginia: A Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern State
South Virginia: A Southern State/A part of the American South
Almost all of West Virginia is on the same geographical plane as Virginia, for the very good reason that is was part of Virginia. The nothern panhandle is less than 3% of the state's area. It is not part of the northeast, as the latest sociological study has shown.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
4,409 posts, read 6,536,583 times
Reputation: 6253
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobilee
Almost all of West Virginia is on the same geographical plane as Virginia, for the very good reason that is was part of Virginia. The nothern panhandle is less than 3% of the state's area. It is not part of the northeast, as the latest sociological study has shown.
Although just about everything north of route 50 would be better off, and perhaps more fitting, as part of PA or Maryland.
As I've said before, I consider WV a multi-regional state. Part northern, part southern. I consider Missouri in the same fashion.
Kentucky.
When I lived in the upper midwest people there considered KY t be southern. When I moved to the deep south and referred to KY as a southern state, people there were quick to correct me that it was not southern. Ever since I've felt bad for KY that no one seems to want to claim it, it's a beautiful state.
I would say it would be one of the 4-letter states as their names just aren't very descriptive of what they are. Like West Virginia, you know it is to the left of Virginia. Maryland, that's a place that was founded by or, in honor of someone named Mary. New York, it's the updated (and likely improved) version of the Old York. Other states use Native American names that descriptively provide insight to what they are about like Wisconsin, Chippewa meaning "we're tired, this will have to do for now"
But Ohio, Iowa and Utah, it's like they just pick some random letters out of a raccoon hat.
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