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Someone mentioned in another thread that when people think of “Georgia,” they’re probably thinking of a place like Macon, not Atlanta, despite the fact that Atlanta is far and away the dominant city in the state. Are there any other states that you believe might be similar to the previous example, where the largest/most dominant city may not be what most people think of when they conjure up images (whether right or wrong) of a particular state?
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Santa Fe is New Mexico's tourist magnet and state capital and could be more of standout image outside of the state. Really it's somewhat of an anomaly in this state compared with other cities in terms of wealth and mentality, even though the city could only really exist in New Mexico. I think perceptions of New Mexico may be conjuring up Santa Fe in minds outside the state with the adobe architectural code, artistry, and old Hispanic and Native American cultures that in a visual sense represents what they think New Mexico looks like.
Albuquerque has areas like this too and it's clearly the dominant and well known city in New Mexico, but it also has a good number of neighborhoods that look like they easily could fit right into Phoenix, Vegas, or the Inland Empire and could be anywhere in the Southwest. It doesn't have the same type of tourist draw as Santa Fe.
I'd say from an inward look at the state, Las Cruces may be the best representation of New Mexico as a city. It has the old adobe element in nearby Mesilla and the new construction is the stucco adobe revival, it has some light tourist activity with a light college town feel, with agricultural parts on the edge of town and more of an everyday life in New Mexico feel to it than the heavy tourist vibe in Santa Fe. The Hatch green chiles are grown in southern NM, so the presence of New Mexican green chile mantra is pretty strong in Las Cruces. It's a mixed income city and has a palpable borderlands vibe to it.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 12-30-2018 at 07:33 AM..
If there's one thing I've learned from the hundreds of threads on Virginia, there's no such thing for my state. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what our state is all about, so how could any one town represent what most people think?
If there's one thing I've learned from the hundreds of threads on Virginia, there's no such thing for my state. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what our state is all about, so how could any one town represent what most people think?
But, for the sake of playing along....
I would guess most people these days think of the DC metro area when they think of Virginia. So Alexandria might be a good choice.
But does that really represent what most people think? What about people with stereotypes based on Hollywood or some sort of assumption that the civil war forever defined the US? I can believe there are many who think a small "southern-ish" town is the perfect representative, so for them maybe a city like Lynchburg. Others will think of Virginia as forever stuck in colonial times and will choose Williamsburg or Yorktown as the rep. Those who choose a town that's been in the news a lot recently will probably go for Charlottesville. A lot will choose Richmond, even if they don't really have any idea what Richmond is like. People who are more military-oriented (or nautically inclined) are likely to choose Norfolk or Newport News.
As for my personal choice, I think Virginia's upscale suburban growth is what is really most representative of what the state is like these days. So I'd pick some wealthy, fast growing suburb like Ashburn.
Last edited by Piney Creek; 12-30-2018 at 07:31 AM..
If there's one thing I've learned from the hundreds of threads on Virginia, there's no such thing for my state. Everyone seems to have a different idea of what our state is all about, so how could any one town represent what most people think?
Most people think DC suburbs. No one thinks of Gone With The Wind nor Lynchburg. And while they might think of naval shipyards, Jefferson Davis, or UVA, it’s a select crowd. Because it’s NoVa most people think of. Probably not even an actual town in NoVa. Actually, if we are honest, the first city most of us think of when we think of Virginia is actually not in the state, DC.
As for my state, it used to always be Mayberry. I remember stories my mom told that when she moved from NC to Anaheim, she was always asked how Opie was doing. I think our image has been updated since then. Most people think Sunbelt growth first when they think of us, which is probably best typified in the state by Cary. So even if they don’t know the name of the place, they are likely thinking of the manicured subdivisions of Cary when they think of NC.
But also, I don’t think of Macon when I think of Georgia. I’m not sure what there is to know about Macon. If I had to think of two non-Atlanta cities in GA, it would be Savannah (which I don’t associate with stereotypical Georgia) or Augusta. So I guess Augusta, but honestly I think most anyone thinks Atlanta.
Santa Fe is New Mexico's tourist magnet and state capital and could be more of standout image outside of the state. Really it's somewhat of an anomaly in this state compared with other cities in terms of wealth and mentality, even though the city could only really exist in New Mexico. I think perceptions of New Mexico may be conjuring up Santa Fe in minds outside the state with the adobe architectural code, artistry, and old Hispanic and Native American cultures that in a visual sense represents what they think New Mexico looks like.
Albuquerque has areas like this too and it's clearly the dominant and well known city in New Mexico, but it also has a good number of neighborhoods that look like they easily could fit right into Phoenix, Vegas, or the Inland Empire and could be anywhere in the Southwest. It doesn't have the same type of tourist draw as Santa Fe.
I'd say from an inward look at the state, Las Cruces may be the best representation of New Mexico as a city. It has the old adobe element in nearby Mesilla and the new construction is the stucco adobe revival, it has some light tourist activity with a light college town feel, with agricultural parts on the edge of town and more of an everyday life in New Mexico feel to it than the heavy tourist vibe in Santa Fe. The Hatch green chiles are grown in southern NM, so the presence of New Mexican green chile mantra is pretty strong in Las Cruces. It's a mixed income city and has a palpable borderlands vibe to it.
I think you have it pegged. Folks outside of NM will probably think of Santa Fe but state residents know better. Las Cruces is under the radar but deserves more attention (but not too much). People explain that Las Cruces is what Albuquerque was like forty years ago. I enjoy visiting there but it seems a bit sleepy. Albuquerque seems more awake and pretty much the state's hub in most things (good and bad). Santa Fe tries to live in the past to some extent for tourism (That's OK -- same with Taos) but Albuquerque has moved beyond that. There were only 16,000 people living there 100 years ago so there's not a huge historical footprint beyond Old Town. Architects have a free hand in designing structures in Albuquerque so the image is a bit more modern and even futuristic in a few instances.
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I think with most anybody, the state's largest city is going to be the default choice; if not that, then perhaps the state's major tourist town (I agree that Santa Fe probably trumps Albuquerque in NM, DesertSW).
Some possible exceptions:
CA - Split decision between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
TX - Same with Houston and Dallas, but these days I think a good case could be made for Austin.
OH - Same as TX, but insert Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus in that order.
CT - A Gold Coast suburb like Greenwich or a revered college town like New Haven might eclipse Hartford.
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