Is Southern Ohio considered part of the south? (move to, title)

[tallydude02]

Originally Posted by Dayton Sux

I agree!

And the parallel is closer than one might think, since the urban areas of this part of Ohio...Columbus, Dayton, Cincy, and smaller factory towns like Hamilton, Middletown, and Springfield, all recieved a big in-migration from the southern Appalachians (Tenn, VA, KY, WVA) starting in the 1930s, but really taking off in the 1940s and 1950s, so you have this big "upland South" cultural influence in the urban centers of Southern and SW Ohio....sort of like the new Mexican immigration is influencing the border US.

Good point.

Southern West Virginians tended to move to Cincy, western and northern panhandle WVians tended to move to Columbus, and north-central WVians to Akron and Cleveland. Nowadays, however, some still move to Ohio, but more are moving south to the Carolinas.

Also the native southern Ohioans already have Appalachian accents to begin with, so those coming from across the river had something in common with the rural Ohioans.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

Sure. I mean also, I'm not that interested in what a Southerner thinks feels Southern, because there's a bias there. I have no reason to label Southern Ohio as feeling "Southern" other than because that's the vibe I felt while being there. I have no agenda otherwise. I'm sure it's not truly Southern like Mississippi, Georgia, S. Carolina, etc., but there are more Southern traits there then say Chicago or Minneapolis, where I associate myself with Midwestern.

I have family in the Daytonnati area, and I can say that to me the area seemed as Southern as banjos, sweet tea and NASCAR. Cincinnati is more Southern than Dayton, but both have strong Upland South cultural influences. I've also visited the "true south" states of Alabama and South Carolina, and while both are "more southern" than Cincinnati, the resemblance is still there. I'd say Cinci is more like Birmingham or Nashville than Minneapolis. Driving north on I-75 from Cincinnati, I don't feel like I'm "back home" until I get north of Sidney.

Of course, my opinion may be biased. I'm sure someone from Jackson, Mississippi would probably think "Daytonnati" was Midwestern. It's all based on perspective. One interesting thing is that most SW Ohio residents consider themselves Midwestern, though some identify with the South. I wonder if their perspective would change if they visited the Upper Midwest.

[Smtchll]

^ not everything in the Midwest has to be compared to the Upper Midwest That's not the standard. That's one extreme. Southern Ohio is more like Indy, St. Louis or Cleveland than it is like Nashville

[rooster21]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

I have family in the Daytonnati area, and I can say that to me the area seemed as Southern as banjos, sweet tea and NASCAR. Cincinnati is more Southern than Dayton, but both have strong Upland South cultural influences. I've also visited the "true south" states of Alabama and South Carolina, and while both are "more southern" than Cincinnati, the resemblance is still there. I'd say Cinci is more like Birmingham or Nashville than Minneapolis. Driving north on I-75 from Cincinnati, I don't feel like I'm "back home" until I get north of Sidney.

Of course, my opinion may be biased. I'm sure someone from Jackson, Mississippi would probably think "Daytonnati" was Midwestern. It's all based on perspective. One interesting thing is that most SW Ohio residents consider themselves Midwestern, though some identify with the South. I wonder if their perspective would change if they visited the Upper Midwest.

I don't see it. Drive about 25 miles into Kentucky and see if you still think Cincinnati seems Southern. You're from way up there though, so I understand.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

^ not everything in the Midwest has to be compared to the Upper Midwest That's not the standard. That's one extreme. Southern Ohio is more like Indy, St. Louis or Cleveland than it is like Nashville

I get the comparison to St. Louis and Indy (I've been to both, they are similar to Cinci, Midwest-South hybrids), but Cleveland is more northern. More Northeast/Great Lakes than Midwest, but still North. I'd say Southern Ohio is more like Nashville than Cleveland, industry aside.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by rooster21

I don't see it. Drive about 25 miles into Kentucky and see if you still think Cincinnati seems Southern. You're from way up there though, so I understand.

I don't see the difference other than rural/urban divide, and I've been to northern Kentucky and SW Ohio many times. Chillicothe, Ohio is very, very similar to Falmouth, Kentucky. I know the area well because I have family in SW Ohio. I'm not saying Southern Ohio is like Mississippi, because it isn't, but it is like Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. "Upper South" is the technical term. I'm sorry, but it's not the true Midwest.

[CinciFan]

^You sure about that?

Chillicothe is in south east Ohio

I can see calling south east Ohio southern, but not south west. Sure, some people from CERTAIN AREAS in Cincinnati may have a slight southern accent, but that's about it.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

I don't see the difference other than rural/urban divide, and I've been to northern Kentucky and SW Ohio many times. Chillicothe, Ohio is very, very similar to Falmouth, Kentucky. I know the area well because I have family in SW Ohio. I'm not saying Southern Ohio is like Mississippi, because it isn't, but it is like Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. "Upper South" is the technical term. I'm sorry, but it's not the true Midwest.

Missouri isn't a whole lot like Tennessee or Kentucky. Only a small portion is.

And trust me, if you go deep enough into Kentucky there is a MAJOR difference.

Ohio is Mid-western and North-eastern. But not southern. I'm gonna start calling Minnesota Canadian because I can and see how that flies.

[northstar22]

Wouldn't bother me. I'd love to be a Canadian.

[southernnaturelover]

I had some good online friends from Cincy come down and visit, when they got here they said they had to listen really carefully to understand what I was saying. Nuff said.