Kentucky.... specifically Louisville...south or midwest? (Lexington, Owensboro: fit in, real estate, apartments)

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Agreed. The only problem i've always had though is that if Louisville and Lexington have to be considered Southern, what does that make Huntington, WV and Charleston,WV? I've always thought both of these cities to be in somewhat the same category as Louisville and Lexington, as being on that border region between the North and South. I'd never include any of these cities in the Midwest but would say they are on that "border" and should be regarded as being the northernmost Southern cities if "border" does not suffice with anyone.

Well, I actually always consider West Virginia part of the inner east coast region (along with Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc.)...maybe Pennsylvania is what I consider WV most closely aligned with, and I wouldn't consider Pennsylvania (or WV) as either Midwestern or southern.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by EnjoyEP

Well, I actually always consider West Virginia part of the inner east coast region (along with Virginia, Pennsylvania, etc.)...maybe Pennsylvania is what I consider WV most closely aligned with, and I wouldn't consider Pennsylvania (or WV) as either Midwestern or southern.

I'd call Pennsylvania Northeastern. West Virginia is I guess kind of a chameleon type of state. It has commonalities with Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. I've always thought of Virginia as being more of a Southern state myself.

[Jzer21]

This seems to be a popular topic for some reason...

Ask someone from the far North and he'll say it's in the South
Ask someone from the deep South and he'll say it's in the North
Ask someone in between and you'll get varied answers.

If you're talking about climate though, the National Weather Service says it's Midwest.

[missymomof3]

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product.../regions.shtml


According to this we are at least clumped in with tennessee.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by rgb123

Kentucky IS in the south, no question.

I agree. Upper South or Deep South = South....I thought that didn't need to be explained

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

I am suprised that Cracker Barrel has a different menu by region. I thought they prided themselves on uniformity (same decor in every one, etc) and the whole point is the country, Southern, down home cooking. I'm stunned.

Same here too. Cracker Barrel by not promoting Southern-style menus loses its entire identity. Makes no sense to me.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by ajf131

Cracker Barrels are more common than you take them to be and the restaurants are making their way north. Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are full of them, as is Missouri. is this some kind of an attempt to convince me i'm southern, cause it's not working. I know those states very well given I visit them on multiple occasions per year. If they don't have sweet tea in Minnesota i'd be surprised because they sure as hell do have it in the lower Midwest states' Cracker Barrels (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio). Indiana has the most sweet tea of any state in the Midwest, far more than Missouri. Indiana is practically half-dominated by sweet tea. Missouri not even a quarter.

No, ajf, I wouldn't try to convince you that you are Southern. I know, Cracker Barrels are ubiquitous in the north and south these days, but in the 80s, the only ones I ever encountered on my many trips between the Midwest and FL were in the South. The first one I'd hit when I took I 24 was in Paducah, KY. As I said, I'd enjoy the VA ham and grits there, but the CBs I've been to in MN and WI don't have these items on their menues. Maybe the Southern ones don't anymore either, haven't been to one for ahile. Whether they have sweet tea at the one here in the TC, I don't know.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

No, ajf, I wouldn't try to convince you that you are Southern. I know, Cracker Barrels are ubiquitous in the north and south these days, but in the 80s, the only ones I ever encountered on my many trips between the Midwest and FL were in the South. The first one I'd hit when I took I 24 was in Paducah, KY. As I said, I'd enjoy the VA ham and grits there, but the CBs I've been to in MN and WI don't have these items on their menues. Maybe the Southern ones don't anymore either, haven't been to one for ahile. Whether they have sweet tea at the one here in the TC, I don't know.

Really? Well I can't speak for the '80s given I was born in '86, but I believe you. Makes me wonder the same thing about Waffle Houses, BenAround? Were they only in the South in the '80s too? I guess it'd sort of surprise me that Minnesota would not have the true Cracker Barrel stuff the other restaurant chains would given the whole idea of a restaurant chain in the first place is to establish uniformity. Cracker Barrel is a true Southern restaurant and their whole purpose seems to be to offer Southern cooking no matter what part of the country their located in. I'm not questioning whether the TC one was lacking the stuff you said it did. Just makes me wonder why it was.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

No, ajf, I wouldn't try to convince you that you are Southern. I know, Cracker Barrels are ubiquitous in the north and south these days, but in the 80s, the only ones I ever encountered on my many trips between the Midwest and FL were in the South. The first one I'd hit when I took I 24 was in Paducah, KY. As I said, I'd enjoy the VA ham and grits there, but the CBs I've been to in MN and WI don't have these items on their menues. Maybe the Southern ones don't anymore either, haven't been to one for ahile. Whether they have sweet tea at the one here in the TC, I don't know.

The Southern ones do hehe. Sweet tea and everything. So do the lower Midwest ones. But they are anomalies here.

[rgb123]

okay guys, I used to work at the cracker barrel (jealous aren't you) I worked at the first one to come to northern illinois when I was 19 (I'm only 30 so there you go). It was the first time I ever had okra and I did not know what turnip greens were, and they had to eplain to me that we had two different hams....

I believe they stopped selling the virginia ham at our cracker barrel....

anyway...no. waffle houses are like 90% concentrated in the south to this day. Yes there are a handful in cleveland and pennsylvania or whatever and some have moved west, but they are still a southern thing and will probably remain that way too....and I kinda hope so to be honest!