Kentucky.... specifically Louisville...south or midwest? (Lexington, Paducah: art, land, friend)

[missymomof3]

Which would you consider it?

[Rawlings]

I was just there and there is no question to me that Louisville is southern. I suppose close to downtown, with all the Catholic parishes and cathedrals and the view of Indiana, it can feel midwestern. But once you get outside of the 264 loop it's totally southern. Especially once you get out into Hurtsbourne, Anchorage, and into Oldham and Bullitt Counties, it is Kentucky southern 100%. And, IMHO, that is what makes the area so darn attractive.

[Steve-o]

Its a mix of midwestern and southern if you ask me. Is it completely southern? Not even close? Is it completely midwestern? Nope. Its a mix. I used to live outside of Oak Grove, KY, and that town was hardly "southern" at all. In fact, most people spoke with northern accents. The Cumberland Gap region is another story.... lol Probably one of the most hick-ish areas Ive ever been to. LOL The accents were so strong it was like trying to decipher Chinese algebra everytime they spoke. I found myself staring at their lips, trying to pick apart words. LOLOL

[JayDaughtry]

Steve-o-

Chinese algebra?

Having grown up in the South, at times I've had to "translate" Southern for my wife- so I know what you're referencing!

[Steve-o]

LOL

Yeah, its a phrase a friend of mine used to use, it kinda stuck with me. He used to use that phrase to describe anything extremely tough to comprehend. One time he was trying to figure out how to program his new car computer and he looked at me and said "geez, trying to comprehend this is like trying to comprehend Chinese algebra." Had me rollin...

[Ohiogirl81]

Don't you dare tell anyone who lives in Louisville that they're midwestern!

[missymomof3]

Ohiogirl you'd be suprised how many Louisvillians say that we are in the midwest. I thikn they are afraid of the Southern stereotypes but I am a Southern gal no matter what they say!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by Rawlings

I was just there and there is no question to me that Louisville is southern. I suppose close to downtown, with all the Catholic parishes and cathedrals and the view of Indiana, it can feel midwestern. But once you get outside of the 264 loop it's totally southern. Especially once you get out into Hurtsbourne, Anchorage, and into Oldham and Bullitt Counties, it is Kentucky southern 100%. And, IMHO, that is what makes the area so darn attractive.

The area I am in has quite a bit less Catholic churches than Baptist or other Protestant denominations so I am always baffled with the whole "too catholic to be Southern" thing. I guess it depends on the area.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Its a mix of midwestern and southern if you ask me. Is it completely southern? Not even close? Is it completely midwestern? Nope. Its a mix. I used to live outside of Oak Grove, KY, and that town was hardly "southern" at all. In fact, most people spoke with northern accents. The Cumberland Gap region is another story.... lol Probably one of the most hick-ish areas Ive ever been to. LOL The accents were so strong it was like trying to decipher Chinese algebra everytime they spoke. I found myself staring at their lips, trying to pick apart words. LOLOL

I don't necessarily equate Southern with hick-ish but that's ok. Where's Oak Grove?

[ajf131]

Louisville does feel like a mix to me. Everything about it does. The downtown area is gives Louisville a rustbelt like appearance, and you hear many midwestern and Southern accents. The Louisville accent itself doesn't even sound distinctly southern to me...it's "twanged" a bit but very flat compared to the rest of the south. I also think Lexington has the same type of mixture to it given Cincinnati (A Midwestern city) is just about an hour north and the dialect sounds relatively flat compared to the rest of the South. I've honestly always felt the whole Golden Triangle of Kentucky draws flavor from both the Midwest and the South. The lifestyle in both these cities doesn't strike me as either too laid back or too fast-paced. i dunno...they may be more Southern than midwestern in the end, having been to both cities I would say that there is a very noticeable Midwestern and Southern presence in both of these cities. And given both are basically within the Ohio valley I just call it in between. Personally unless we are talking about cities like Paducah which are not far north of the Tennessee border, it really doesn't strike me as correct to call a city in the Ohio valley as the South. It's kind of guess a matter of opinion. I've heard people argue for the Southern component and for a mixture. I would never however include Louisville and Lexington in the Midwest and not in the South, that is obviously incorrect.