Is North Carolina still a "Southern" state? (Charlotte: live in, store)

[macjr82]

Originally Posted by Terrigno

Im from NJ and I dont try to change no one. Calling people from the north Yankess and Northerners calling people from the south Rednecks is like saying racial slurs to black people and white people. Its offensive and rude. You shouldnt put yourself on that level. If you do, may god bless your soul. Remember one thing. All of us are Gods children. Doesnt matter what color you are. I wasnt born with the ability to open my eyes and decide what color I wanna be and where I want to live. Remember that...

Yankees and northerners is not a slur, it's a description "d**n yankee" on the other hand...

[macjr82]

Originally Posted by Francois

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

(Troll alert?)

maybe he was confused by the the state song "The Old North State"

Carolina! Heaven's blessings attend her!While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her;Tho' the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her,Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever!Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Tho' she envies not others, their merited glory,Say whose name stands the foremost, in Liberty's story,Tho' too true to herself e'er to crouch to oppression,Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission? Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever!Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Plain and artless her sons, but whose doors open fasterAt the knock of a stranger, or the tale of disaster.How like the rudeness of the dear native mountains,With rich ore in their bosoms and life in their fountains. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever!Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! And her daughters, the Queen or the forest resemblingSo graceful, so constant, yet the gentlest breath trembling.And true lightwood at heart, let the match be applied them,How they kindle and flame! Oh! none know but who've tried them. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever!Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Then let all those who love us, love the land that we live in,As happy a region as on this side of heaven,Where plenty and peace, love and joy smile before us,Raise aloud, raise together the heart thrilling chorus. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever!Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State!

My personal fav is

Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning,No one could be sweeter than my sweetie when I meet her in the morning.Where the morning gloriesTwine around the door,Whispering pretty storiesI long to hear once more.Strolling with my girlie where the dew is pearly early in the morning,Butterflies all flutter up and kiss each little buttercup at dawning,If I had Aladdin's lamp for only a day,I'd make a wish and here's what I'd say:Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.

though growing up on the coast with beach music this was fun too

CAROLINA GIRLS
CAROLINA GIRLS (CAROLINA GIRLS) BEST IN THE WORLD (CAROLINA GIRLS)
YOU'RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
CAROLINA GIRLS (CAROLINA GIRLS) SWEET SOUTHERN PEARLS
YOU'RE SURE ENOUGH TUFF GIRL, I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
I LOVE THE WAY YOU WALK (WALK THAT WALK) I LOVE THE WAY YOU TALK (TALK THAT TALK) YOU'RE SO FINE GIRL YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
CALIFORNIA GIRLS ARE SEXY AND NEW YORK GIRLS ARE TOO
BUT CAROLINA GIRLS GOT GOOD LOOKS AND SWEET PERSONALITY TOO
CAROLINA GIRLS (CAROLINA GIRLS) SWEET SOUTHERN PEARLS
YOU'RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
YOU MAKE ME SAY WOOO (CAROLINA NOTHING FINER) WITH THE THINGS YOU DO
(CAROLINA NOTHING FINER) SWEETER THAN CANDY HOTTER THAN HEAT MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS GIRL YOU CAN'T BE BEAT
(SAX SOLO)
CALIFORNIA GIRLS ARE SEXY AND NEW YORK GIRLS ARE TOO
BUT CAROLINA GIRLS GOT GOOD LOOKS AND SWEET PERSONALITY TOO
CAROLINA GIRLS (CAROLINA GIRLS) SWEET SOUTHERN PEARLS
YOU'RE SURE ENOUGH TUFF GIRL, I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS
CAROLINA GIRLS (CAROLINA GIRLS) BEST IN THE WORLD (CAROLINA GIRLS)
YOU'RE SO FINE GIRL, YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND SWEET CAROLINA GIRLS

[rxpwas]

Originally Posted by macjr82

maybe he was confused by the the state song "The Old North State"
My personal fav is

though growing up on the coast with beach music this was fun too

Doesn't the end of the Allman Brothers song "Blue Sky" say something about church bells ringing everywhere, I'm going to Carolina, in the morning, I'll be there, or something like that? There is also Michael Martin Murphy's "Carolina in the Pines", and James Taylor's "In My Mind I'm Gone to Carolina" (I might have words wrong, been so long since I've heard any of these).

[Jerseyman4]

Weighing in my 2 cents,

I can't believe someone would ask this question. Seriously, North Carolina is and always will be a predominant southern state. Granted, you have enclaves/pockets of the suburban areas around the major cities (Greensboro, Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh, Wilmington) that have diluted some of the southern accent with the general public. Granted, 90% of the state is rural and there are many small to mid-sized cities that retain the southern accent and generations staying in town. One notable exception to North Carolina potentially becoming an extension of the Northeast United States is Currituck County and possibly Dare County. It is inevitable that the Northeast Megalopolis will extend southward from Washington, DC to Richmond. The question is whether development fills in the gaps between Richmond and Hampton Roads? If that happens, Chesapeake/Virginia Beach over-development could spill into Currituck County because of it's unspoiled prime waterfront real estate. If there is ANY chance of any part of NC becoming the north someday, it will start along the Highway 168/158 corridors from the Outer Banks to Chesapeake.

[bram73]

My 2 cents or maybe a dollar. NC like previously said is overwhemingly a southeastern southern state. The state is still mostly rural and has a huge southern charm. Western NC is pure southern appalachain with the exception of parts of Asheville. Piedmont NC is also very southern in its rural and mid sized cities. Charlotte Durham Raleigh all have had there southern culture diluted but still maintain a southern sway but Cary and Chapel hill feels more like florida for obvious reasons but instead of palm trees you have pine trees. The triad definitley still has a major southern charm to it Greensboro less than others but still its cool. Eastern NC the biggest region in NC has a lower south look and feel to it. From the long leaf pines, cotton fields, to even a couple of gators swimming around the swamps with spanish moss. Greenville NC is pretty southern but the college town of ECU plays a role in it being not as southern and Fayetteville has its military familys from all over but its still pretty southern. Wilmington probably the least southern of the major cities in east NC has its transplants college town and tourist population which makes it lose some of it southern charm but the look and historic culture make up for some of the things it has lost. You can still hear plenty of the old south accent in and around wilmington from what i heard. Now parts of the outerbanks have lost most of their southern charm due to tourist and transplants but other than that NC is without a doubt southern and unless a earthquake moves it off the eastern seaboard it always will be! And in my opinion NC is one of the best southern states. You want southern city go to Winston Salem or Charlotte etc. Want southern Appalachain go to Western NC. Want a deep south feel go to goldsboro or some other part of East NC.

[Type O Negative]

No, it's just an extension of Long Island and NJ.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by bram73

My 2 cents or maybe a dollar. NC like previously said is overwhemingly a southeastern southern state. The state is still mostly rural and has a huge southern charm.

Just what is "Southern Charm" and what would it look like? I believe it exists only in books. I've been here for 5-1/2 years and I still don't know what it actually is.

I also take issue with the statement that NC is mostly rural. As is every other state in the nation except for New Jersey. I recently saw an aerial photo of the houses on the waterfront at the Hamptons. Do you know what is directly across the street from some of those multi-million dollar estates? Corn fields.

Even California with it bulging population is mostly rural. Once you get outside of the LA megalopolis it's all rural. And California is a big state.

I live in Greenville now and if this area has a southern charm then so does just about everywhere else. The Gateway to the city dumps you right into the poorest part of town. Looking Good! Once you get out of there it is nothing but sprawl as far as the eye can see. It looks just like anywhere else on the East Coast.

And in Greenville you're just as likely not to hear a southern accent as you are to hear one.

Raleigh, Durham and Cary are the same way. Mile after mile after mile of houses and businesses. Big box store here, big box store there. Sub division here, condos there.

And if southern charm is an old town, like Kinston, that time passed right on by, then you can keep that.

[FrancoFille]

Originally Posted by Jerseyman4

Weighing in my 2 cents,

Granted, 90% of the state is rural and there are many small to mid-sized cities that retain the southern accent and generations staying in town.

Mmk. As a NC resident, I'm gonna have to stop you there. NC is not 90% rural. More like 70%

[DMG721]

Time to settle this once and for all!

I get all kinds of different opinions on exactly which "region" of the country that North Carolina is a part of. I mean, sure it's in the South as opposed to the North, but aside from that, a lot of North Carolinians seem to try to push North Carolina into the Mid-Atlantic region, or claim that it's sort of like another Virginia, as opposed to South Carolina or Georgia. I think it's hard to credibly make the claim that North Carolina is part of the Mid-Atlantic region though, one that stretches from Philadephia down to Richmond. I believe that North Carolina is best considered a part of the "Southeast."

There is a temptation to lump NC in with the Mid-Atlantic states due to all of the transplants that have inundated the Research Triangle and Charlotte. NC may feel less Southern to a lot of people who live in those cities, and politically it is trending similarly to Virginia. But geographically, historically, and culturally, North Carolina is a Southeastern state. North and South Carolina were settled by a different group of Europeans than were the Mid-Atlantic states, like Virginia. North Carolina joins South Carolina and Georgia as part of the pro-business "New South" set of economies that are trying to create a favorable business climate for economic growth, which is in effect causing all of those transplants to move down here as they look for jobs from relocated employers. And, let's get real here, if you get out your map of the United States, you'll find North Carolina in the Southeast portion of the country, not the middle of the eastern coastline.

As such, I think that North Carolina is best described as a Southeastern state, not a part of the Mid-Atlantic. Would enjoy hearing the community's views.

[Sealtite]

Originally Posted by DMG721

Time to settle this once and for all!

I think it was settled a long time ago.