Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 04-10-2014, 10:40 PM
 
2,823 posts, read 4,459,028 times
Reputation: 1799

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francois View Post
But in statewide elections, it is accurate. In fact, I saw statistics quoting NC as the "most Purple" state of all going by just Republican and Democratic votes in the past elections. We were "Blue" by the smallest margin in 2008 and "Red" by the smallest margin in 2012. Of COURSE there is regional variation, but the question is about NC as a whole.

Politically, we are the new Florida/Ohio. But this question was about "culturally", not politically.



Actually, I'm pretty sure Durham gets that title, aided by the large minority population.
I'm sure you're right! Durham is pretty blue, more so than Raleigh. The Triad is relatively liberal, but not as blue as the Triangle.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-10-2014, 11:01 PM
 
2,823 posts, read 4,459,028 times
Reputation: 1799
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77 View Post
Actually Nashville is quite culturally similar to Atlanta, maybe even more so than Charlotte. They are both centers of the music industry and had historically important roles in the development of country music in particular; they also both regularly host music awards and shows. Music plays a huge role in a city's cultural identity and Charlotte just doesn't compare in that area. Also, Nashville is known as the "Athens of the South" due to its collection of colleges and universities; both it and Atlanta have notable private research institutions (Vanderbilt and Emory, respectively) and HBCUs, including independent medical colleges (Meharry and Morehouse School of Medicine). As far as Birmingham goes, yes it's smaller but has a built environment similar to Atlanta's, particularly in the core. They were both notable centers of industry early in their histories, so much so for Birmingham that despite being founded much later (after the Civil War, in fact), it caught up to Atlanta and they were peer cities for a time up to WWII. This is why the historic downtowns of both cities bear many resemblances architecturally, and each city's downtown university (UAB, GSU) has played a significant role in their continual development. Both cities were also very important in the Civil Rights era. I also think Atlanta and Birmingham have a more similar geographical setting.
I do have to agree that Atlanta has similarities with all three, you could even place Raleigh in there and it could also possibly work. From my experiences in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville, I would have to say that Atlanta is more similar to Charlotte. To me, Nashville was a city that "did it's own thing", a bit like New Orleans. Atlanta and Charlotte together seem very "New South." You could say Nashville is "New South" to a less degree. Charlotte feels like Atlanta with less tourism, attractions, etc. Although, one can definitely pair the amusement parks of Carowinds and Six Flags Over Georgia together when it comes to popular attractions. Overall, the state of Tennessee is a lot more similar to Kentucky than Georgia, the similarities between Georgia and North Carolina are much stronger. These are all from my personal experiences and observations. Not as familiar with Birmingham, but I'm sure you're right.

Last edited by JayJayCB; 04-10-2014 at 11:12 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-10-2014, 11:10 PM
 
37,798 posts, read 41,542,932 times
Reputation: 27068
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJayCB View Post
I do have to agree that Atlanta has similarities with all three, you could even place Raleigh in there and it could also possibly work. From my experiences in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville, I would have to say that Atlanta and Charlotte are more similar. To me, Nashville was a city that "did it's own thing", a bit like New Orleans. Atlanta and Charlotte together seem very "New South." You could say Nashville is "New South" to a less degree. Charlotte feels like Atlanta with less tourism, attractions, etc. Although, one can definitely pair the amusement parks of Carowinds and Six Flags Over Georgia together when it comes to popular attractions. Overall, the state of Tennessee is a lot more similar to Kentucky than Georgia, the similarities between Georgia and North Carolina are much stronger. These are all from my personal experiences and observations. Not as familiar with Birmingham, but I'm sure you're right.
Atlanta and Charlotte have similar vibes when it comes to being big business centers and experiencing rapid growth over the past couple of decades. But in terms of character, the things that help define the identities of both cities, I actually think Atlanta and Nashville are a little more similar. And I think they possibly have a more similar feel in their cores, both having their touristy areas and having more historic buildings. But I do think that Charlotte and Atlanta are more alike in that their true character are found more in the historic neighborhoods surrounding the CBD which is something that most tourists don't see.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-10-2014, 11:17 PM
 
2,823 posts, read 4,459,028 times
Reputation: 1799
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77 View Post
Atlanta and Charlotte have similar vibes when it comes to being big business centers and experiencing rapid growth over the past couple of decades. But in terms of character, the things that help define the identities of both cities, I actually think Atlanta and Nashville are a little more similar. And I think they possibly have a more similar feel in their cores, both having their touristy areas and having more historic buildings. But I do think that Charlotte and Atlanta are more alike in that their true character are found more in the historic neighborhoods surrounding the CBD which is something that most tourists don't see.
Would you agree that there are also similarities between Raleigh and Atlanta? If you had to pair Raleigh with another city based off similarities, what would you say?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-11-2014, 02:26 AM
 
37,798 posts, read 41,542,932 times
Reputation: 27068
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJayCB View Post
Would you agree that there are also similarities between Raleigh and Atlanta? If you had to pair Raleigh with another city based off similarities, what would you say?
Yeah there are, but I don't find them to be all that similar overall.

Austin is probably a good contender to pair with Raleigh. It also shares some similarities with Columbia, SC, particularly in terms of layout and being Southeastern fall line state capitals and college cities (Raleigh is a good bit more overrun with transplants, however).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-11-2014, 12:28 PM
 
2,823 posts, read 4,459,028 times
Reputation: 1799
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77 View Post
Yeah there are, but I don't find them to be all that similar overall.

Austin is probably a good contender to pair with Raleigh. It also shares some similarities with Columbia, SC, particularly in terms of layout and being Southeastern fall line state capitals and college cities (Raleigh is a good bit more overrun with transplants, however).
That's true, all the transplants flock to Cary haha! I'd have to agree with the similarities with Columbia, Atlanta, Richmond, and maybe even Nashville as for cities outside NC. Austin is an interesting comparison, I visited that city for an afternoon and to me, it reminded me of Atlanta but I'd say it's also similar to Raleigh, too.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2014, 09:15 AM
 
Location: Virginia
352 posts, read 548,566 times
Reputation: 443
Default hmmm

Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJayCB View Post
If you take NOVA out of the picture, would you say VA and NC would be about equal?
Hmm.. that's a tricky one. I grew up in Hampton Roads which overall is conservative (military, etc.. I've heard people refer to Virginia Beach as "the Redneck Riviera" :^) ) with small enclaves of liberal (Ghent, parts of Va Beach). Large parts of downtown Richmond are liberal (around VCU, the Fan, Carytown, etc) a bit of mix in the suburbs but large areas of Richmond are conservative. NOVA (where I'm currently living) politically democrat inside the beltway.. but they are a completely different animal than liberals in the pac northwest and California.. not exactly "free spirits". Outside the beltway in northern virginia is a mix of democrats and republican, the farther out from the city the more republican it gets. Charlottesville (UVA, college town) is liberal. Blacksburg/Va Tech is liberal. There's many parts in the western and middle part of the state I've never been.. not sure if they would be comparable to rural North Carolina.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2014, 09:31 AM
 
Location: Virginia
352 posts, read 548,566 times
Reputation: 443
BTW you guys were talking about whether Virginia/ Hampton Roads are "southern". I would say the answer is complicated..you could say "yes" and/or "no". I grew up there. Some of my family are very southern, have southern accents. Many of the people I grew up are definitely southern. Many Navy and other transplants from the midwest and all over the country. In college and at work it was a mix of both.

I also reject some things that were said early that southern = rural, hillbilly,automatically conservative. My Mom was very southern, deep accent, extremely smart, very quick wit and sense of humor, independent, taught me to think for myself, loved city life.. didn't want to live in the country, politically liberal, had zero tolerance for racist rednecks and fools. She would've adored Stephen Colbert. There are plenty of southerners both in my family and otherwise that are like this. There are people on this forum that act like the only educated people in the southern cities are transplants from the north and west and it's idiotic.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2014, 09:40 AM
 
Location: My House
34,937 posts, read 36,086,369 times
Reputation: 26541
Quote:
Originally Posted by VASpaceMan View Post
BTW you guys were talking about whether Virginia/ Hampton Roads are "southern". I would say the answer is complicated..you could say "yes" and/or "no". I grew up there. Some of my family are very southern, have southern accents. Many of the people I grew up are definitely southern. Many Navy and other transplants from the midwest and all over the country. In college and at work it was a mix of both.

I also reject some things that were said early that southern = rural, hillbilly,automatically conservative. My Mom was very southern, deep accent, extremely smart, very quick wit and sense of humor, independent, taught me to think for myself, loved city life.. didn't want to live in the country, politically liberal, had zero tolerance for racist rednecks and fools. She would've adored Stephen Colbert. There are plenty of southerners both in my family and otherwise that are like this. There are people on this forum that act like the only educated people in the southern cities are transplants from the north and west and it's idiotic.
Yes. It is. And that's not even taking into account any comparisons of levels of education between people who moved here from their native area and the other people from that same area.

Educated is a relative term.
__________________
When in doubt, check it out: FAQ
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-12-2014, 09:48 AM
 
Location: Virginia
352 posts, read 548,566 times
Reputation: 443
Default The difference between monolithically purple vs deep red mixed with blue

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francois View Post
But in statewide elections, it is accurate. In fact, I saw statistics quoting NC as the "most Purple" state of all going by just Republican and Democratic votes in the past elections. We were "Blue" by the smallest margin in 2008 and "Red" by the smallest margin in 2012. Of COURSE there is regional variation, but the question is about NC as a whole.

Politically, we are the new Florida/Ohio. But this question was about "culturally", not politically.

Actually, I'm pretty sure Durham gets that title, aided by the large minority population.

I think it's important to understand the specifics of the situation.. people who thought that NC was a monolithically moderate, purple state they were left scratching their heads when a hard right government took over. How could people who were moderate and purple vote a hard right government into power? This make more sense when you understand that NC is islands of blue (The Triangle, Charlotte, Asheville, etc) surrounded by an ocean of deep red. Two extremes with the average being moderate. The deep red rural populace got their deep red politicians into power (some have argued that this was due to gerrymandering). I've seen similar things happening in other states. For example Pennsylvania. The people there consider Penn to be islands of blue (Pittsburgh and Philly) with "Pennsyltucky" in the middle. If you go over to the Pennsylvania forums you'll notice people from Philly complaining that they are having to suffer laws that they don't agree with that are in place due to "Pennsyltucky".
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top