What I learned about Pennsylvania from a panel of FOX News pundits (Philadelphia: transplants, suburbs)
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Actually, I have, and no, that is not what makes a "capitol city". (Just noticed that I spelled capitol with an "a" before). Pittsburgh is not dominating and influencing Erie the way Philadelphia is to the cities around it because Erie isn't near Pittsburgh.
And Northeastern PA has not been influenced by NYC. NYC people might've moved there, they might've gotten NYC establishments or something but the fact is that NE PA is 100% Pennsylvania.
You are right in that it's not set up like the Eastern side, which has everything to do with the fact that those cities were and still are major PA cities and happen to go in a line from Scranton all the way to Philadelphia (without including any of the cities south or east of Philadelphia) yet the Lehigh Valley and Scranton/Wilkes Barre are separate distinct cities/metros that weren't influenced by anywhere else, thanks to their isolation from Philadelphia and the rest of Southeastern PA as well as from places like NYC, which people may be leaving to go to NE PA from now but weren't when NE PA was full of booming coal and other industries.
Ok what is you definition of a Capitol City then??? Lets see they root for Pittsburgh sports teams, Pittsburgh is the top hinterland city for Erie.....Just because Erie is not in Pittsburghs MSA doestn make it a Capitol City...
Which Ones? Tyrone? Duncansville? Altoona? Johnstown?
When you went from Pittsburgh to Penn State did you actually stop in the towns, go to the local watering holes and interview the locals? Or did you just drive up 22, then up 220 to PSU and maybe stop at the Sheetz in Ebensburg along the way like I use too
As of now I have lived in 7 Pennsylvania towns; east to west, big cities and small towns. There are stupid people everywhere.
Actually I have friends in J-town and I have been in many of the smaller towns on the way to State college (I fished alot) and my experiences with some of the locals in some of the stores/bars off of Rte 22. Oh I have been in Ebensburg a couple of times also as well as Altoona (they have a pretty nice VA). To be honest with you there are many of those little towns that care very little about minorities, this is why I consider some of the people there backasswards)
Ok then specifically in what ways is Erie its own Characture from the rest of WPA...
First of all, it's the only city in Pennsylvania that's located on the Great Lakes. Second of all, it was once part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, so the built environment there is different there than it is in southwestern Pennsylvania. Third of all, it's closer to both Cleveland (105 miles) and Buffalo (110 miles) than it is to Pittsburgh (125 miles), so while Pittsburgh has had its influence on the culture of Erie, so have Cleveland and Buffalo. And I don't care if a plurality of people in Erie like the Steelers; there are enough Browns and Bills fans there to be noticed. Hell, a plurality of people in Harrisburg (if not a majority) like the Steelers too; does that make its region of the state any less "sovereign"? No.
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Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212
..and where does the Pittsburgh influence stop and the so-called "Erie" influence pick up.....true be told Ive never heard of a NWPA town being more influnced by Erie than Pittsburgh...
Once you get north of I-80, Pittsburgh's gravity steadily decreases. By the time you get to Meadville and Titusville, Erie is unquestionably "the big city" in the region.
Ok what is you definition of a Capitol City then??? Lets see they root for Pittsburgh sports teams, Pittsburgh is the top hinterland city for Erie.....Just because Erie is not in Pittsburghs MSA doestn make it a Capitol City...
I already gave my defition: Being most representative of the area as a whole.
Erie I would think is a lot more representative of the area near it than Pittsburgh is, considering how far south Pittsburgh is from Erie.
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Originally Posted by Gnutella
First of all, it's the only city in Pennsylvania that's located on the Great Lakes. Second of all, it was once part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, so the built environment there is different there than it is in southwestern Pennsylvania. Third of all, it's closer to both Cleveland (105 miles) and Buffalo (110 miles) than it is to Pittsburgh (125 miles), so while Pittsburgh has had its influence on the culture of Erie, so have Cleveland and Buffalo. And I don't care if a plurality of people in Erie like the Steelers; there are enough Browns and Bills fans there to be noticed. Hell, a plurality of people in Harrisburg (if not a majority) like the Steelers too; does that make its region of the state any less "sovereign"? No.
Once you get north of I-80, Pittsburgh's gravity steadily decreases. By the time you get to Meadville and Titusville, Erie is unquestionably "the big city" in the region.
First of all, it's the only city in Pennsylvania that's located on the Great Lakes. Second of all, it was once part of the Connecticut Western Reserve, so the built environment there is different there than it is in southwestern Pennsylvania. Third of all, it's closer to both Cleveland (105 miles) and Buffalo (110 miles) than it is to Pittsburgh (125 miles), so while Pittsburgh has had its influence on the culture of Erie, so have Cleveland and Buffalo. And I don't care if a plurality of people in Erie like the Steelers; there are enough Browns and Bills fans there to be noticed. Hell, a plurality of people in Harrisburg (if not a majority) like the Steelers too; does that make its region of the state any less "sovereign"? No.
Sorry but that statement right there is why Erie is not a "Capitol City"......when other cities have Influence over it. Erie doesn't have a Culture of its own that in one way isn't influenced by Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Buffalo.
A Capitol City has its own Influence within its region...
Harrisburg has its own Culture, even though it must root for sports teams of the bigger cities...Its not Pittsburgh it not Philadelphia its Harrisburg. You can't say that about Erie
Last edited by Blackbeauty212; 12-08-2011 at 02:19 PM..
I already gave my defition: Being most representative of the area as a whole.
Erie I would think is a lot more representative of the area near it than Pittsburgh is, considering how far south Pittsburgh is from Erie.
So what represents Erie that isn't influence from one of the big cities flanking all side of it....does Erie have a culture/distinction that say "this is Erie, Not Pittsburgh, Not Cleveland, Not Buffalo"
Erie simply has the largest population of NWPA...still does not make a Capitol City
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does Erie have a culture/distinction that say "this is Erie, Not Pittsburgh, Not Cleveland, Not Buffalo"
Wake up and smell the Smith's hot dogs! Pour a Kohler collar! munch on a perch sandwich! Scarf down some sponge candy! Feel the lake effect, baby!
If you have to ask, you are clueless about Erie, its people and its culture. We have our own slang, our own ways of working and playing, our own inside jokes, our own likes and dislikes, achievements and disappointments as a city and a region.
Proximity does not necessarily equate influence; however, if you go to places like Conneaut, Westfield, Meadville, Warren ... you can easily see Erie's influence and effect. People in these towns work and play in Erie, attend events in Erie, read Erie newspapers (God help them) and watch Erie TV stations.
Lastly, what represents Erie that is "influence" from one of the big cities nearby? We don't speak like Clevelanders, we don't vacation yearly in Buffalo and we don't (for the most part) build brick row houses similar to those in Pittsburgh.
We do eat pierogi, however. Just like in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
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A Capitol City has its own Influence within its region...
The only "capitol" in Pennsylvania is a building in Harrisburg. You know ... The one where not much gets done.
Last edited by Ohiogirl81; 12-08-2011 at 02:46 PM..
Ok - You guys win....We just have a different thought process of the term "Capitol City"
A capital city, by definition, is the "headquarters" of the state government. If you're talking about the cultural influence a city has, then there'd be less confusion if you used a term like "cultural epicenter," or even "cultural capital," as long as you make it consistently clear that you're speaking in reference to a city's cultural influence. Somebody who hops into the discussion late can see you talking about Erie and Pittsburgh as "capital cities" and wonder what the hell you're talking about. That's why you have to make it known consistently that you're speaking in terms of culture.
I half-agree with you. Erie exerts less cultural influence overall than Pittsburgh does, but it does exert some, which is why Erie is "the big city" for towns like Meadville, Titusville, Corry and Warren. Its cultural territory is small compared to Pittsburgh, but it's there nonetheless.
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