East and West Pa. Different or the same? (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: sale, neighborhoods)

[W-B proud]

Eastern and Western Pennsylvania are like two completely different states. Different demograghics, different kinds of people, different accents ect. If you were King or Queen for the day, would you divide the state into two halves? It's a dumb question, but I'm coureous to see the responses. East and West Pa. truely are two very distinctly different areas.

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

Eastern and Western Pennsylvania are like two completely different states. Different demograghics, different kinds of people, different accents ect. If you were King or Queen for the day, would you divide the state into two halves? It's a dumb question, but I'm coureous to see the responses. East and West Pa. truely are two very distinctly different areas.

Pennsyldelphia and Pittsburvania?

[ScranBarre]

How about Wilkes-Sylvania? Scrantropolis?

[W-B proud]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

How about Wilkes-Sylvania? Scrantropolis?

I can dig that!

[mams1559]

Being a proud western PA resident for my entire life, yes I can agree that western PA and eastern PA are two distinct parts of a whole. While I also love my state and would not like to see it cut in half, I have had daydreams of selling Philadelphia (city/county) to NJ, just to ease the burden on the rest of the state .

But I've also had daydreams of annexing the state of Delaware to expand PA's presence

I know, crazy huh. As to your direct question, sure, for a day we could split the state in two.. almost down the middle ... or even better, follow the ridge line of the Alleghenies.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by mams1559

Being a proud western PA resident for my entire life, yes I can agree that western PA and eastern PA are two distinct parts of a whole. While I also love my state and would not like to see it cut in half, I have had daydreams of selling Philadelphia (city/county) to NJ, just to ease the burden on the rest of the state .

Lots of baggage for sure and there are a hundred thousand or so people, a dozen neighborhoods/public schools of Philadlephia I'd like to see disappear too but it easily blows the doors off of every other city in Pennsylvania.Not to mention just about every other city in the usa except perhaps NYC,Chi,and SF.

You could combine the downtowns of Pittsburgh,Erie,Harrisburg,Bethlehem,Allentown,Scr anton and they still would pale in comparison to Center City Philadlephia. Center City boasts 100,000 residents, 250,000 office workers, 50,000 students,5 million tourist, 750 retail + restaurant establishments,9 of the states top 10 night clubs (liquor sale receipts.)

8 Fortune 500 companies. The #4 ranked academic university in the usa(Penn). The #1 ranked Childrens Hospital of Pennsylvania in the USA. One of the best Medical colleges in the usa(Thomas Jefferson University)The First fill in the blank_ _ _ of the United States.Independence Hall,Liberty Bell,Constitution center,Philadelphia Museum of Art,ben Franklin Parkway,Fairmount Park,chestnut Hill etc etc etc..

I certainly wouldnt want to give all that away to New Jersey. Despite its problems Philadelphia is still the economic,cultural, and entertainment center to the 4th largest metro economy in the USA.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by mams1559

Being a proud western PA resident for my entire life, yes I can agree that western PA and eastern PA are two distinct parts of a whole. While I also love my state and would not like to see it cut in half, I have had daydreams of selling Philadelphia (city/county) to NJ, just to ease the burden on the rest of the state .

I'm not sure how you can have a Bible quote under your ID then say something so deragatory (hypocrite), but I expected a comment like this one early on.

[Ohiogirl81]

Bla bla bla. Maybe this us-versus-them attitude is part of what makes this state so danged insufferable.

[FightinPhils]

It seems that the Philadelphia area has the most in common with NJ, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is similar to upstate NY, southwestern PA is very similar to WV, and northwestern PA is simiar to Ohio.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by FightinPhils

It seems that the Philadelphia area has thegirlmost in common with NJ, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is similar to upstate NY, southwestern PA is very similar to WV, and northwestern PA is simiar to Ohio.

This is an interesting way to put it, FightinPhils. However, I agree with Ohiogirl in that focusing on our differences is counterproductive. Pennsylvania is cool and unique for the very reason that it has distinct micro-cultures around the state.

Furthermore -- although I'm not necessarily referring to anyone on this forum -- I also detest what I've perceived as a resenting attitude that generally rural Pennsylvanians have toward Philadelphia and environs because it may not represent the rest of the state demographically (read: not white enough, too poor/rich, and too liberal). This is where our state began, folks, and if you're going to culturally isolate Pennsylvania's most important economic, educational, and cultural center (even in jest), then you're slighting not only our great Commonwealth's history, but its future, as well.