Do you place Raleigh in Eastern NC? (Charlotte, Durham: schools, live)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Interesting how some folks call areas like Harnett County "down east" when they won't say the same for Raleigh. I don't necessarily care, but it's just interesting.
"Down East" is actually Carteret County. If they call Harnett County "down east" they're misusing the nickname. I'd call Harnett County Eastern NC, though. It might be a little more Sandhills in portions, but not Piedmont I don't think. Definitely Coastal Plain.
To me, east of Raleigh is Eastern NC. Zebulon and Wilson I could see, but not Raleigh. That's what they teach in school: http://ncpedia.org/geography/landforms
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I'd definitely place Durham and Chapel Hill in the same neighborhood as Raleigh, those two don't really have any connections with the Triad counties. Mebane is basically the dividing line, at least in my opinion. Interesting they didn't place Durham in the Eastern part of the state.
Chapel Hill and Hillsborough have a connection with Alamance County, which is more Triad. Southern Alamance (Saxapahaw, Mebane) especially, but also Burlington somewhat. I know a lot of folks who would take their kids to Burlington City Park instead of Pullen Park. Saxapahaw is tight with Carrboro. Definite kinship there.
Triangle counties are Wake, Durham Orange, Chatham, portions of Johnston, a sliver of Harnett, any more?
Triad counties: Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, parts of Davidson, parts of Randolph, not sure of any more.
"Down East" is actually Carteret County. If they call Harnett County "down east" they're misusing the nickname. I'd call Harnett County Eastern NC, though. It might be a little more Sandhills in portions, but not Piedmont I don't think. Definitely Coastal Plain.
I agree about Harnett Co not being "down east" or anywhere close however, I always thought the term was used for a general grouping of counties (Carteret as you say but also Pamlico, Jones, Craven, maybe Beaufort and Washington, etc) that aren't exactly Outerbanks counties but are different the more western Coastal Plain counties than say, Wayne, Green, Lenoir, etc.
I think people do use it that way, but historically it specifically refers to Carteret County, maybe sometimes Ocracoke or Hatteras, but specifically east Carteret, places like Atlantic, Cedar Island, Harker's Island, etc.
I've seen people/organizations from Wilmington to Rocky Mount use it more recently. I guess it makes good marketing.
Raleigh feels like the urban/suburban gateway to Eastern NC more than it feels like true Eastern NC. As previous posts have alluded to, it also draws from a much larger trade area to the east than to the west.
Raleigh (and much of the Triangle) does have a discernibly different look in the land than points west which is more similar to much of Eastern NC than areas of the Piedmont like the Triad. The Raleigh area has noticeably more pine trees and sandier soil (especially in the Southern/Eastern areas like Johnston County). The difference between Raleigh/the Triangle and points to the east is that the Triangle is much hillier in places (especially if heading towards and within Chapel Hill).
Last edited by Jowel; 10-27-2015 at 04:58 PM..
Reason: Minor clerical corrections
No. I don't associate Raleigh with eastern NC. Raleigh is clearly part of the Piedmont as the eastern anchor of the Piedmont Crescent.
One can argue that the (now) far eastern suburbs of Raleigh in Johnston County start feeling like eastern NC but those areas really weren't as connected to Raleigh in the past like they are becoming now. Count me among those who would draw the line at I-95 before it truly becomes strictly eastern NC culturally and topographically.
ENC is connected to Raleigh, but Raleigh is not connected to ENC. it's because it's close by, a large city (comparatively), and the state capital.
Cable TV in Greenville & Kinston have always carried WRAL and we can also still get home delivery of the N&O. Traditionally ENC's farmers' sons went off to NCSU.
ENC is connected to Raleigh, but Raleigh is not connected to ENC. it's because it's close by, a large city (comparatively), and the state capital.
This is a good point.
In a way, Raleigh's relationship to eastern NC is like Charlotte's relationship to South Carolina. Charlotte is not in SC but folks in its sphere of influence there are much more connected to the city than vice versa.
Like the other 2 core Triangle municipalities, Raleigh looks inward primarily and toward RTP secondarily. The suburbs look to cores and to RTP as well. IMO, only the far eastern or southeastern suburbs of Raleigh even really look toward the east for identity.
I see two cultural poles in nc you are either part of the Appalachia or coastal culture and the foot hills and sand hills extend well into the triangle
The Piedmont doesn't have much a culture per se it's too cosmopolitan
That being said draw a diagnol line and put the triangle on the east and triad Charlotte on the west and there ya go
It's true that the areas around Durham or North Raleigh don't look like Eastern NC. Those areas have the red hills and pine trees, while Eastern NC is much more flat and swampy in parts. Just drive from Raleigh to Creedmoor on Highway 50 and you'll get a good glimpse. It doesn't necessarily look like Winston-Salem or areas further west, but it also doesn't look anything like Rocky Mount, Kinston, Greenville, etc.
Towns like Zebulon and Clayton do have a slight Eastern NC flavor. Other towns southwest of Raleigh like Fuquay-Varina, Lillington, and Sanford might feel a bit more Sandhill-ish. I guess towns further north like Oxford or Louisburg would qualify as Piedmont. Anyone agree or disagree?
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