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At this very moment I'm 5 miles south of I-10 in Pensacola. Like the North or the Midwest, there are various subcultures in the real South. The Gulf Coast is really in a league of it's own in that regard. Unlike other parts of the Deep South, the Gulf Coast was never under British domination. It was purely Spanish or French in ethnic origin, and that is reflected in the attitudes here. The predominant religion, for example is Roman Catholic, not fundamentalist as you would find in the rest of the Deep South. New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile, Pensacola are all Gulf Coast cities. In LA moving away from New Orleans (which is more Creole than Cajin) to the West it becomes Cajin country which is also largely Catholic but retains a French character. What is really considered the Deep South is north of those areas, but south of both Tennessee and Kentucky. Tennessee and KY would be considered Upper South. WV would not be in that category, not even the southern part of it, although the southern Appy part of it would have some of the characteristics as a sort of blended area.
You mentioned northern LA, and that is interesting. I would think that what they mean is it is not Gulf Coast culturally, nor is it Cajin. It is in the area of the Deep South that is approaching the Mid South ... very different than the Deep South. West Virginia is typically considered Mid Atlantic, but in truth it is actually 6 different areas, each with it's own distinctive sub culture but all of which have some sort of Appalachian influence. There is no pure West Virginian culture, although the Charleston area would have to be considered to be closest to such a classification. It is the only area without extensive influences from other states.
Disagee about coastal AL...I'd lived in Mobile, AL...it has no Catholicism influence to speak of. Most are Protestants, only 8% catholic. They're as fundamentalist and as Deep South as it gets there. Very, very insular also, don't like outsiders at all. Even if you grew up 2 hours away.
NE WV, especially North of hwy 50, gives very strong Appalachian Pennsylvania vibes, this is exactly what I was thinking, as I'm staying there now... South of Sutton, Southern vibes, lots of Southern accents. Similar to Eastern Kentucky.
I do notice that there are the least Southern accents in the Eastern Panhandle, even compared to Fairmont. I don't know if this is because of the high influx of transplants in the EP. I've never met anyone native to the EP for more than one generation so I don't know if the natives there are culturally more southern or not.
The two counties where I've seen the most rebel flags are Kanawha County and Mineral County, geographically very far apart, though I also see them in Western Maryland which border Mineral County.
Yes, and I keep wondering why the rebel flags are seen more in Mineral county (I'm seeing them), while I saw none yet in SE WV, which is supposed to be more "Southern" than NE.
Last edited by worldcitizen10; 04-10-2020 at 06:21 PM..
I think Hampshire County is also more southern than northern given its nearest big city is Winchester, Virginia.
Winchester didn't feel like real South to me...felt like DC or NOVA extension. Very fast paced, and you can feel the high strung vibe unlike more relaxed Southern vibe, I guess. Hampshire county...I'd also say NOVA influences. NOVA isn't Southern to me at all...it's a crazy international megalopolis of various opportunistic citizens from all over.
I do agree very much with your description of Maryland. One thing though......the Eastern Shore is considered the most Southern part of Maryland culturally and historically, and Western Maryland feels more northern to me in culture in the rural northern kind of way like PA. The DC area feels northern in the stuck up yupppie kind of way, sorta like Long Island and New Jersey. You have some Southern accents in the Eastern Shore more so than in Western Maryland. I've always felt Cumberland was more of a northern city. Hagerstown and Frederick are more of a mix same with Baltimore.
Exactly. Western MD feels like full out Pennsylvania to me. It feels Northern. And DC/NOVA are Northern. Winchester does not feel Southern to me either, it's just Mid-Atlantic and these vibes spill out into NE WV.
Exactly. Western MD feels like full out Pennsylvania to me. It feels Northern. And DC/NOVA are Northern. Winchester does not feel Southern to me either, it's just Mid-Atlantic and these vibes spill out into NE WV.
There is a native culture in the Potomac Highlands and Western Maryland that predates and precedes the expansion of D.C.
We were settled earlier in history, have more colonial German stock, and went through various economic phases in history from subsistence agriculture to industrial coal production to post industrial decline (there is lots of coal here too, we were developed much earlier than the Southern coal fields.) Our area had mid-size cities with lots of factory and railroad jobs. We had immigrants coming into our cities into the early 20th century from Eastern and Southern Europe. Think of us as similar to SW PA, not D.C.
Once you get west or north of Winchester, you aren't feeling much D.C. influence so much as it is the native culture that is Northern Appalachian than the Southern part of WV which developed differently.
There is a native culture in the Potomac Highlands and Western Maryland that predates and precedes the expansion of D.C.
We were settled earlier in history, have more colonial German stock, and went through various economic phases in history from subsistence agriculture to industrial coal production to post industrial decline (there is lots of coal here too, we were developed much earlier than the Southern coal fields.) Our area had mid-size cities with lots of factory and railroad jobs. We had immigrants coming into our cities into the early 20th century from Eastern and Southern Europe. Think of us as similar to SW PA, not D.C.
Once you get west or north of Winchester, you aren't feeling much D.C. influence so much as it is the native culture that is Northern Appalachian than the Southern part of WV which developed differently.
Yes, I think of it more as of SW PA, not D.C-like. But there's influence from people from DC buying 2nd homes, for example, and there're tons of these homes, though most don't get used full time. It's a 2 hour drive to DC from many points close to the border, so some might be even commuting. I'm aware of the presence of earlier Northern Appalachian culture there, of course. But even my interactions with, say, realtors in certain Northern Potomac Highlands county there were kind of NOVA-like experience and people without doubt had been affected by NOVA culture. From some places people commute to Winchester being 30 minutes away. I think any megapolis extents huge influence within 2-3 hours drive from it.
Yes, I think of it more as of SW PA, not D.C-like. But there's influence from people from DC buying 2nd homes, for example, and there're tons of these homes, though most don't get used full time. It's a 2 hour drive to DC from many points close to the border, so some might be even commuting. I'm aware of the presence of earlier Northern Appalachian culture there, of course. But even my interactions with, say, realtors in certain Northern Potomac Highlands county there were kind of NOVA-like experience and people without doubt had been affected by NOVA culture. From some places people commute to Winchester being 30 minutes away. I think any megapolis extents huge influence within 2-3 hours drive from it.
Realtors base their pitch based on the customer. They were selling to you like you were a NOVA or 2nd home buyer because it was easy for them to tell you were not a local.
Sure, you can find some sub-divisions in Hampshire County that are largely 2nd homes, or transplants from D.C., but to say that has a "huge influence" on the Potomac Highlands or Western Maryland (Allegany and Garrett for us locals) is a bit silly. The locals where I live, including myself, tend to have a neutral to low opinion of the metro areas to our east. Virtually none of us identify with that culture, and openly reject it. Pittsburgh is just as close geographically, if not closer, to us than D.C. Pittsburgh is much closer to us culturally, and that metro is far and away the dominant choice for sports allegiance, shopping, medical care, etc. for most of the region you are discussing (Winchester does have a pull and draw as well, but again, this is a historic connection that existed long before D.C. suburbanites discovered it.)
Last edited by westsideboy; 04-11-2020 at 01:42 PM..
WV is rebel flag turf! Tried & true. I know DC & its minions have invaded the northeast panhandle & basterdized it to go commie. But by n large WV is WIld N Wonderful not some claustrophobic dump aka the further east you go from WV's eastern border.
You couldn't give me a home there free that I'd take -- other than resell it at a premium.
Sorry sounding harsh but my take & I know ALOT of folks in WV feel as such, period.
WV is rebel flag turf! Tried & true. I know DC & its minions have invaded the northeast panhandle & basterdized it to go commie.
"Commie", LOL. Such nonsense.
And "rebel flag turf"?? No, thankfully most everywhere has moved on from 160 years ago.
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