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.
I've never heard a Southern accent while listening to radio stations in the area - people there seem to have the same sort of neutral accent as here in PA.
My aunt has a camper on the WVa. side of the river near East Liverpool. (just down the road from Newell--near Mountaineer race track and resort.) One of her friends is a very nice lady who grew up in the area, and she has a very noticable accent.
I live here, Chester, WV, the northern most spot in WV. The locals consider themselves human. We do not align with southern WV, it is commonly and derogatorily referred to as 'down hoopie'. We shop mostly in Youngstown, OH, Beaver, PA and Pittsburgh. Our children attend college primarily at WVU and Fairmont or Bethany. We do not speak with a discernible accent. We have bi-racial families, gay families and multi-cultural, multi-generational families. We are not rednecks, although we sometimes act like it. In Chester, there is a stone house that was used in the underground railway, there is a tunnel in the basement which used to go to the nearby Ohio River (before the Corps of Engineer's dammed it up and you could walk across at night). We fought primarily for the Union Army. There are many patriots of the Revolutionary war from our town. We consider anything south of the Mason Dixon Line - SOUTH. And that includes other parts of WV. We kind of look down on everyone that goes to Mountaineer to spend their pension checks gambling. Most of us don't bother to patronize the place, many, however, work there.
I forgot. I voted Northeastern. We say both Pop and Soda. Sack and Bag. Regular coffee is black as opposed to Cape Cod where Regular coffee will mean 2 sugars and lots of cream. Milkshakes are called milkshakes. Sub sandwiches are called Subs. The only two words I can think of which are used in our town that have cultural significance are 'holler' (any road with trashy homes located on a semi mountainous road that has homes down in a small valley) and 'hoopie' a derogatory term used for hillbillies. We don't really associate ourselves with Appalachia at all. There are a couple of local Appalachian band get togethers, not well attended and then, mostly by older folk. Kids listen to rap, dress with their stupid butts hanging out of their jeans, and act all gansta like. We have drugs, crime and idiots. We also have law abiding, hard working, tax paying people. I guess I would call us American first, anything else second.
I voted Northeastern. The only two words I can think of which are used in our town that have cultural significance are 'holler' (any road with trashy homes located on a semi mountainous road that has homes down in a small valley) and 'hoopie' a derogatory term used for hillbillies.
The fact that you have a term for hillbillies indicates the area is not northeastern.
WV is absolutely beautiful but I am not sure it feels Northeastern to me. I would say Appalacian as to me Pittsburgh is a Appalacian city and anything south through this regions feels that way to me.
Last edited by kidphilly; 08-06-2011 at 10:06 AM..
WV is absolutely beautiful but I am not sure it feels Northeastern to me. I would say Applachian as to me Pittsburgh is a Appalacian city and anything south through this regions feels that way to me.
I'm with you. From southwest NY down through northeast Mississippi lies some of the most beautiful settings in the US along with interesting and vital cities such as Pittsburgh, Charleston (WV), Asheville, Knoxville, Birmingham and yes, Wheeling. Some folks (maybe those who have never traveled there?) equate all of Appalachia with poverty and hillbillies. Just another stereotype.
I'm with you. From southwest NY down through northeast Mississippi lies some of the most beautiful settings in the US along with interesting and vital cities such as Pittsburgh, Charleston (WV), Asheville, Knoxville, Birmingham and yes, Wheeling. Some folks (maybe those who have never traveled there?) equate all of Appalachia with poverty and hillbillies. Just another stereotype.
Agree and many of these cities (not all but many) are re-inventing themselves including Pittsburgh and Charleston WV is very under-rated for a small city. You dont have to be a growth city to be viable; unfortunatley some of these areas have been hard hit by industry pulling out and replacing the good paying jobs was/is not always viable. But the area is amazingly beautiful. There are also some areas close to the panhandle that have seen some pretty good times lately like the corrider from Morgantown to Clarksburg including Fairmont.
What do they say Wild, Wonderful... A lot of truth to that
Location: Somewhere in the Eastern Seaboard.......
316 posts, read 559,748 times
Reputation: 192
Technically, since it was part of Virginia, it is geographically a Southern state.
Southern does not mean "Confederate". East Tennessee (along with counties in Northern Alabama and Mississippi, voted to remain in the Union, but were invaded). Culturally, I would place West Virginia Northern panhandle as Appalachian. Appalachian culture extends from Western New York, to Northern Alabama, and the folks who inhabit those regions share similar culture in their respective states.
Appalachian, honestly. I've only driven through this area (right through Berkeley Springs) and it seemed Appalachian to me. It was unique in its own way, though.
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.
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.
