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.
Just me or does Kansas City seem to be the last 10-20 years becoming more similar to cities in Texas and Oklahoma in various ways than Midwestern Cities?
I've always thought that Plano and Overland Park are very similar in terms of development, look, and feel. The cities are both headquarters to a LOT of corporations too. The major differences I see are the housing styles and demographics.
The outdoor lifestyle centers in the region (Zona Rosa, Legends) remind me somewhat of the centers that have been built in the DFW area too moreso than say, Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH or Jordan Creek in Des Moines.
Wasn't the Power & Light District in KC sort of inspired by OKC's Bricktown project?
Ward Parkway in KCMO sort of reminds me of Turtle Creek Blvd in Dallas.
St. Louis doesn't exactly border the South. It's about 2 hours away, but it's close enough. I can see how some people would think that the areas directly South of St. Louis (Jefferson County) are Southern, they look Southern.
Exactly. I always felt like the "South" ended well to the south of the STL area. The Bootheel region feels southern, but north of there, the feel is different. I always thought that Cape Girardeau was the transition zone. YMMV of course.
I can't believe Kansas City was left out. It is more split between two states than any other city (plus there's a "Kansas City" in each state.) But also, I'd say it's where the Midwest ends and the Great Plains begin.
Also, I live in Springfield, MO, which really is on the border of the South. If you go north and west, it's mostly flat farmland. If you go south and east, it's Ozark mountains, and mid-south. In fact, the Civil War battles of Wilson's Creek and Springfield were fought here, because of it's "border city" position.
Exactly. I always felt like the "South" ended well to the south of the STL area. The Bootheel region feels southern, but north of there, the feel is different. I always thought that Cape Girardeau was the transition zone. YMMV of course.
Well the demographics in the area between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau is different from points South of there. It is largely of French/German Catholics While areas South (also more than 10 miles or so from the Missisippi River along this line) are mainly English/American Baptists/Evangelicals. A similar line occurs going West out of St. Louis up the Missouri River to Jefferson City. With that as well the demographic makeup tends to shift going more than 10 miles from the River.
I would say New Haven, CT is more of a transition city than Hartford. On I-95 going south from New Haven it imediately feels like New York as contiguous urban cities and suburbs line the highway all the way to NYC. Fairfield County doesn't have very much New England character and has the feeling of being within the NYC/Tri-State metro area. You really start to notice those qunitesential New England elements in the city of New Haven itself with the white steepled churches, college campuses, and outskirting towns like Guilford have those 3 century old colonial homes. Although Hartford does feel somehat New York and New England, New Haven is where New England begins.
On another note, I would say a place like Redding, CA is a huge transition point. Driving on I-5 to the north of Redding is where the Pacific Northwest begins as the freeway ascends into the evergreen forests of the Cacade Mountains. It gets greener and snowcap mountains like Mount Shasta appear which is very simalar to the volcanic peaks in Oregon and Washington like Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier. To the south of Redding, CA is where California really begins. The freeway descends into the Central Valley. There is an immediate climate and topography change as it gets dryer and more arid.
totally agree, but i can see his argument with Hartford. there's nothing New England about that city but it sits smack in the middle of northern CT off 85 neighboring Mass. it has more in common with NYC which is 3 hrs away
On another note, I would say a place like Redding, CA is a huge transition point. Driving on I-5 to the north of Redding is where the Pacific Northwest begins as the freeway ascends into the evergreen forests of the Cacade Mountains. It gets greener and snowcap mountains like Mount Shasta appear which is very simalar to the volcanic peaks in Oregon and Washington like Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier. To the south of Redding, CA is where California really begins. The freeway descends into the Central Valley. There is an immediate climate and topography change as it gets dryer and more arid.
That's an interesting one...I used to live in Ashland right over the California border in Oregon and when I drove down I-5 to Sacramento and the Bay, Redding kind of felt the entrance to the rest of California after dropping out of the Cascades into the Sacremento Valley. Although Ashland and the Rogue Valley had a similar dry Mediteranean climate to California some ways, they are definetly a part of the greater Northwest. And Yreka and Mt. Shasta to the north are almost closer to Oregon in some ways.
Also Redding is the last spot with an In N' Out Burger in Northern California.
In much of the west the border regions between say the Pacific NW and California or the Desert Southwest have boundaries that are either too vague or too unpopulated to have much in the way of a border city. Not sure what you could use as an example for the Southwest/Rocky Mountain area either.
I can't believe Kansas City was left out. It is more split between two states than any other city (plus there's a "Kansas City" in each state.) But also, I'd say it's where the Midwest ends and the Great Plains begin.
I never thought of that, but it makes sense to me. I guess I don't think of the Plains as separate from the Midwest, but then again, there are many inner regions of the Midwest.
Quote:
Also, I live in Springfield, MO, which really is on the border of the South. If you go north and west, it's mostly flat farmland. If you go south and east, it's Ozark mountains, and mid-south. In fact, the Civil War battles of Wilson's Creek and Springfield were fought here, because of it's "border city" position.
Good points. I guess my "imaginary line" was further to the south in Tulsa, but the argument for Springfield makes sense.
I've always thought of Missouri the same way as I thought of Texas in terms of having several regions converging together in the state.
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.
