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No, not international border cities, I was thinking about which cities that come to mind to you when you think of cities that straddle various regions of the US. You have the option to pick more than one city. Here are mine, and why:
Cincinnati - Cincy is a Midwestern city for sure, but I was wondering if there is a Southern influence there due to Kentucky being right across the river.
Dallas/Ft. Worth- I've heard of the saying that Ft Worth is "where the West begins" and Dallas is where the "East peters out," I find the reality to be a bit more complex. I always thought it was where the South meets the Southwest, and the Plains. Yes, there are debates on whether Texas is "Southern" or "Southwestern", I personally feel that Texas is a Southern state, but with elements of other cultures that make it distinctive from the Deep South/Southeast region. The terrain to the west of Ft. Worth (Prairie) and to the East of Dallas (the forests of East Texas begin about 100 miles east) is different too. I definitely feel like I'm in a different region (culturally and geographically) when I'm in say, Abilene versus Tyler or Longview. Hell, even Wetherford feels like a different planet from Terrell sometimes, LOL.
Dover, DE - I'm throwing this city in because there is a difference between the Northern, urban Wilmington/New Castle County (which has ties to Philadelphia) area versus what is known as the "Slower Lower," which retains some Southern elements.
Hartford, CT - Weird choice, but I've always thought CT is where the Mid-Atlantic meets New England. I could easily say Bridgeport too. I'll leave it to the Northeasterners to determine exactly where this "line" is. Outside Fairfield County? I-91? Discuss...
Louisville, KY - The Kentuckiana region is where the Midwest supposedly meets the South. To me, Louisville feels like a Southern city with some Midwestern influence. After all, it's where Meijer meets Super Walmart , but it's White Castle territory rather than Krystal. YMMV.
Orlando - There is a saying that the further north in Florida, the further South you are. It's definitely different in feel and pace north of Orlando. However, there is a coastal-inland/urban-rural dichotomy in Florida that few people outside the state realize is there. The far inland parts of Florida south of Orlando feel quite Southern to me.
St. Louis - Yes, I've always thought of St. Louis as a Midwestern city, but the city has a character of an eastern one. The architecture, layout, etc. remind me of an Eastern City like Baltimore (without the harbor). The "South" ends well to the south of there, but I have some family friends in Bellefontaine that say there are some elements of southerness if you know where to look. I guess with St. Louis being in the middle of the country, it has elements of many regions, but is still the Midwest.
Tulsa, OK - I've seen debates before on whether or not Tulsa is a Southern or Midwestern city in character. Historically, there are more ties to the Midwest due to the early migrants and businessmen that first settled there, but I don't see the city as a purely "Southern" one (in the Little Rock sense) or a "Midwestern" one (in the Kansas City sense). Also, what is the "Big City" of reference for Tulsans? Kansas City, St. Louis, or Dallas?
Washington, DC - DC is Northeastern/Mid-Atlantic in character, but outside of the District, lines are a bit more blurry. While Northern Viriginia isn't very southern to me anymore, once you get south of Fredericksburg, VA, the transition to the South is a lot more pronounced. Montogomery/PG County feel like North Jersey Lite, but St. Charles and Calvert County (to the South) feel a lot more Southern. Frederick County (to the north) isn't exactly Southern in feeling to me either.
Again, this is purely subjective, and it can definitely depend on what people's experiences and definitions of regions are. I know asking to keep it civilized is asking too much on here, but at least try, LOL.
I didn't have any purely "Western" cities on here because the distances between cities is so much greater and seem to be well within their respective regions. If you feel one of those cities belongs, feel free to explain why. For example, I debated about Denver because while it is on the Plains, the city is often more identified with the Mountain West, but its isolated location leads me to think it doesn't exactly straddle multiple regions. If you feel otherwise, let me know.
Actually when you say border city the first city that popped into my mind was Tijuana.
For the definition of this poll however, the first one that comes to mind is actually Denver. It's right on the border between the Rocky Mountain West and the Central Great Plains. It seems to be where the prairie and farming Midwest links up with the mountainous Western states of old mining towns and snow covered mountains. By going east or west on I-70 you are entering two distinct regions.
Actually when you say border city the first city that popped into my mind was Tijuana.
For the definition of this poll however, the first one that comes to mind is actually Denver. It's right on the border between the Rocky Mountain West and the Central Great Plains. It seems to be where the prairie and farming Midwest links up with the mountainous Western states of old mining towns and snow covered mountains. By going east or west on I-70 you are entering two distinct regions.
Good explanation about Denver. I was debating about whether I consider it one. Thanks. Rep for you.
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Dallas's regional culture in my opinion is greatly overstated. It is Texan and nothing else, and thats the way I like Dallas to be frank. Fort Worth feels a bit country (to me) and thats something special about Fort Worth.
I normally drink water every time someone says Dallas is "Midwestern" or "Western" because I am from the Midwest (Chicago) and Dallas is nothing like that. Its not even like Saint Louis or Omaha, besides the fact that its landlocked.
It definitely isn't western, culture from the west is predominantly also derived from beach culture, and Dallas doesn't have that. Unless you mean interior western places like Salt Lake City, and even then I can't see it they get culture from their mountain location, snowboarding and all these other activities make for the culture in places.
Going out with your friends there is a void when you don't see either beaches or mountains, there are certain jobs and industries and attractions and culture and even clothing that come with geographical settings (topography) and Dallas cannot make claim to any of those aspects from cities in those regions.
Dallas (in my opinion) is nothing but Texas, I don't feel it to be "Southern" like the way Birmingham is, but it is a cultural city just different. Oklahoma City, Tulsa, & Dallas share some similarities though.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grindin
Hartford, CT - Weird choice, but I've always thought CT is where the Mid-Atlantic meets New England. I could easily say Bridgeport too. I'll leave it to the Northeasterners to determine exactly where this "line" is. Outside Fairfield County? I-91? Discuss...
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.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 10-20-2010 at 07:17 PM..
there is no place in texas that could reasonably be considered anything but southwestern. my pick is louisville, since it straddles the line between midwest/south. it's more southern though. dc is geographically a border city, but culturally it is decidedly northern. st. louis is culturally and developmentally northern and eastern, in stark contrast to its hinterlands. louisville for sure is a border town. i'm surprised baltimore didn't make this list. it has some southern attributes, and maryland was a slave state.
Dallas's regional culture in my opinion is greatly overstated. It is Texan and nothing else, and thats the way I like Dallas to be frank. Fort Worth feels a bit country (to me) and thats something special about Fort Worth.
I normally drink water every time someone says Dallas is "Midwestern" or "Western" because I am from the Midwest (Chicago) and Dallas is nothing like that. Its not even like Saint Louis or Omaha, besides the fact that its landlocked.
It definitely isn't western, culture from the west is predominantly also derived from beach culture, and Dallas doesn't have that. Unless you mean interior western places like Salt Lake City, and even then I can't see it they get culture from their mountain location, snowboarding and all these other activities make for the culture in places.
Going out with your friends there is a void when you don't see either beaches or mountains, there are certain jobs and industries and attractions and culture and even clothing that come with geographical settings (topography) and Dallas cannot make claim to any of those aspects from cities in those regions.
Dallas (in my opinion) is nothing but Texas, I don't feel it to be "Southern" like the way Birmingham is, but it is a cultural city just different. Oklahoma City, Tulsa, & Dallas share some similarities though.
Just my $0.02 on this.
Good points. Obviously, Dallas is distinctly "Texan," but the sheer size of the state covers many regions. I've always thought of Dallas as a Southern city, but not a Southeastern one. Along with Little Rock, Ft. Smith, NW AR, OKC & Tulsa, I associate them with the Western South. It's not as stereotypically "Western" as people think it is either.
As for the Midwestern references, I don't associate it with Chicago, Minneapolis or Detroit. The only Midwestern city I could compare it to is Kansas City, and that's only from a topography/geographical perspective, definitely not a cultural one - Barbecue nothwithstanding
Perhaps Charleston, WV could be added to the list?
The only time I've been to West Virginia, I lost $80 at a casino. I don't know much about the state. Which regions do you think Charleston straddles?
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, but it's White Castle territory rather than Krystal. YMMV. 
