What's the southern equivalent of Pittsburgh? (population, cons, downtown, similarities)
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I'm from Knoxville and when I visited Pittsburgh I felt very much at home. I drove across the river to the top of the hill, pulled into a random side street to park and it had the same name as my street back home! OK that last part is irrelevant, but in many ways including topographically it felt like Knoxville is a 1/3 size Pittsburgh.
Both have Appalachian culture and that's why I'm not sure Atlanta and Birmingham are good fits. Those are new south/deep south culturally.
Knoxville has a steel industry as well. And Alcoa nearby in, well, Alcoa TN.
Atlanta and Birmingham are both at the foot of the Appalachian Mountaina also(Piedmont-Appalachian foothills).
I'd throw in Louisville for true southern city. Cincinnati isn't technically southern, but it has a similar look (hills, river, bridges, stadiums, etc) and urban feel to it and it borders Kentucky. Might be worth checking out.
I can't comprehend the Austin comparison....I'm wondering in what way? I'm rot trying to start an argument, I just don't really get it....please explain.
But really, nothing like Pittsburgh exists in the south. Its sad because I love Pittsburgh and would live there in a second if it weren't so far from my family. I wish it did exist somewhere nearer to the south.
I'm from Knoxville and when I visited Pittsburgh I felt very much at home. I drove across the river to the top of the hill, pulled into a random side street to park and it had the same name as my street back home! OK that last part is irrelevant, but in many ways including topographically it felt like Knoxville is a 1/3 size Pittsburgh.
Both have Appalachian culture and that's why I'm not sure Atlanta and Birmingham are good fits. Those are new south/deep south culturally.
Knoxville has a steel industry as well. And Alcoa nearby in, well, Alcoa TN.
East TN has a solid Appalachian culture as well, good post.
The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Pittsburgh and Birmingham are more similar economically than culturally. I think Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga would all be more culturally comparable to Pittsburgh than Birmingham is. Despite being located in the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham never really had much Appalachian influence. It's always been quintessentially deep South. And as I've said elsewhere, the culture of the mid-South has some Pennsylvania in it due to settlement patterns. The culture of Kentucky and Tennessee was strongly influenced by Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas, and today has a dash of Midwestern influence as well.
The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Pittsburgh and Birmingham are more similar economically than culturally. I think Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga would all be more culturally comparable to Pittsburgh than Birmingham is. Despite being located in the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham never really had much Appalachian influence. It's always been quintessentially deep South. And as I've said elsewhere, the culture of the mid-South has some Pennsylvania in it due to settlement patterns. The culture of Kentucky and Tennessee was strongly influenced by Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas, and today has a dash of Midwestern influence as well.
This is a great post, and it made me reconsider my initial thought on Pittsburgh's Southern equivalent.
It's much smaller of course, but I'm going with Chattanooga now. There are a lot of similarities - river city's that were formerly very industrial, reinvented economies & Downtowns, a shared geography and culture, etc.
The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Pittsburgh and Birmingham are more similar economically than culturally. I think Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga would all be more culturally comparable to Pittsburgh than Birmingham is. Despite being located in the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham never really had much Appalachian influence. It's always been quintessentially deep South. And as I've said elsewhere, the culture of the mid-South has some Pennsylvania in it due to settlement patterns. The culture of Kentucky and Tennessee was strongly influenced by Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas, and today has a dash of Midwestern influence as well.
This is very true. I've always knew about the Burgh's use of Yinz but I heard some East TN natives use Yuns and that just made me think Pittsburgh influences Appalachia (maybe they used to say Yinz in Southern Appalachia but it gradually morphed into yuns).
This is very true. I've always knew about the Burgh's use of Yinz but I heard some East TN natives use Yuns and that just made me think Pittsburgh influences Appalachia (maybe they used to say Yinz in Southern Appalachia but it gradually morphed into yuns).
I've heard it too, and it's definitely an Appalachian thing.
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