Richmond, VA: More like Raleigh, NC or Wilmington, DE? (best, comparison, places)
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Just by being MidAtlantic Wilmington, & Philadelphia for that matter, does share southern qualities & northern qualities. That's what being MidAtlantic is all about. It isn't a primary part of city comparisons.
Wilmington & Richmond have historical industrial backgrounds. Both have grit. All three cities share similar color palettes. Wilmington & Richmond are on 95 & have viable ports. All 3 have Amtrak stops. That's the way to compare them.
I hope you are joking. Philadelphia is the epitome of a Northeastern city and has no Southern "qualities". Wilmington, DE may be a different story but I'm not familiar with that city to comment.
I hope you are joking. Philadelphia is the epitome of a Northeastern city and has no Southern "qualities". Wilmington, DE may be a different story but I'm not familiar with that city to comment.
I have to agree. Philadelphia is mid-Atlantic in the historic sense which is geographical first and foremost--being in the lower part of the Northeast. Baltimore and DC are more mid-Atlantic in the contemporary, cultural sense in terms of being historically Southern with contemporary Northern influences. Wilmington seems to be somewhere in the middle of both definitions but being closer to Philly puts it more in the vein of that city.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by early90'sbaby
I hope you are joking. Philadelphia is the epitome of a Northeastern city and has no Southern "qualities". Wilmington, DE may be a different story but I'm not familiar with that city to comment.
Thank you! There's nothing southern about Philadelphia, and Wilmington is essentially Philly-lite.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77
I have to agree. Philadelphia is mid-Atlantic in the historic sense which is geographical first and foremost--being in the lower part of the Northeast. Baltimore and DC are more mid-Atlantic in the contemporary, cultural sense in terms of being historically Southern with contemporary Northern influences. Wilmington seems to be somewhere in the middle of both definitions but being closer to Philly puts it more in the vein of that city.
Na, Wilmington isn't really culturally in the middle, imo (curious to hear your perspective though). Wilmington is really like Philadelphia's much smaller little brother, physically and culturally. All of the metrics for Southern influence/belonging touted on this forum (sweet tea, "y'all", Mason-Dixon line, etc.) don't apply to Wilmington (New Castle County). That really only begins once you cross the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and progressively gets heavier until you're in deep Slower Lower, attending the Punkin Chunkin (back on this year!).
Culture - Depends, could be a draw depending on perspective; Richmond mixes in a lot of Mid-Atlantic influence, but place names and landmarks are lasting reminders of the city's southern history. At the same time, there is an urban vibe that has a presence in Richmond that mirrors what you find in most mature East Coast cities. Raleigh's urban culture is a little bit different and not as concentrated. Raleigh is also not a river city in the same sense that Wilmington and Richmond are. Richmond comes off as the starting point of a Mid-Atlantic transition zone that has its nexus at Baltimore, bridging southeastern culture with the Mid-Atlantic. So, if Philly is Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic then it really isn't a stretch to say Richmond is Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic.
Economy - This one is tough. Wilmington? (Mid-Atlantic Home: Mid-Atlantic Information Office: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In a technical sense both cities are legal centers and have river ports. Obviously, Richmond's port is a smaller operation associated with the Port of Virginia while Wilmington's is the largest on the Delaware River, independently operated. Proximity to Philly and DE's interesting relationship with corporate law are a huge aspect of Wilmington's economy. Both Wilmington and Richmond have a large healthcare segment and are financial centers to an extent, but for very different reasons. Raleigh and Richmond share status as state capitals but have very different economic interests even as Richmond has increasingly attempted to compete for tech-related growth and R&D.
Demographics - Wilmington; some very comparable demos.
Built Environment and Geography - Wilmington; While all three are fall line cities, the immediate impact of having a river through the city itself is a defining characteristic for only Wilmington and Richmond. It also impacts the built environment of these much older cities. Wilmington and Richmond are urban in a traditional sense.
Amenities and Transit - Raleigh; Raleigh and Richmond have good comparable amenities, shopping, entertainment, etc. Hard to compare to Wilmington, which has direct access to Philly even if its own amenities aren't as compelling. Wilmington's riverfront is very nice though. Transit-wise, Richmond is building BRT, but Wilmington is served by SEPTA, echelons above what Richmond can hope to offer for now. DC's VRE barely touches the exurbs of the Richmond metro but it doesn't have a material impact from most Richmonders. So ultimately, Richmond with many car-dependent suburbs is probably closer to Raleigh in this regard. I will say that the Richmond region is served by four Amtrak stations (Ashland, Richmond Suburban, Richmond Main Street Station, Ettrick/Petersburg) which is pretty unusual for any city in the Southeast. Richmond has the highest rail ridership in the Southeast. Main Street Station is also one of the few historic grand terminals in the south, and is still in operation. Norfolk and Richmond are the terminus of the Northeast Regional Rail (not to be confused with NEC HSR).
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Quote:
Originally Posted by early90'sbaby
I hope you are joking. Philadelphia is the epitome of a Northeastern city and has no Southern "qualities". Wilmington, DE may be a different story but I'm not familiar with that city to comment.
You must be kidding.
I'm regularly addressed as Ma'am in Philadelphia. It's always been that way. Can't say the same when I go to Charlotte. All of the boards for the southern areas tout the use of ma'am & sir. People talk to strangers in public in the Delaware Valley. That's also touted as a southern characteristic. Philadelphia & Wilmington are scrapple country, as is Baltimore. When you hit NC it's livermush. I have a friend who is a native of NC who has handed - down recipes for both. You can slice it & dice it any one of a number of ways, but the biggest difference between the Delaware Valley & points south was the big influx of Italian immigrants in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.
Until the last 20/30 years the traditional food for New Years Day in the Delaware Valley was pepperpot soup. Look up a recipe for that & tell me that that's vastly different from traditional southern cooking. It's not the real thing if the recipe doesn't include souse.
Then there's the Mummers. . .there's a small town near Charlotte with New Years shooters. They have a website that tells that their custom dates back to their ancestors who came down from Lancaster County, PA & therefore they share their custom with the Mummers.
Sure. . . No similarities at all. . .
Last edited by southbound_295; 03-14-2016 at 02:46 PM..
It's southern, but it's really country. It's pretty urban actually.
I'm talking about the people and once you get outside of the urban areas it looks rural. The Richmond is area isn't built up. Wilmington is more urban than Richmond is, it's like a mini Philly.
I'm talking about the people and once you get outside of the urban areas it looks rural. The Richmond is area isn't built up. Wilmington is more urban than Richmond is, it's like a mini Philly.
For anyone doubting Richmond's urban credentials, please see this lovely pitch for the new Audi
Na, Wilmington isn't really culturally in the middle, imo (curious to hear your perspective though). Wilmington is really like Philadelphia's much smaller little brother, physically and culturally. All of the metrics for Southern influence/belonging touted on this forum (sweet tea, "y'all", Mason-Dixon line, etc.) don't apply to Wilmington (New Castle County). That really only begins once you cross the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and progressively gets heavier until you're in deep Slower Lower, attending the Punkin Chunkin (back on this year!).
I didn't say that Wilmington was culturally in the middle, but that it's somewhere between the historic, strictly geographic definition of the mid-Atlantic which only includes NY, NJ, and PA and the contemporary definition which has more of a cultural thrust (e.g., South meets North) of which DC/Baltimore seems to be the epicenter.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southbound_295
You must be kidding.
I'm regularly addressed as Ma'am in Philadelphia. It's always been that way. Can't say the same when I go to Charlotte. All of the boards for the southern areas tout the use of ma'am & sir. People talk to strangers in public in the Delaware Valley. That's also touted as a southern characteristic. Philadelphia & Wilmington are scrapple country, as is Baltimore. When you hit NC it's livermush. I have a friend who is a native of NC who has handed - down recipes for both. You can slice it & dice it any one of a number of ways, but the biggest difference between the Delaware Valley & points south was the big influx of Italian immigrants in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.
Until the last 20/30 years the traditional food for New Years Day in the Delaware Valley was pepperpot soup. Look up a recipe for that & tell me that that's vastly different from traditional southern cooking. It's not the real thing if the recipe doesn't include souse.
Then there's the Mummers. . .there's a small town near Charlotte with New Years shooters. They have a website that tells that their custom dates back to their ancestors who came down from Lancaster County, PA & therefore they share their custom with the Mummers.
Sure. . . No similarities at all. . .
My mistake, didn't look it up before posting that, it's tripe, not souse in pepperpot soup.
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