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As someone that lived not that far from Austin (Ft. Hood area) and went down there so many times and know so much about it and one that lived in Northern Virginia for 2 years and currently lives across the river from it now. I can confidently say that it's basically tie right about now. NOVA has attracted many Northeasterners (mostly) and Midwestners and Austin has attracted Westeners (Californians especially) and Midwesterners as well.
Both have history of the South in them but the relative population of both places pretty much does not care that they were once very Southern. I don't think people in NOVA care that US1 is named Jefferson Davis highway. Many people in NOVA will not associate themselves as Southern. Likewise with Austinites. The rest of Virginia does not have a positive view on NOVA and the same is true of Austin. However, Austin is NOT that much different than the other large cities of Texas anymore since Houston and Dallas are becoming just like it and in some cases surpassing Austin. But it wasn't nicknamed the People's republic within the state of Texas for nothing. Most Austinites will call themselves Texan, then American, before the word Southern comes out.
That is just my view of both places. In the future, you will start to see less and less of the characteristics of the South that we all know of start to decrease more and more in both places. That's why I have not voted in this thread and will not vote. I don't get that feel I'm in the South when I'm in Austin or when I'm in NOVA.
As someone that lived not that far from Austin (Ft. Hood area) and went down there so many times and know so much about it and one that lived in Northern Virginia for 2 years and currently lives across the river from it now. I can confidently say that it's basically tie right about now. NOVA has attracted many Northeasterners (mostly) and Midwestners and Austin has attracted Westeners (Californians especially) and Midwesterners as well.
Both have history of the South in them but the relative population of both places pretty much does not care that they were once very Southern. I don't think people in NOVA care that US1 is named Jefferson Davis highway. Many people in NOVA will not associate themselves as Southern. Likewise with Austinites. The rest of Virginia does not have a positive view on NOVA and the same is true of Austin. However, Austin is NOT that much different than the other large cities of Texas anymore since Houston and Dallas are becoming just like it and in some cases surpassing Austin. But it wasn't nicknamed the People's republic within the state of Texas for nothing. Most Austinites will call themselves Texan, then American, before the word Southern comes out.
That is just my view of both places. In the future, you will start to see less and less of the characteristics of the South that we all know of start to decrease more and more in both places. That's why I have not voted in this thread and will not vote. I don't get that feel I'm in the South when I'm in Austin or when I'm in NOVA.
Exactly!! I've seen no Austinites, display a GREAT amount of Southern pride. Who's to say(especially someone who hasn't lived in Austin) that Austin has ALOT of Southern characteristics. I bet half the people that voted for NoVa have never been to Austin. Great post.
As someone that lived not that far from Austin (Ft. Hood area) and went down there so many times and know so much about it and one that lived in Northern Virginia for 2 years and currently lives across the river from it now. I can confidently say that it's basically tie right about now. NOVA has attracted many Northeasterners (mostly) and Midwestners and Austin has attracted Westeners (Californians especially) and Midwesterners as well.
Both have history of the South in them but the relative population of both places pretty much does not care that they were once very Southern. I don't think people in NOVA care that US1 is named Jefferson Davis highway. Many people in NOVA will not associate themselves as Southern. Likewise with Austinites. The rest of Virginia does not have a positive view on NOVA and the same is true of Austin. However, Austin is NOT that much different than the other large cities of Texas anymore since Houston and Dallas are becoming just like it and in some cases surpassing Austin. But it wasn't nicknamed the People's republic within the state of Texas for nothing. Most Austinites will call themselves Texan, then American, before the word Southern comes out.
That is just my view of both places. In the future, you will start to see less and less of the characteristics of the South that we all know of start to decrease more and more in both places. That's why I have not voted in this thread and will not vote. I don't get that feel I'm in the South when I'm in Austin or when I'm in NOVA.
Good post. I have lived Austin, have been their many times, and have know tons of people from Austin. It has a lot Western, especially Texas Western, characteristics, but almost very little Southern qualities and I have never heard anyone from Austin, or Texas for that matter, refer to it as a "Southern" city (other than geography). I have also been to DC and NoVA, and it was very different than Austin, but not very Southern.
As someone that lived not that far from Austin (Ft. Hood area) and went down there so many times and know so much about it and one that lived in Northern Virginia for 2 years and currently lives across the river from it now. I can confidently say that it's basically tie right about now. NOVA has attracted many Northeasterners (mostly) and Midwestners and Austin has attracted Westeners (Californians especially) and Midwesterners as well.
Both have history of the South in them but the relative population of both places pretty much does not care that they were once very Southern. I don't think people in NOVA care that US1 is named Jefferson Davis highway. Many people in NOVA will not associate themselves as Southern. Likewise with Austinites. The rest of Virginia does not have a positive view on NOVA and the same is true of Austin. However, Austin is NOT that much different than the other large cities of Texas anymore since Houston and Dallas are becoming just like it and in some cases surpassing Austin. But it wasn't nicknamed the People's republic within the state of Texas for nothing. Most Austinites will call themselves Texan, then American, before the word Southern comes out.
That is just my view of both places. In the future, you will start to see less and less of the characteristics of the South that we all know of start to decrease more and more in both places. That's why I have not voted in this thread and will not vote. I don't get that feel I'm in the South when I'm in Austin or when I'm in NOVA.
Yeah I agree. With all the foreigners and people from other parts of the U.S. moving to these two places the dilution of the way it once was will continue. Whether they're southern or not doesn't matter because they're both pretty good places. It doesn't matter if a place is southern, northern, western or eastern, if you live there and you feel it's a good place to live then that's all that matters.
Yeah I agree. With all the foreigners and people from other parts of the U.S. moving to these two places the dilution of the way it once was will continue. Whether they're southern or not doesn't matter because they're both pretty good places. It doesn't matter if a place is southern, northern, western or eastern, if you live there and you feel it's a good place to live then that's all that matters.
It doesn't take outsiders to "dilute the way it once was". It's simply called modern progress. It happens in every city and town throughout the world...and as it happens, the old ways are eventually less prominent.
It doesn't take outsiders to "dilute the way it once was". It's simply called modern progress. It happens in every city and town throughout the world...and as it happens, the old ways are eventually less prominent.
Yeah it's modernization plus all the people moving in.
As someone that lived not that far from Austin (Ft. Hood area) and went down there so many times and know so much about it and one that lived in Northern Virginia for 2 years and currently lives across the river from it now. I can confidently say that it's basically tie right about now. NOVA has attracted many Northeasterners (mostly) and Midwestners and Austin has attracted Westeners (Californians especially) and Midwesterners as well.
Both have history of the South in them but the relative population of both places pretty much does not care that they were once very Southern. I don't think people in NOVA care that US1 is named Jefferson Davis highway. Many people in NOVA will not associate themselves as Southern. Likewise with Austinites. The rest of Virginia does not have a positive view on NOVA and the same is true of Austin. However, Austin is NOT that much different than the other large cities of Texas anymore since Houston and Dallas are becoming just like it and in some cases surpassing Austin. But it wasn't nicknamed the People's republic within the state of Texas for nothing. Most Austinites will call themselves Texan, then American, before the word Southern comes out.
That is just my view of both places. In the future, you will start to see less and less of the characteristics of the South that we all know of start to decrease more and more in both places. That's why I have not voted in this thread and will not vote. I don't get that feel I'm in the South when I'm in Austin or when I'm in NOVA.
NOVA has also attracted a large foreign born population like Arabs, Afghans, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Mexican, Salvadoran, Peruvian, Colombian, Chinese, etc.
30% of Virginia's growth was foreign-born, and most of this was in NOVA.
Foreign born makes up 24% of Fairfax County's population, 28% of Arlingtons population, and 25% of Alexandrias population. And about another 1/3 of the population is from the Northeast, Midwest, and West (in that order). That leaves about 1/3 of the population in those three areas who are native to Virginia.
These are all the reasons why I believe NoVa doesn't have much Southern influences anymore -- my debate isn't against Austin, rather informing people about NoVa. I don't think most people understand atleast 50% of NoVa is not native to the area -- so despite was history and geographically boundaries are concerned, they mean very little in 2009.
I think WeSoHood's post really hammers the point home. This isn't a debate against Austin. But with so few native Virginians in the Northern Virginia counties and with a close geographical connection to Philly (2 hours away by car/bus), New York (3.5 hours away by car/bus) and New England, NoVa feels very, very, very UNsouthern. NoVA is part of Bos-Wash as well, and has been since the term came about in the early 60s. There are no traces of Southern-style accents like you would find in Texas (the Texas accent is very close to a Southern one).
Lastly, let's not forget climate. NoVA gets really cold in the winter. Highs rarely get above the mid-40s from December through early March. We get hit with the Nor'easter Blizzards as well, although due to global climate changes, most of the Northeast has seen more rain than snow in the past decade.
Smart growth around subway stations, and new regulations requiring grid street patterns on new development, mean that NoVa doesn't subscribe to the Sunbelt cities sprawl and crawl development patterns. Local governments are very pro-Smart Growth, something that is much more akin to Northern cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WeSoHood
NOVA has also attracted a large foreign born population like Arabs, Afghans, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Mexican, Salvadoran, Peruvian, Colombian, Chinese, etc.
30% of Virginia's growth was foreign-born, and most of this was in NOVA.
Foreign born makes up 24% of Fairfax County's population, 28% of Arlingtons population, and 25% of Alexandrias population. And about another 1/3 of the population is from the Northeast, Midwest, and West (in that order). That leaves about 1/3 of the population in those three areas who are native to Virginia.
You can read more here:
Demographics and Workforce (http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/analysis%20&%20graphics/foreign-born/analysis/index.php - broken link)
These are all the reasons why I believe NoVa doesn't have much Southern influences anymore -- my debate isn't against Austin, rather informing people about NoVa. I don't think most people understand atleast 50% of NoVa is not native to the area -- so despite was history and geographically boundaries are concerned, they mean very little in 2009.
Isn't Matthew McConaughey originally from the Austin area? He has quite a bit of a twang.
Also, Native Austinites choice of words is probably more related to Southern diction.
Northern Virginians say "you guys" rather than "y'all". We drink "soda" here not "Coke" (as a catchall for everything). We wear sneakers not "tennis shoes" (as a catchall for footwear). We don't have sweet tea, except at McDonalds which is a nationwide promotion.
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