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Very typical of the 3 or 4 small towns in the Midwest I have lived in but Greenfield has more nationally relevant historical characteristics and it shows. When I drive through the countryside of Hancock county Im always running into historical markers going back to before IN was even a state
The most anytown state to me would defintely be New Jersey. Most Americans live car-centric lives in the suburbs of larger cities, and you dont get much more subruban than NJ, sandwiched between Philly and NYC.
NJ is also diverse in a way that a lot of states are not--demographically, economically, and geographically, with beaches, (low)mountatins, (some) farmland, small towns, and smaller cities like Trenton, Newark, New Brunswick and the like. Not the world-class cities, but the smal amd medium size ones with a smattering of city amenities and city problems that most Americans tend to deal with. NJ is also pretty moderate politically, with a Red governor in a Blue state. Which to me is essentialy what most Americans are willing to put up with (see our divided federal government).
The Northeast often gets a rap for being out of touch or too unlike the rest of the country and its simply not true. I also second the poster who called Maryland, which in many ways is similar to NJ as pretty representative of the nation and full of Anytown places for many of the reasons cited above
Hard to say... I believe every area of the United States has a slightly different look and feel about it. Just about every city has outlet malls and expansive suburbs these days.
Midwestern states get this award. Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, SD, ND, Oklahoma possibly. Indiana and Illinois are also possibilities.
Disagree. All of the Plains states are demographic outliers and anomalies and don't even remotely represent a typical or average place that the vast majority of Americans live in today. This is true for many low population and low population density states that are inherently very rural. Only 10-15% of the total population in the US lives in rural counties. The average population density for the entire US is about 80 people per square mile. All of the Central Plains and Northern Plains states have population densities in the 6-35 people per square mile range.
Lol no. But I can tell you that almost everyone will agree that:
1. It isn't Texas
2. It isn't California
3. It isn't the PNW
4. It isn't the West
5. It isn't the South
6. It isn't Florida
7. It isn't New York
8. It isn't Bos-Wash
9. It isn't New England
10. It isn't Michigan
11. It isn't Minnesota
12. It isn't Illinois
13. It isn't the Dakotas
Which leaves Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio. Not because they're completely bland, but because those other states have identifiable qualities that make them stick out.
lol, I can see someone doesn't travel all that much. Almost all of these places are bland outside the major cities. What identifiable qualities are you referring to? The scenery? The cities?
You put Illinois and Minnesota on there which tells me you've either never been to either or you didn't venture outside of Chicago or the Twin Cities. Minnesota at least has some nice scenery but, almost the entire state of Illinois is about as bland as a state can get (no offense to my neighbors to the west).
"Anytown, America" is not a phrase that refers to places that best represent America and all of its parts. It's used to describe the most bland, featureless places that seem to offer almost nothing that might make them distinct. Think of a place that you would have trouble guessing where it is.
The best answer I've heard so far is Missouri. I'd also add Indiana to that. Midwestern locales tend to be the best candidates.
Agree. I imagine a smallish town in Ohio, but they could be anywhere.
"Anytown, America" is not a phrase that refers to places that best represent America and all of its parts. It's used to describe the most bland, featureless places that seem to offer almost nothing that might make them distinct. Think of a place that you would have trouble guessing where it is.
The best answer I've heard so far is Missouri. I'd also add Indiana to that. Midwestern locales tend to be the best candidates.
He said one that would make the best microsm for America, he didn't specify bland or featureless and America isn't bland and featureless. California makes a good case because of the diversity of the state as a whole, also about 1/8 of Americans live there, Texas isn't a bad case to make, has less diversity generally than California. I think the city that makes the best microsm of America in Chicago, last poll said the plurality agreed with me, and Illinois is a better candidate ethnically for a microsm than either California or Texas, but it doesn't really have the diversity of environments either that they do.
I'm leaning towards either Illinois or California.
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