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- North Sound (Bellingham, San Juans, Island County)
- Everett-Olympia corridor (Seattle MSA --- more specifically, east > north > south, and that goes for both the city and suburbs)
- Clark County (in Portland MSA)
- Olympic Peninsula
- Kitsap Peninsula
- East (Spokane MSA)
- Central (Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Moses Lake)
- Southeast (Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Pullman)*
- Southwest (Aberdeen, Longview, Chehalis)
- North (Okanogan + Ferry Counties)
- South (Yakima County)
*just passed through this area, mostly at night, less sure about its ranking
Will disagree with some of your rankings.
North sound: agree should top the list
Seattle corridor: agree if you can afford
Clark Co: ok but not special, terrible commute to Portland
Central: nice but generally too cold
East: Spokane, 2nd metro, gritty, still affordable
Southeast: biased but best weather and growth
North: very rural if that is your thing
South: agree worst part of WA, high crime
Missouri can be broken down into the Northern Plains (which Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis are a part of), the Ozarks, and the bootheel. The Ozark section of the state tends to be very poor, sparsely populated with the exceptions of Rolla, Springfield, and Joplin. Then there's the Southeastern part of the state: Cape Girardeau and the bootheel. I would rank the Southeastern portion the lowest. The Ozarks are nice for scenery but not much else so I would rank them number 2. I'd rank the Northern Plains number 1 since they contain the state's two largest cities, KC and STL.
Respectfully, I think you left some out. I'd break Mo regions down like:
(1) The bootheel - This is the river delta. Feels like Arkansas or Mississippi. Great farm land. Lots of cotton grown here. Though oddly, not much slavery before the war. Only Mississippi and New Madrid counties had noteworthy slave populations.
(2) The Ozarks - Beautiful rolling forest and smal mountains. Karst topography creates beautiful spring fed rivers. People are conservative but Unions are still strong. Lead mining, quarrying and forestry dominate.
(3) Southwest Missouri - Cattle country. Feels a little like Oklahoma. Home to Springfield, Joplin and Branson. Fastest growing area of the state.
(4) Little Dixie - This region is where slavery and plantations flourished before the war. Its generally defined as the the counties that border the the missouri river through the North Central part of the state.
(5) Northern Missouri - The counties north of US 36. Looks like southern Iowa except for the very northwest portion. Most economically depressed part of the state and experiencing the steepest population declines. 25 counties and not a single town over 20K people.
(6) KC - City on the make with a progressive population. Oringinally a cowtown. Eastern most western city in America. Lots of large professional services firms. Chip on its shoulder toward StL.
(7) StL - Western most eastern city in America. City built by NYC and Philly businessmen and throngs of immigrants from Central Europe, Ireland and Italy. Very pro-union, very blue. Economic engine of the state, StL is responsible for ovre 60% of the state's economy.
This is not a ranking, just a list.
Last edited by FalstaffBlues; 03-07-2020 at 02:02 PM..
Florida is generally recognized as having 8 distinct regions. Northwest (Panhandle), North Central, Northeast, East Central, Southeast, Southwest, South Central and Tampa Bay (West Central).
1. Tampa Bay - It has it all in terms of idealistic Florida life with beautiful beaches, two prospering urban centers (Tampa and St Petersburg), economic diversity not almost entirely reliant upon tourism to succeed, a Midwestern vibe with nicer residents
2. Southeast Florida - The largest metro area in the state with Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach as anchors. Very diverse economy and resident base, not ideal for the MAGA type, great beaches and interesting multi-cultural food scene
3. Northeast - Jacksonville is the primary city and is rising fast with diversified growth that is helping to shed it's backwards reputation. Blessed with nice beaches and a heavy proportion of the best public schools in the state. For the money the best investment in FL right now.
4. East Central - Anchored by Orlando. Very popular for inbound migration. Has serious issues with availability of well-paying jobs, average wage and cost of living (especially rent) versus income. There has been some influx of higher paying jobs but scant compared to the overall population. Becoming overbuilt with sprawl development and inadequate transportation infrastructure. Life is not the Disney dream here.
5.Southwest Florida - Fastest growing area in the country currently in/around Fort Myers. Not congested or overbuilt, but still lacking in suitable employment for most. Losing it's retirees or snowbirds only status however.
6. North Central - Largely rural but anchored in population by Ocala (horse country) and Gainesville (home to U Of Florida).
Popular with retirees and not a whole lot of commerce outside of Gainesville which gets high marks for livability.
7. Northwest - Pensacola, Panama City and Tallahassee. Primarily a vacation area for the Deep South and all in all not very progressive outside of Tallahassee (home of Florida State U and the state capital). A very big military presence in much of the area with a few large bases. Very reliant upon service sector jobs besides the active military. Regularly affected by hurricanes and still faced with catastrophic damage from Hurricane Michael.
8. South Central - The area of the state that time has forgot and developers seemingly haven't found. Looking for a quiet existence minus a need for a job or much to do? You just found it. Sebring and Lake Wales are the nicer towns.
Spot on assessment of Rhode Island regions (used to live in providence). I’ve lived in Atlanta two years now and have never heard those regional descriptions of georgia used.
I’ll go with NC where I grew up, listing from most preferred to least.
1 - Smokey mountains. This area includes greater Asheville west to TN. Lots of culture, mountains, quaint mountain towns, etc
2 - The Triangle. I like it for the colleges, progressive culture, and the different vibes of the core cities.
3 - Coast. Technically you might break this into three regions of the outer banks, the crystal coast and greater Wilmington. Some great historic towns and beaches. Overall not as heavily commercial as a lot of other east coast state coastal areas which is nice.
4 - Blue ridge mountains. This is the mountainous area up by VA and includes Boone and the surrounding area.
5 - Triad - Winston Salem, Greensboro, high point. I give this area a slight nod over Charlotte only because I think it’s retained more character, especially Winston.
6 - Charlotte - solid city with impressive development over the years. Some good neighborhoods. Lot of the new development lacks character though.
7 - Wilmington - downtown and Wrightsville are nice but outside of that it’s a lot of strip malls and leaves a lot to be desired compared to Savannah and Charleston. That said I do enjoy downtown, Southport, bald head, Wrightsville etc
8 - Sandhills - area around Fayetteville, southern pines and pinehurst. Fayetteville has some notoriety but I’ve always enjoyed the landscape of pinehurst and southern pines
8 - Eastern NC - area east of 95 but not including Wilmington or the beaches. little bit stuck in time. Lots of agriculture. Some rural challenges. But also some great historic towns like New Bern, Washington, Edenton, Bath, etc.
9 - Foothills - area around Hickory basically north of Charlotte, west of Winston, and east of Boone. Little too stagnant and not enough going on for my tastes.
10 - South central NC - honestly don’t know if this area has a proper name. It’s basically the stretch along highway 74 between Charlotte and lumberton.
I’ll go with NC where I grew up, listing from most preferred to least.
9 - Foothills - area around Hickory basically north of Charlotte, west of Winston, and east of Boone. Little too stagnant and not enough going on for my tastes.
I agree with most of your NC picks but having the Foothills at #9 of 10 I don't think is representative of the area currently which is showing signs of taking off in the near future economically. Towns like Morganton, Statesville, Marion, Lenoir and Hickory have revitalized their downtown areas or are in process as transplants from other states (or from within NC) are rediscovering them due to their geographic proximity to pricier areas like Asheville at a fraction of the cost.
1)Philadelphia metro: Philadelphia has been revitalizing for the last decade and looks to have an ever brighter future. The urban built environment, city amenities and activities, neighborhoods, culture, and so on make it highly desirable, and it is still affordable. The metro some of the nation's nicest suburbs, many of which have rail access to Philadelphia and walkable downtowns.
2) Pittsburgh / Southwest: I really, really loved Pittsburgh when I visited this past summer. In fact, if I ever tired of Philadelphia, I could see myself taking refuge there. The natural beauty combined with a beautiful built environment is second only to San Fransisco. It is definitely a mid-sized city with less to offer than Philadelphia, but still a great place.The suburban areas are generally not nearly as nice as Philadelphia's though. The rest of Southwest Pennsylvania has some great natural beauty and outdoor recreation.
3) South-Central: Lancaster is a booming city with lots of character. Outside of metro Pennsylvania, this is our states next most thriving areas. Pennsylvania Dutch Country is one of a kind.
4) Northern Tier / Northeast: Simply for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. Pine Creek State Park, Jim Thorpe and so on are just beautiful.
5) Lehigh Valley: This area is a fine place for those who want a smaller city or suburban life (Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton). I just think this region has a bit less character than much of Pennsylvania.
6) Erie/The Northwest: When looked at from a national perspective ,it is not close being one of my favorite Great Lakes areas. Overall the area is pretty small and not as beautiful as most of the state, although Presque Isle is amazing and one of a kind to our great state.
Massachusetts
1. Boston
1. North Shore
3. Merrimack Valley
4. MetroWest
5. South Shore
6. Berkshires
7. Cape and Islands
8. Greater Worcester
9. Springfield/West Central MA
New Jersey
1. Hudson County
2. North Jersey
3. Central Jersey
4. Jersey Shore
5. South Jersey
1) Gulf Coast: depending on your definition, encompasses 2 to 6 counties, I personally just count the two true coastal counties and 2 inland counties, Mobile, Balwin, Escambia, and Washington Counties. The most culturally unique region of Alabama given its strong Spanish and French history. Birthplace of Mardi Gras. High elevation coastal cities (waterfront Eastern Shore averages 100-200 ft in elevation). Mobile averaging 70 to 120 feet West Mobile averages 200-300 feet in elevation. Port of Mobile is fastest growing container port in the country. Downtown Mobile has the Battle Tower, the tallest building Alabama and along the Gulf Coast outside of Houston. Home to fastest growing county by % in the state, Baldwin County. Area has 2 skylines, Downtown Mobile and Condo Row
Notable Cities: Mobile, Fairhope, Daphne, and Gulf Shores
2) North Alabama: Home of Huntsville, as of 2020 census, officially the largest city in the state. Madison County is the fastest growing county the state by numerical growth. Massive amounts of industry and government jobs. Highest concentration of Engineers in the country.
Notable Cities: Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, and Athens
3) Central: Home of Birmingham and several smaller metros and micros. Birmingham metro is the largest metro in the state. Birmingham has some of the best healthcare in the states, notably UAB hospital. The 2022 World Games to be played in Birmingham, several redeveloped arenas. A city experiencing black flight instead of white flight as of 2020 census. Central Alabama is also home to the Talladega Speedway
Notable Cities: Birmingham, Hoover, Talladega, and Anniston
4) Bluegrass: Southeast Alabama: mostly encompasses the Dothan area, known as the "Peanut Capital of the World". Home to the National Peanut Festival. Really cool infrastructure. Dothan has 5 4-lanes highways converge on the city and has a 4-lane loop around the cities. Several cities in the region have this strangely unique highway loop
Notable Cities: Dothan and Enterprise
5) Northwest Alabama: Home to Florence and Muscle Shoals. This is the area I know least about. Florence is apparently home to the state's Renassaince Fair. Muscle Shoals is well known for its music history in the 50s and 60s
6) Blackbelt Region: Home to some of the best soil in the country but it was where all the bad stats that Alabama has comes from. Largest by area and has the highest poverty rates in the state by a massive margin compared to the previous 5 regions. A lot of the issues is due to generation African American Poverty due to racism in previous generation. Much of the region lacks proper infrastructure (particularly west of I-65) schools and medical services. Current administrations have start attempts to fixs the wrongs of the past but is fairly expensive given the lowest population density and yet huge area the blackbelt encompasses. It is not all doom and gloom. Black Belt region is actually home to several booming metros that are attracting those in the rest of the black belt, notable: Auburn, Tuscaloosa, and Phenix City. The Blackbelt is also home to several major universities: Again, Alabama and Auburn as well as Troy University
Notable Cities: Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Phenix City
Last edited by BelleFontaineMan; 12-23-2021 at 09:38 AM..
1)Philadelphia metro: Philadelphia has been revitalizing for the last decade and looks to have an ever brighter future. The urban built environment, city amenities and activities, neighborhoods, culture, and so on make it highly desirable, and it is still affordable. The metro some of the nation's nicest suburbs, many of which have rail access to Philadelphia and walkable downtowns.
2) Pittsburgh / Southwest: I really, really loved Pittsburgh when I visited this past summer. In fact, if I ever tired of Philadelphia, I could see myself taking refuge there. The natural beauty combined with a beautiful built environment is second only to San Fransisco. It is definitely a mid-sized city with less to offer than Philadelphia, but still a great place.The suburban areas are generally not nearly as nice as Philadelphia's though. The rest of Southwest Pennsylvania has some great natural beauty and outdoor recreation.
3) South-Central: Lancaster is a booming city with lots of character. Outside of metro Pennsylvania, this is our states next most thriving areas. Pennsylvania Dutch Country is one of a kind.
4) Northern Tier / Northeast: Simply for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. Pine Creek State Park, Jim Thorpe and so on are just beautiful.
5) Lehigh Valley: This area is a fine place for those who want a smaller city or suburban life (Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton). I just think this region has a bit less character than much of Pennsylvania.
6) Erie/The Northwest: When looked at from a national perspective ,it is not close being one of my favorite Great Lakes areas. Overall the area is pretty small and not as beautiful as most of the state, although Presque Isle is amazing and one of a kind to our great state.
Very good characterization of state regions but to say Pittsburgh's "natural beauty combined with a beautiful built environment is second only to San Francisco", I would challenge that and say Seattle and Portland in the U.S. are more attractive as is Vancouver B.C. in North America.
Missouri can be broken down into the Northern Plains (which Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis are a part of), the Ozarks, and the bootheel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FalstaffBlues
Respectfully, I think you left some out. I'd break Mo regions down like:
(1) The bootheel - This is the river delta. Feels like Arkansas or Mississippi. Great farm land. Lots of cotton grown here. Though oddly, not much slavery before the war. Only Mississippi and New Madrid counties had noteworthy slave populations.
(2) The Ozarks - Beautiful rolling forest and smal mountains. Karst topography creates beautiful spring fed rivers. People are conservative but Unions are still strong. Lead mining, quarrying and forestry dominate.
(3) Southwest Missouri - Cattle country. Feels a little like Oklahoma. Home to Springfield, Joplin and Branson. Fastest growing area of the state.
(4) Little Dixie - This region is where slavery and plantations flourished before the war. Its generally defined as the the counties that border the the missouri river through the North Central part of the state.
(5) Northern Missouri - The counties north of US 36. Looks like southern Iowa except for the very northwest portion. Most economically depressed part of the state and experiencing the steepest population declines. 25 counties and not a single town over 20K people.
(6) KC - City on the make with a progressive population. Oringinally a cowtown. Eastern most western city in America. Lots of large professional services firms. Chip on its shoulder toward StL.
(7) StL - Western most eastern city in America. City built by NYC and Philly businessmen and throngs of immigrants from Central Europe, Ireland and Italy. Very pro-union, very blue. Economic engine of the state, StL is responsible for ovre 60% of the state's economy.
This is not a ranking, just a list.
I would modify the regions a little. The big river valleys (Missouri and Mississippi) are somewhat different from the plains and the Ozarks and are some of the oldest communities in the state. Certainly, the German heritage communities, like Hermann, Rhineland, Westphalia, Hartsburg, Frankenstein, Dutzow, and Washington, stretch west along the Missouri River from St. Charles County. They are distinct and extend west to Jefferson City. That is wine country. These folks were Unionist and strongly anti-slavery. I would push Little Dixie a bit north centered around Fulton and then in scattered enclaves west to Ray and Clay County and northeast toward the Mississippi (to Hannibal). West of Jefferson City and Columbia are some old early settler towns like Fayette, Boonville, Arrow Rock, Lexington. There is a little bit of southern-ness in some of these few places. Many of the river towns have a common feel to them. The valley heading north to St. Joseph is agricultural and northern prairies. On the Mississippi the section north of Cape Girardeau and the bootheel is old with French heritage but largely Germanized in the later 1800s. Sainte Genevieve is the oldest town in the state and is somewhat connected to the old French communities across the river in Illinois and the old lead mining district to the west. French place names are all over this region. Altenburg, in Perry County is Germanic and the birthplace of the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church. North of St. Louis on the Mississippi you get into the old farming communities with Louisiana, Clarksville, New London and then Hannibal. There is a bit of Little Dixie in this area. Maybe the lack of bridges keeps some of these areas intact and a bit distinct from the nearby prairie and Ozark fringe areas. The Saint Louis and Kansas City metros are on the rivers but have their own feel.
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