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Why isn't Miami a southern city? Because it doesn't fit into the general stereotypical south?
Correctomundo.
But using the word "stereotypical" is a not-so-subtle way of biasing your question. Miami is geographically more Southeast than any other city on the list by definition of latitude and longitude. But then why not include San Juan, Puerto Rico? It's even MORE "Southern."
The South is a region that isn't defined merely by negative stereotypes of mullets and confederate flags. It's a very rich culturally and geographically defined region that is largely removed from either Austin or Miami. It's about climate, traditions, history, demographics, economic and social roots, all of which is rather vague so we can obviously argue about its boundaries but I cannot fathom including Miami in any list of Southern cities no matter how you spin it.
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHarvester
The South is a region that isn't defined merely by negative stereotypes of mullets and confederate flags. It's a very rich culturally and geographically defined region that is largely removed from either Austin or Miami. It's about climate, traditions, history, demographics, economic and social roots, all of which is rather vague so we can obviously argue about its boundaries but I cannot fathom including Miami in any list of Southern cities no matter how you spin it.
By your own criteria for what constitutes a southern city, I don't understand how you can exclude Austin. Regardless of what some of you New Austinites like to think, Austin is still in Texas. It was founded around the same time as Dallas and Houston and shares many of the same characteristics you describe above that make these other cities southern. Recent demographic shifts don't change that.
miami is NOT a southern city. when you go to miami or south florida in general, there are no southern accents, no southern culture, no southern hospitality. there are red sox & yankees fans everywhere instead, bringing their accents and their "manners" with them. same goes for orlando.
that said, why isn't tampa on this list? if you're basing the tampa metro area on points south (st. pete, sarasota, etc) then you're wrong. go 5-10 miles east and you'll see what i mean.
but from this list, it has to be either atlanta or savannah.
Frankly if you ask me most of the South I find very attractive. Much prettier than here in the Midwest and much more rich in culture. Food also tastes a lot better too. I dunno..frankly with the exception of North Carolina I would pretty much take any major city of the Deep South over any of the Upper South. New Orleans pre-Katrina I had the pleasure of visiting in 1993 and 1994, and I actually bypassed New Orleans on Interstate 12 two weeks before Katrina hit during a roadtrip! I really hope they can bring New Orleans back, Atlanta is the only runner-up I think to it. There is no other city quite like New Orleans...I really hope they can bring it back.
I for one don't understand how new people can totally change a demographic of an area. As my husband put it... if a bunch of people move to Mexico, does that make it American?
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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Yeah, that's what I don't get. Does this rule apply anywhere else, or just to progressive southern cities because some inhabitants don't want it to be thought of as southern and the negative connotations that come with that label? Just because these areas aren't stereotypically southern due to transplants having changed their faces over the years doesn't negate their past, history, geography. Stereotypes are just that. So a bunch of retirees from NY and NJ flooded Florida and so Miami received immigrants from Cuba and Haiti because of its proximity to the Caribbean. Same thing can be said for New Orleans. Doesn't mean either city is any less southern. By that rule neither are many of the other larger southern cities you mention. Get used to the fact that it's the 21st century and southern cities don't look like they used to.
By your own criteria for what constitutes a southern city, I don't understand how you can exclude Austin. Regardless of what some of you New Austinites like to think, Austin is still in Texas. It was founded around the same time as Dallas and Houston and shares many of the same characteristics you describe above that make these other cities southern. Recent demographic shifts don't change that.
I consider it the western boundary of the South. You can even feel the change in climate, topography and culture as you go from west to east within the metro area. You certainly couldn't include places like San Angelo or Midland in the South, but I can see why you'd make an argument for squeezing Austin into the mix. It's definitely got more Southern influence than Miami does. But it's still a far cry from Birmingham.
I completely agree about accents. And don't you just CRINGE when Hollywood movies use those stupid fake southern accents? Very few actors can pull it off unless they're actually from the South. Tommy Lee Jones does a good Texas twang, but that's cuz he's a Texan. And Matthew McConoughey has a classic laid-back central Texan slacker accent, slightly southern, slightly west-Texas twang.
The accent in the rural Piedmont region is classic antebellum "charming Southern" --- between Atlanta and Charlotte, more in the small towns and more among the working class and country folks. Up in the mountains it changes, even 50 miles away, to more of an Appalachian twangy drawl. Tennessee sounds more brash and proud, not quite as slow and lazy as the deep SE drawl. I'm not familiar with the types of accents in 'Bama and 'Sippi because I haven't known enough people from there. I had a girlfriend from Mobile and she had an adorable accent, but that's a port city so it's probably modified a lot by the various folks who come through there and wouldn't be as intense as a DEEP interior small town that is relatively untouched by the outside world (other than through electronic media.)
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