Does the state embrace: capital, largest city, flagship U college town?

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by IowanFarmer

No, Iowa City/U of I has always been a bastion of culture/sophistication in a state that isn't cosmopolitan. I think that's a really common dynamic for the city housing the public liberal arts university in a mostly rural state. Lawrence, KS; Columbia, MO; Austin, TX; Bloomington, IN; Morgantown, WV, etc.

Other cities in Iowa have caught up to it, especially Des Moines (which clearly exceeds it today in pretty much any category), but it's still a place that emphasizes that kind of culture heavily in a state that doesn't.

It draws a lot of out-of-state (especially Chicagoland) students, and it's graduates are less likely to stay in Iowa, and I think all of those things are tied.

I’d agree with all except I think Chicagoland kids think they are instate students. Iowa can feel lie an extension of being at your suburban Chicago high school. OK, maybe I exagerate a bit, but UIowa definitely has a strong Chicago feel to it and you can’t go anywhere in Chicagoland without seeing lots of gold and black tigerhawks

[Serious Conversation]

I'm in Tennessee.

Knoxville has the state flagship university. Vanderbilt has better academics, but UT-Knoxville is the center of college athletics.

Memphis was the largest city, but was recently passed by Nashville.

Nashville is what people think of when they think of Tennessee, aside from maybe the Smokies tourist ares.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Here in Louisiana the largest city is New Orleans, and there is a mix of embrace and disdain and some indifference (particularly those in North Louisiana.) But one common trend is people in the rest of the state, including the suburbs don't really want to LIVE there. Some truly dislike the city because of its crime and poverty, its liberal politics, and its permissive culture. There are others who love to visit regularly and love the culture and food in New Orleans, but would never live there because they don't like urban living and don't like the high taxes, crime, traffic, and the faster pace of life.

Baton Rouge is home of LSU as well as the state capital and most people seem indifferent to it. Some people do see it as crime ridden and rough but it doesn't elicit strong reactions like New Orleans. This area also sees a lot of migration from elsewhere in the state not just because of LSU students but because of the petrochemical plants and refineries here.