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Geographically, Wilmington is near the gateway to the Deep South. You're right that it does have a similar history to other Southern ports. The other cues are the vegetation (some Palmetto trees and the iconic Spanish Moss on many trees).
The only thing that takes away from Wilmington's Deep South feel is that there have been so many people moving in from other parts of the country, particularly Northeastern snowbirds, who are retiring in that area.
However, if you go inland, to smaller towns like Whiteville, Bladenboro, Elizabethtown, Lumberton, Laurinburg (the rural parts of Southeastern NC), those areas feel more culturally Deep South than Wilmington does.
Charleston has even more people moving to the region from all over than Wilmington, and very few people would argue that Charleston isn't included in the Deep South at least historically and geographically. It's also worth noting that the southeastern coast of NC is included in the Geechee-Gullah corridor. As far as the coastal Southeast goes, I think the corridor is an ideal approximation of the the extent/boundaries of the Deep South also.
Off the top of my head, the only place within the geographical Deep South that I'd exclude on historic and cultural grounds is Myrtle Beach. Hilton Head and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL come close, but they share their regions with historic Deep South counterparts that are at least as well known and important as they are, if not more so.
Charleston has even more people moving to the region from all over than Wilmington, and very few people would argue that Charleston isn't included in the Deep South at least historically and geographically. It's also worth noting that the southeastern coast of NC is included in the Geechee-Gullah corridor. As far as the coastal Southeast goes, I think the corridor is an ideal approximation of the the extent/boundaries of the Deep South also.
Off the top of my head, the only place within the geographical Deep South that I'd exclude on historic and cultural grounds is Myrtle Beach. Hilton Head and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL come close, but they share their regions with historic Deep South counterparts that are at least as well known and important as they are, if not more so.
Of course but I think the difference between being immediately immediately in the Wilmington (or Charleston) area and being in a place inland that hasn't seen as much growth is the places off the beaten track feel like the Deep South more consistently. Charleston's tourist appeal is based on the history and charm of being in the Deep South, but it's day-to-day living is more diluted by influences from outside of the South.
I'm not sure why you would exclude Myrtle Beach though. It feels more like the Deep South to me than Wilmington, but I'd be interested to hear why.
Charleston has even more people moving to the region from all over than Wilmington, and very few people would argue that Charleston isn't included in the Deep South at least historically and geographically. It's also worth noting that the southeastern coast of NC is included in the Geechee-Gullah corridor. As far as the coastal Southeast goes, I think the corridor is an ideal approximation of the the extent/boundaries of the Deep South also.
Off the top of my head, the only place within the geographical Deep South that I'd exclude on historic and cultural grounds is Myrtle Beach. Hilton Head and Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL come close, but they share their regions with historic Deep South counterparts that are at least as well known and important as they are, if not more so.
I'm not sure why you would exclude Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. They have a beach culture but are still clearly in the South. The places I would exclude in the geographical Deep South would be South Florida, Central Florida, the Keys and the Tampa Bay Area. Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc are still Deep South. New Orleans is unique but it still has a lot of Southern aspects especially the architecture in many parts of town.
A lot of people simply and totally ignore geography whenever any question is asked regarding the South.
Someone actually said that Baltimore is a NE city, LOL. What's next? New Orleans is Canadian?
How is Baltimore NOT a Northeastern city. Physically it resembles Philadelphia and Newark far more than it does any Southern city especially its row houses that its so famous for.
The Cajuns settled in Acadiana, not in New Orleans, by the way.
I'm not sure why you would exclude Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. They have a beach culture but are still clearly in the South. The places I would exclude in the geographical Deep South would be South Florida, Central Florida, the Keys and the Tampa Bay Area. Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc are still Deep South. New Orleans is unique but it still has a lot of Southern aspects especially the architecture in many parts of town.
Jacksonville is unique because it blends traditional Southern culture with a lot Florida elements. The North and Westside of Jacksonville is traditional Black Southern culture with redneck white culture, Southside is more cosmopolitan and have the ethnic diversity thats on par with what you see in Central Florida. Arlington (the real eastside even though Jax has an area called eastside) it's a mix of hood black culture with retirees from up north.
If Paducah is considered to be deep south, how would you consider Poplar Bluff and Jonesboro? I lived in Paducah and Cape Girardeau -- Cape was somewhat less southern although some folks worked hard at it. Sikeston, Charleston, New Madrid, Caruthersville, Blytheville could all pass as deep south, at least when I was in that area.
I grew up near Cape and it has always confused me. It feels more like Sikeston to the south than Perryville to the north, but there are quite a few people with ties to Perry County & St. Louis there. I would say both Southern and Midwestern cultures are present, and it just depends on which group of people you are around as to which culture you will experience. There is a native upland southern culture in Cape County, but there are also a ton of people that have moved from the bootheel in the last 20 years or so.
As for the topic, I guess it depends on how small of a city we are talking about.
Jonesboro, AR is deep south to me along with the rest of eastern Arkansas.
Cairo, IL has a lot of influence from the deep south. With that being said, when it was prosperous it had a lot of influence from different places so I'm not sure where that leaves it culturally. It is just a sad sight now.
Paducah? Definitely southern. I haven't spent much time there so I don't know if I would say it is more of an upland southern culture vs. a deep south culture.
As someone else mentioned above, the Bootheel is a strange case. Most of it was uninhabited until the early 1900's because it was a massive swamp. There were some farms in the Mississippi River counties and up on Crowley's Ridge before then, but most of what you see now was established within the last 100 years. It was settled by a mix of white and black southerners, but after the time of slavery. There were also some poor German immigrants that migrated from Chicago that ended up in the sharecropping system. I'd classify the Bootheel as Deep South if I had to classify it, but it has its differences as well.
Another city to add as Deep South would be Jackson, TN. Much of rural Southwest TN fits in that category also.
Of course but I think the difference between being immediately immediately in the Wilmington (or Charleston) area and being in a place inland that hasn't seen as much growth is the places off the beaten track feel like the Deep South more consistently. Charleston's tourist appeal is based on the history and charm of being in the Deep South, but it's day-to-day living is more diluted by influences from outside of the South.
I'm not sure why you would exclude Myrtle Beach though. It feels more like the Deep South to me than Wilmington, but I'd be interested to hear why.
How does Myrtle Beach feel more like the Deep South to you than Wilmington? It most certainly lacks the history and culture of the Deep South and has always been more or less a tourist destination. Nothing like the 1898 insurrection in Wilmington ever happened in Myrtle Beach.
I'm not sure why you would exclude Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. They have a beach culture but are still clearly in the South.
I'm not exactly excluding them though, and the South =/= the Deep South.
Quote:
The places I would exclude in the geographical Deep South would be South Florida, Central Florida, the Keys and the Tampa Bay Area. Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc are still Deep South. New Orleans is unique but it still has a lot of Southern aspects especially the architecture in many parts of town.
Florida is typically excluded as a Deep South state and the only portion that is included at times is north Florida.
Jacksonville, Florida can sometimes be classified as deep south especially when you compare it to the other Florida metros, but it's much more cosmopolitan than given credit for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mwalker96
Jacksonville is unique because it blends traditional Southern culture with a lot Florida elements. The North and Westside of Jacksonville is traditional Black Southern culture with redneck white culture, Southside is more cosmopolitan and have the ethnic diversity thats on par with what you see in Central Florida. Arlington (the real eastside even though Jax has an area called eastside) it's a mix of hood black culture with retirees from up north.
Jacksonville would be my pick. Not an 'old time southern' feel, but definitely southern vibes in parts of Jax.
How is Baltimore NOT a Northeastern city. Physically it resembles Philadelphia and Newark far more than it does any Southern city especially its row houses that its so famous for.
The Cajuns settled in Acadiana, not in New Orleans, by the way.
Culturally, Baltimore is Southern. Any Philadelphia and Baltimorean would tell you that. This has been argued ad nauseam
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