Largest city/metro where the southern accent is still dominant (2015, new home)

[Lizap]

Originally Posted by ram2

When I first visited New Orleans many years ago, I was told by some locals that the biggest error often seen in movies taking place in New Orleans is the characters speaking with a southern accent. To my ears, New Orleans accents sound more like a northeast accent.

The southern half of Louisiana is Catholic. The northern half is Baptist.

Yes, the accent at times reminds me of the northeast.

[cherokee48]

Cities with the strongest southern accents: Birmingham, Memphis, New Orleans.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by grampaTom

What is it then??

New Orleans accent is closer to New York than typically Southern.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by Lizap

Yes, the accent at times reminds me of the northeast.

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

New Orleans accent is closer to New York than typically Southern.

Black Nola doesn't sound Northeast though. That's more White NOLA

[Kaszilla]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

Black Nola doesn't sound Northeast though. That's more White NOLA

The title might as well be called "Largest city/metro where the WHITE Southern accent is still dominant" because apparently all black people talk the same no matter where they are.

[atadytic19]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

Black Nola doesn't sound Northeast though. That's more White NOLA

Actually it's the black NOLA resident accents that remind me of Northeast accents.

Kazilla might be correct, done might think all black people sound the same. But to me New Orleans to small spatterings around Gulfport sounds remarkably like NY accents. You can hear certain inflections especially when they are really happy/ excited or really mad.

Two heritages NOLA and NY share in common are Haitian and Italian. Not sure if those have anything to do with it, but for some reason the similarities are there.

People tend to automatically homogenize their accents when speaking to visitors. Celebrities do it too. But when they get mad... has anyone heard Rihanna mad?

[Mistermobile]

Originally Posted by trinkanchan

Somebody mentioned in another thread that Richmond, VA is one of the few major metros in the South where the southern accent is still dominant.

Is there a larger metro where the southern accent is still widely spoken by the population? What if we are only talking about city limits?

When a Southern Belle tells you "to go to H*ll" you kinda wanta go.

[NoClueWho]

Any Southern city or town that has not become a popular, booming, "New South" city that has been flooded with transplants.............

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by oobanks

You meant to say North of I-20 right? That's may be South Georgia thinking..

No. In the city of Atlanta, south of I-20 is where you're more likely to consistently hear Southern accents.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

No. In the city of Atlanta, south of I-20 is where you're more likely to consistently hear Southern accents.

There’s truth to this. Atlanta south of I-20 has a different feel than north of I-20. Nothing bad it just seems like more native Atlantans and native southerners live south of I-20 and it has a more country feel. South Fulton County, Clayton County, Douglas County, and South Dekalb County don’t really appear to have a lot of transplants or not nearly as many transplants as places such as North Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and most of Cobb County. I’m not trying to paint the entire south side with a broad brush because there’s plenty of transplants in Fayette County and Coweta County and Henry County but these areas typically have a more “southern” feel as opposed to other areas in Atlanta. If you spend most of your time in John’s Creek or Sandy Springs for example you’re not going to hear a lot of southern accents as the areas are just too diverse and void of native southerners. Metro Atlanta still feels southern to me regardless just in a different way. Just my opinion…..really doesn’t mean anything.