Does Huntsville Feel Southern? (Florence, Athens: garage, yard, congested)

[friday13]

Originally Posted by PortCity

Another reason is that Huntsville is seriously lacking southern architecture ! Especially compared to Alabama`s most populated cities( Birmingham,Mobile,Montgomery,Tuscaloosa,Decatur,Do than, and etc).I lived in Huntsville for three years and the only area of Huntsville that had southern charm to me was the Twickenham Village area and that is only a very small section.

I wonder why. Any locals willing to explain ?

I'm not a local, but wikipedia explains it well in the Historic Districts section.
Huntsville, Alabama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the '20, Hsv became a mill town, in the '50 space town, when the population boom really took off, therefore I assume cheap, small, fast-built houses sprung up (the bungalow), and then the suburban subdivision.
The relative few historic mansions that you see in Twinckenham and Old Town, that's all you get for southern architecture, and the few old mansions scattered around town (the property on Meridian &72, or the one just across old Lee High). Did you know the oldest (by tax records) is a property off Maysville Rd. , near Chapman, IIRC cca 1810, the next-oldest batch is 1814). It is in the "southern style" of pillar-supported entrance (portico?). You might want to ask why the public buildings downtown (courthouse) were not built in that style 60 ears ago like the Museum of Art?

[PortCity]

Hmmmm interesting and that would explain it. That is a good question regarding the the court house but Mobile`s courthouse isn`t all pillard either but the Church street Historic District is behind it so there is old world architecture surrounding the building.

[Keeper]

In the 60s the H'ville natives had a real strong accent more TN country. I moved up from Mobile and often had a hard time understanding what some were saying. "You wan me to check the i-re in your tire?"
The city was very small and finding a place to rent was almost impossible. No one lived in the SW section of H'ville back then. Most folks lived in the NW section. I don't recall the homes in Twickenham being anything special back then but then I was use to seeing the beautiful old homes in Mobile.

[skinem]

Zennjen, funniest thing I've seen on CD today! I knew just what you meant...living 3 years in SF Bay will help with that understanding...

Southern here? Of course. I get strong reminders of just how southern when I make frequent trips to Washington state and Oregon...

[mimpdaddy]

Huntsville might be southern, it just don't have a Alabama feel. It has that TN feel to it.

[skinem]

Originally Posted by mimpdaddy

Huntsville might be southern, it just don't have a Alabama feel. It has that TN feel to it.

There has been a strong argument made for this and it has an historical and geographic basis--the Tennessee River. To me there's a world of difference between the north side and south side of the Tennessee River, and the river's the reason for it. It used to be a real barrier...

[mimpdaddy]

Originally Posted by skinem

There has been a strong argument made for this and it has an historical and geographic basis--the Tennessee River. To me there's a world of difference between the north side and south side of the Tennessee River, and the river's the reason for it. It used to be a real barrier...

How was it used as real barrier? no bridge in early times?

[AuburnAL]

I think so. It certainly has never felt not Southern to me. The place I'm at now regularly feels non-Southern with people asking me if I want "soda" and Notre Dame fans running around even though it bills itself as some old South city or some such.

[AuburnAL]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

I think Huntsville isn't all in your face southern because a lot of proper transplants are filling up the city and area like crazy. It's funny how a lot of them are adapting to Huntsville and are getting that southern accent. However, the southerness is strong within the black community. Also, you have to look at the fact that Huntsville is a smart and an intelligent city, so the southerness can be hidden, but still, not for long!

People also neglect the fact that a lot of transplants are themselves Southern. Many if not most of the engineers are from the South in general and Alabama in particular. Meanwhile a lot of the outside transplants that settle here are from the army which is itself skewed a bit Southern. So the people often end up being assimilated into being Southerners over a generation or two.

Look at the German rocket scientists who came with von Braun. Other than an unusually high number of German restaurants for a city its size (or any city in the South) there's not much left for someone to say, "A high number of people with German roots lived here once." Indeed Cullman probably takes its German immigrants more seriously than Huntsville does. Why? Because they were ultimately just a small group of Germans in a large group of Southerners.

[Wandering_Missourian]

Yes, Huntsville does feel Southern at times..... but generally low enough to be tolerable. Drive 20 miles outside of town, and it is SCARY!