People who have just moved/visited here... (Louisville, Germantown: transplants, home)

[mdawg]

Okay so there are a lot of posts on here about whether or not Louisville is southern or midwestern, but most of the people who have put in their opinion live here. I would like to see what people who have recently moved or visited here think of Louisville. Do you think it is southern or midwestern? I think this way we can get unbiased opinions, rather then people who are stuck on Louisville being one way or another.

[nlschr0]

Well, not to beat a dead horse, but after moving to KY from the midwest and northeast, I definitely vote Southern. Sure, it's not Birmingham or Charleston, but it's a lot different than Chicago or Philadelphia, for example.

[amac626]

I moved here from Michigan and from my perspective, it is certainly not a midwestern city. Growing up (in MI) noone that I knew would ever consider anything in Kentucky Midwestern, or anything other than "southern" for that matter. After moving here, I still feel the same. Louisville proper is different from the rest of the state and is probably less southern than those areas, even still, IMO at best this is a southern city with some midwestern characteristics. The difference between Louisville and Indy culturally is huge, as is Lou and Cinci (our 2 closest big mw city neighbors). That being said the difference between Lou and Nashville culturally is pretty large as well, (no doubt Nashville is a southern town). I know I didn't clarify much, but if you ask most people from the midwest I don't think Louisville would be classified as a midwestern town, thats really the only perspective I can provide. I'd probably use the Ohio River as a loose southern boundary, after moving here that is.

[nik]

We just moved here and her is my 2 cents...

I actually grew up in Ohio, spent 11 years in Chicago and then 4 in Charlotte, NC. At least in it's "in-town" neighborhoods, Louisville is by far more midwestern than southern. My husband grew up in Iowa and IL, went to undergrad in the midwest and grad school in the south (also lived in NC and Memphis) and he completely agrees.

While Louisville may not be as much akin to places like Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, it definitely favors the old industrial towns of Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, etc -- I mean this in a positive way. I think that a strong working class makes for a vibrant artist community.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by nik

We just moved here and her is my 2 cents...

I actually grew up in Ohio, spent 11 years in Chicago and then 4 in Charlotte, NC. At least in it's "in-town" neighborhoods, Louisville is by far more midwestern than southern. My husband grew up in Iowa and IL, went to undergrad in the midwest and grad school in the south (also lived in NC and Memphis) and he completely agrees.

While Louisville may not be as much akin to places like Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, it definitely favors the old industrial towns of Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, etc -- I mean this in a positive way. I think that a strong working class makes for a vibrant artist community.

Agreed. I have been here a few years now and this sure isn't a typical southern town. I call it a midwest city in a mass of southern, including southern Indiana, which is DISTINCTIVELY more southern than the areas around downtown Louisville. Calling the Highlands or Germantown southern is simply not accurate. But Louisville is a confused kind of place. Southern or Midwest? Big city or small town? Friendly or snotty? Its a confused type of place with the most potential of any city I have ever visited or lived in.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by stx12499

Agreed. I have been here a few years now and this sure isn't a typical southern town. I call it a midwest city in a mass of southern, including southern Indiana, which is DISTINCTIVELY more southern than the areas around downtown Louisville. Calling the Highlands or Germantown southern is simply not accurate. But Louisville is a confused kind of place. Southern or Midwest? Big city or small town? Friendly or snotty? Its a confused type of place with the most potential of any city I have ever visited or lived in.

That said, there are areas in Jefferson County that ARE more Southern.

[censusdata]

"Sweet home Dixie Highway" defiantly has a Southern feel to it, due to all the displaced rural Kentuckians there. I guess that's true of the entire South Side

The East End (Highlands, St Matthews, etc) all feel very Midwestern IMO

Old Louisville & Portland LOOK like somewhere in the Deep South

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by censusdata

"Sweet home Dixie Highway" defiantly has a Southern feel to it, due to all the displaced rural Kentuckians there. I guess that's true of the entire South Side

The East End (Highlands, St Matthews, etc) all feel very Midwestern IMO

Old Louisville & Portland LOOK like somewhere in the Deep South

I guess that may be why I get so aggrivated when people say we are midwestern because I am from the Dixie area. It feels like someone is trying to take my culture away from me and it makes me fightin' mad!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by censusdata

The East End (Highlands, St Matthews, etc) all feel very Midwestern IMO

Could that be because of all the transplants there?

[Cameron Cayman]

Louisville is definately more midwestern than southern.