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Pittsburgh is most definitely Appalachian. There's Appalachia to its left and Appalachia to its right. Why else would it be so incredibly hilly? I agree that it is also Midwestern and Rustbelt in character, but that can also be said of a lot of West Virginia as well.
Just because a place is hilly, doesn't mean it is Appalachian. I think that some of its suburbs could be considered Appalachian, but for the most part its culture is Midwestern. Remember i'm not talking about landscape, but local culture. If I were talking about the Appalachian hills, then Pittsburgh would for sure be included, but culture wise not so much.
Okay, I was talking more about landscape and I was like, "What is this guy talking about? Pittsburgh's right in the middle of the ARC region." But I get what you're saying, kind of. I'm interested to hear what your reasoning is for saying that Pittsburgh isn't culturally Appalachian but, say, Charleston is.
Just because a place is hilly, doesn't mean it is Appalachian. I think that some of its suburbs could be considered Appalachian, but for the most part its culture is Midwestern. Remember i'm not talking about landscape, but local culture. If I were talking about the Appalachian hills, then Pittsburgh would for sure be included, but culture wise not so much.
I worked in Pittsburgh for years. My ex wife did too. Believe me, the 'Burgh is fundamentally Appalachian with a Midwestern twist, just like the Northern Panhandle. There are some groups in the area that don't really fit that mold, notably in Squirrel Hills, but overall Pittsburgh is an Appalachian city in culture and historic origin. You're confusing southern Appalachian with Appalachian and essentially saying that if some place doesn't have the southern twist to it, then it doesn't count. That is wrong. And, just as southern Appalachia is very different than the South, northern Appalachia is very different than the Northeast or Midwest per se, and in many respects the parts of Appalachia have more in common with each other than with nearby areas that influence them.
Okay, I was talking more about landscape and I was like, "What is this guy talking about? Pittsburgh's right in the middle of the ARC region." But I get what you're saying, kind of. I'm interested to hear what your reasoning is for saying that Pittsburgh isn't culturally Appalachian but, say, Charleston is.
Both towns are fundamentally Appalachian. Charleston's has more of a southern Appalachian twist, Pittsburgh's a more midwestern twist, but the cultural underpinnings of both are clearly Appalachian. My great great grandfather was one of its earlier residents.
Both towns are fundamentally Appalachian. Charleston's has more of a southern Appalachian twist, Pittsburgh's a more midwestern twist, but the cultural underpinnings of both are clearly Appalachian. My great great grandfather was one of its earlier residents.
Completely, 100% agree. The argument that Pittsburgh isn't Appalachian has always gotten on my nerves. When I hear it, it's usually coming from Pittsburghers that are going to college here that want to distance themselves from West Virginians as if they're so much better. I've had one Pittsburgher tell me that, "It's really a different world!" Is that so?! And an hour away at that! So convenient!
I will agree with you all on that Pittsburgh and Charleston are two different Appalachains. I just see Pittsburgh as more of its own vibe with its large art scene and its past industrial history. Kind of reminds me of a West Coast city with alot more industry, and more East Coast spunk.
Charleston doesn't really represent a true Appalachian culture either though because of its Midwest feel too. Both Huntington and Charleston, and even Parkersburg, have an "Ohio/Indiana" feel to them. But of course we still are Appalachain in personality, and proud of it.
When I think of a place, I consider three things...
1. What is the landscape like?--- does this place feel like Utah or more like Florida?
2. What is the architecture like?--- Montana log cabins or San Diego condos?
3. What are the people like?--- Creative and Inovative, or behind the times and uneduated.
Fact of the matter is that industry has always been a huge part of Appalachian culture. If you look back at the census data from the earlier decades of the 20th century, West Virginia grew by leaps and bounds because of growth in industry and coal. Just off the top of my head, Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Altoona, Binghamton, Cumberland, Charleston, Huntington, Wheeling, Parkersburg, Roanoke... all Appalachian, all with industrial histories. Something Appalachia shares with the Great Lakes area and, to a lesser extent, the Northeast.
The Ohio River Valley from Pittsburgh to Wheeling was one vast industrial hub, with coal, steel, tobacco, and steel related products along with glass and later chemicals forming the backbone of America's industrial might. That tradition and prosperity continued right up until the early 1980s, when the super rich elitists realized they could manipulate laws to form the "globalist" mindset. Once they did that, using a variety of techniques depending upon with whom they were dealing, they eliminated tarrifs and opened borders to foreign labor resulting in the destruction of hundreds of once wonderful, proud, and prosperous American cities. All of this to get at ever cheaper labor.
Now, they have us all selling each other pizzas and tell us we should be glad they allow us to even do that. They have ruined our middle class, then they come at us with stories about how we will have to "tighten our belts" in order to survive. The distinction between ourselves and third world status is systematically disappearing as our young people must compete with $8 per day labor elsewhere and our very young don't even have part time opportunities in many places due to the presence of thousands of illegals who take their jobs by working off the books or with stolen identities.
We have huge problems, and our industrial cities are casualties to elitist greed and manipulation. With their control of the financial system, the media, both parties of our political structure, and to a large degree higher education they have convinced most of us it is somehow for our own good.
They keep on getting richer while the rest of us fade into ever more depressed service sector jobs.
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