The continued insistence that Pittsburgh is the Midwest (York, Chester: middle-class, 2013)

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I think another element is there really isn't such a thing as "Northeastern" or "Midwestern" culture. There's just a generic Northern culture which really tends to vary as much (actually more) on a north to south basis than an east to west basis. Thus both the Northeast and Midwest only make sense as geographical identifiers, not as culture families, as the South does.

I can agree with and see the reasoning in this. There are much fewer difference between PA and Wisconsin than between us and Tennessee.

[safak]

Originally Posted by Jrn14

I hate to burst yinz bubble but we act WAY more like midwesterners than east coasters.

I guess thats a matter of opinion, as is the 'friendly' comment.

Personally I think we act a lot like Fijians

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

how long have you been in Pittsburgh?

The Hill is in fact a long standing neighborhood. Natives never called it Crawford Square, nor Oak Hill ... These were all Make ups of the Hill District. On the reverse though the news like to classify the Fifth/Forbes Corridor as The Hill because its a majority AA residence. It was NEVER the Hill. It was always Uptown

Same for North Shore, natives never called it "North Shore", people still say "On the Nor-Side" meaning any area north of the Allegheny River.

Eastside is the Centre Ave Corridor from Whole Foods to Shady Ave ... Again No-One Calls it that ... North of the Busway is East Liberty, South of the Busway is Shadyside.

Northshore only applies the the Stadia and riverfront park area. This was first used by former mayor Tom Murphy after Alcoa and the sports teams decided to build there. Prior to development it was a no mans land with the exception of the Victorian row homes and storefronts along the western side of Federal.

Lincoln and Larimer have always been called Lincoln and Larimer as they are today. However both Lincoln /Lemington and Larimer are neighborhoods of East Liberty.


The Eastside name never stuck. I have yet to hear someone say "I'm on my way to Wholefoods in Eastside." It is East Liberty period.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by safak

I've never in my entire life (sans 3 years) in Pittsburgh had somoeone tell me it was a midwest city. I don't think I've ever even read someone hint that it was other than 1 or 2 threads/year on this website.

I went to a convention once at the U of Michigan at which we registered by geographic area. Pittsburgh was categorized as the "East Midwest."

[ProFiction]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The U.S. Census defines all of Pennsylvania as part of the Northeast. In addition, basically everyone who lives here, whether old timers or transplants, considers Pittsburgh to be Northeastern. I'm not sure why it's subject to debate.

And that's all fine. Again, these do not make it a fact that Pittsburgh is in the Northeast. The tone of the thread is one of disbelief that someone could hold an opinion contrary to that. I just think that's silly. Why care?

[gladhands]

I think you also have to take into account Pittsburgh's black population, which is more similar, culturally speaking, to east coast black culture. This is owing largely to the fact that in the great migration Pittsburgh received its black population largely from Virginia and the Carolinas, as opposed to Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, like the actual Midwest. There are of course some cases of divergence; for example New York with this large West Indian/Caribbean population, and Philadelphia with it's heavy Muslim influence

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

On the reverse though the news like to classify the Fifth/Forbes Corridor as The Hill because its a majority AA residence. It was NEVER the Hill. It was always Uptown.

In olden days, the area between Oakland and Downtown traversed by Forbes and Fifth was called the Hill by Pittsburgh friends of mine and their families, three of whom owned businesses right on Fifth Avenue. They never referred to it as anything but "the Hill." Not to say it wasn't also called Uptown, but I never heard that name before I moved back years later.

Originally Posted by wpipkins2

The Eastside name never stuck. I have yet to hear someone say "I'm on my way to Wholefoods in Eastside." It is East Liberty period.

Even though it's in "the Village of Eastside," I never say anything but "East Liberty" when someone asks where Trader Joe's is.

[Merge]

Originally Posted by gladhands

I think you also have to take into account passwords black population, which is more similar, culturally speaking, to east coast black culture. This is owing largely to the fact that in the great migration Pittsburgh received its black population largely from Virginia and the Carolinas, as opposed to Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, like the actual Midwest. There are of course some cases of divergenc;, for example New York with this large West Indian/Caribbean population, and Philadelphia with it's heavy Muslim influence

Meanwhile, while the English and Dutch tended to dominate historically in the "Northeast", it was the Scots-Irish (who many of those in the East viewed as "hillbillies") that settled Northern Appalachia.


Personally I agree with RPT that Pittsburgh assumes its contemporary cultural identity as part of the "Rust Belt".

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by Merge

Meanwhile, while the English and Dutch tended to dominate historically in the "Northeast", it was the Scots-Irish (who many of those in the East viewed as "hillbillies") that settled Northern Appalachia.


Personally I agree with RPT that Pittsburgh assumes its contemporary cultural identity as part of the "Rust Belt".

On the other hand, Catholicism is far more prominent in Pittsburgh then it is in the Midwest. I agree, that Rust Belt is The best descriptor, however all of the other Rust Belt cities, with the exception of Buffalo, seem to fit easily in one of the other regions. My initial point was not that Pittsburgh is unambiguously Northeastern, one would have to have an agenda to include Virginia in the Northeast, to the exclusion of Pittsburgh.

[safak]

Originally Posted by jay5835

I went to a convention once at the U of Michigan at which we registered by geographic area. Pittsburgh was categorized as the "East Midwest."

Thats weird because at their rival Ohio State, a convention I was at categorized it as "Western Northeast"