Is Texas more Western or Southern? (Houston, Dallas: legally, move, catholics)

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by grindin

Sure you do, mainly in the coastal areas and southern Georgia. Atlanta's location in the Piedmont makes it have some commnalities with other parts of the piedmont region, including the housing styles. There are similarities to the other parts of the South, but there are significant differences in many aspects. It's probably pretty rare to see a vinyl sided house in many parts of Texas, but they're all over the place up here. Also, I noticed that many homes in Texas are made of all brick. There are brick homes here, but many times, the brick is usually a front facade with wooden siding. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule of course.

i definitely agree with this. the vinyl homes in atlanta are definitely what sets it apart from the rest. they're all over the place up there

and let's not forget the oversized yards with no fences

Regarding your other question, maybe I shouldn't say "Western South". More like, "Just plain Texan"

but that's kind of what i was getting at before. there's few things that are uniquely texan about east texas. some people even just write it off as not really being texas at all. the litmus test: drive all around east texas and count the number of pork bbq restaurants, then count the number of beef bbq joints, and tell me what you come up with

[grindin]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

i definitely agree with this. the vinyl homes in atlanta are definitely what sets it apart from the rest. they're all over the place up there

and let's not forget the oversized yards with no fences

I see them in and around Charlotte and Raliegh-Durham quite a bit too.

This could just as easily be a neighborhood in Stone Mountain or Snellville:

Google Maps

Or this one, sort of:

Bowie, MD - Google Maps

that's kind of what i was getting at before. there's few things that are uniquely texan about east texas. some people even just write it off as not really being texas at all. the litmus test: drive all around east texas and count the number of pork bbq restaurants, then count the number of beef bbq joints, and tell me what you come up with

I see what you're saying. There is an obvious difference between East Texas and other parts of the state, but it's still all Texas to me.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by polo89

But the flaw in that is, there ARE people who were born and raised in these "debatable" areas of Texas and Florida who do NOT consider themselves Southern.

Yes, this is true, Polo (good to see you by the way! ), but a majority do when talking of the state as a whole. I will be the first to agree that the trans-pecos area is not Southern (hell, maybe it ought to secede and join New Mexico! LOL).

Just to note, by the way, according to that survey, some 5% of Alabamians did not consider themselves to live in the South. Where the heck did they THINK they lived? (As Dr. Reed, who was largely responsible put it! LOL).

Anyway, my main point has always been that Texas is, historically and culturally (and all that implies) is essentially a Southern state. It is not the Southwest of New Mexico and Arizona or whatever parts of other Western states may be considered such. For sure it has even less in common with the Rocky Mountain West.

Texas is "Southwest" in a sense, sure. That is, the "Western South", which is the original definition of the sub-region. The old Southwest, so to speak. But it is not the Southwest as to be included with the hispanic and Indian dominated areas to the west. Those states didnt even become states until long after Texas was firmly settled by pioneers from the southeast and a strong Southern culture established.

I think this topic will probably go on forever. I get to where when I see a new thread like it, I just groan and think, oh man, I gotta get a beer!

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by grindin

Sure you do, mainly in the coastal areas and southern Georgia. Atlanta's location in the Piedmont makes it have some commnalities with other parts of the piedmont region, including the housing styles. There are similarities to the other parts of the South, but there are significant differences in many aspects. It's probably pretty rare to see a vinyl sided house in many parts of Texas, but they're all over the place up here. Also, I noticed that many homes in Texas are made of all brick. There are brick homes here, but many times, the brick is usually a front facade with wooden siding. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule of course.

Regarding your other question, maybe I shouldn't say "Western South". More like, "Just plain Texan"

Personally, I kinda think of the two as synonymous! East Texas is (as AlGreen said) where the Deep South begins. Most of that part of the state (which incidently is as large as the state of Kentucky) is not much different from any other part of the Deep South sub-region. The only exception being that (as AG and I were talking about the other day) is that there is the "Texas" component.

But as to "Western South" and "Just plain Texas"? I always considered them very similar in meaning and content. What is often overlooked is that the unique things that make Texas TEXAS, are mostly very Southern in origin. Demographics are changing a bit in the last decades or so, but up until very recently, the large majority of Texans (something like 75%, but I will have to double check as it could be larger) traced their roots to Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Other Southern states made up a bit more of it. Until the final tally was something like 90% were from southeastern states.

This is what clearly made the dominating character of Texas not only before the War Between The States, but afterward as well. In west Texas it was a different environment, to be sure, so this altered Texas into something not classically "Southern" (i.e. as in Gone With the Wind! LOL). What it did do was transfer the South to the west of the frontier era. And the result was "Texas"...or, the "Western South." It was emphatically not the "Southwest" of New Mexico or Arizona. For sure not the West of the Rocky Mountain states. It was, in a nutshell, the South moved west.

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by grindin

Sure you do, mainly in the coastal areas and southern Georgia. Atlanta's location in the Piedmont makes it have some commnalities with other parts of the piedmont region, including the housing styles. There are similarities to the other parts of the South, but there are significant differences in many aspects. It's probably pretty rare to see a vinyl sided house in many parts of Texas, but they're all over the place up here. Also, I noticed that many homes in Texas are made of all brick. There are brick homes here, but many times, the brick is usually a front facade with wooden siding. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule of course.

Regarding your other question, maybe I shouldn't say "Western South". More like, "Just plain Texan"

you know, i have no idea why this didn't occur to me when i replied to this thread earlier, but actually you will see vinyl sided homes here and in fact all the way in the san antonio area. mostly in working/middle class suburban subdivisions. mind you, they'll have a brick facade, but i have yet to see any homes in texas that are all vinyl like in atlanta

i'll have to post some examples later tonight

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by AlGreen

i guess we do. don't get me wrong, being a "texan" is what most people will tell you first, but at the end of the day, i'm certain most born and bred houstonians with roots here will tell you they are southern

BEING A TEXAN DOESN'T CANCEL OUT BEING A SOUTHERNER. even though they are some who will try to deny that

Right on, AlGreen! At least according to the surveys done! We are just a different breed of Southerner. And bring a unique dimension to the South itself.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Right on, AlGreen! At least according to the surveys done! We are just a different breed of Southerner. And bring a unique dimension to the South itself.

Now yall know that rule says that in order to be southern you can't differentiate from the routine. Just wait til the purists see this.

[Steve-o]

TX definitely feels more western than southern. Sure there are a few spots in TX that feel southern, but as a whole? TX is definitely more western in appearance/feel.

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

TX definitely feels more western than southern. Sure there are a few spots in TX that feel southern, but as a whole? TX is definitely more western in appearance/feel.

WRONG. were you not paying attention to the last few pages of texas 101?

[AlGreen]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Right on, AlGreen! At least according to the surveys done! We are just a different breed of Southerner. And bring a unique dimension to the South itself.

hey, i tried to tell 'em, tex!