"cultural"? Aren't these just geographic regions?
this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024
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No, you don't have to spend much time in two regions to see the cultural differences. Of course many people don't know much about the US and refuse to look at culture at all.
IMO, there's way more mixing of regional cultures than this impiles. The US for sure isn't a monolithic culture, but its a whole lot less static than people not from here seem to think.
Eh, it isn't bullshit except for the "capital" part. There's no capitals you a cultural zone because it's not something that can have a capital.
As an example, I'm in the southern Appalachian zone. And there's a distinct subculture here that's different from its surrounding regions. But Asheville? Not even close to being the center of the overall culture at all. The city and its immediate surroundings don't even match the rest of the region it's , in a lot of ways. You go from somewhere like mars hill nc, or mountain city Tennessee to Asheville, and it's a different world almost.
Same with Boone tbh.
There's differences across the mountains. Nc vs Tennessee, you find some things that are different, and both of those are different from the actual hill people, the ones way to in the mountains. And even that differs once you get up into west Virginia
So, Asheville being randomly picked as the capital for the region makes all the other picks questionable at best, bullshit at worst.
But the region is overall accurate. The edges are blurrier than the image shows, as there's shifts as you go from full on mountain folk, to those adjacent, to the actual foothills. You still keep a fairly distinctive sense of culture for sure, but there's a ton of bleed.
The other areas I've visited I can buy the general regions the map has, with the same caveat that without a major barrier, you'll get bleeding well into each distinct "border" on the map, with those border areas having a different vibe from their opposite side.
Thank you for your detailed comment
No one from the coastal area of new england would put connecticut, boston, and downeast maine in the same region. Those three areas are very distinct yet on this map are contiguous.
But someone from outside the region would call them the same. That person would need to move there for a while before they can tell the difference. Meanwhile they can tell culture differences between that area and Texas without effort.
Boston and downeast maine are culturally distinct. You wouldn’t confuse them if you’re from away. Unless you can confuse sprawling metropolis for rural coastline…
And southern Vermont does not feel at all maritime.
Culturally Connecticut is about 45% NYC, 45% Boston, and 10% philly.
The division between the Midwest and the South in Kentucky doesn't make sense to me, northern Kentucky, Louisville and the counties along or near the Ohio River are very Midwestern. I'd probably put the line along the Western Kentucky Parkway, that'd put Lexington on the border and Bowling Green solidly in the Southern region.
How is the capital of the Mid-Atlantic, Philadelphia? DC or Baltimore should be it.
#7 we just call the Delmarva Peninsula but your label is also apt
Pnw seems mostly accurate
This would need to be a lot more granulated. Probably best to group it by cities. There isn't any state that only has one or two cultural regions.
The idea that someone from Winnemucca is closer culturally to Las Vegas than to Reno is a joke.