Is D.C.culturally Northern, Southern, or Both?

[jd3189]

Yeah, it's one of these threads.

In my opinion, Washington has been a sort of border city since early U.S. cities. It's the southernmost major city of the Northeast megalopolis, but it is also known to many as one of the northernmost Southern cities. It has characteristics of pre-war urbanism and 20th-21th century sprawl that's not as bad as certain Sunbelt cities but is still far from the older cities up North.

What do you guys think?

[Crawford]

Both, but more northern, by quite a bit. It transitioned from southern to northern over the last 60 years or so.

[Austinlee]

I have wondered this too. I think the answer is basically northern. Maps i have seen show the "south" starting about an hour or more south of DC. But I am not sure if that is right or not.
Richmond, VA the previous capital of the south is a little over 2 hours south of DC.

[Bikemike]

DC should be placed in a separate category for Mid-Atlantic. I think there's a distinct enough culture from either Northern or Southern to warrant a separate category. Although I do think DC is much more Northern, culturally and economically.

[MolsonExport]

Both.

That was easy.

[brickell]

Both
http://www.floatingsheep.org/2014/10...-of-grits.html

[RCDC]

Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.

Seriously, it's perhaps both, but perhaps neither.

[ColDayMan]

It's both. As stated earlier, it's Mid-Atlantic.

[Cirrus]

I'm comfortable with "mid-Atlantic" as an answer. But if you insist on a simple yes/no north/south dichotomy then the answer is unequivocally "northern." And it is getting more northern every day. Geographical oddities from before the Civil War or quotes from New England presidents 50 years ago do not apply to 2015.

Here is where you draw the border between north and south, as it passes through the DC region. 15 years ago this was a rock solid border. As rock solid as any cultural border anywhere in the US. Today it's a little more fuzzy, as DC's northernness has creeped into Fairfax County.

[Minato Ku]

Washington DC did not feel like the other big southern cities that I have visited during my recent trip but it was also quite different of the other big northern cities.
Downtown DC is pedestrian friendly, it is quite different of Houston or Atlanta but it is dominated by modern building in a way that the other big cities in the north are not, there are very few pre-WWII buildings in Downtown DC.

Anyway, I think that the gap between New York City and Washington DC is smaller than the gap between Washington DC and Atlanta.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

Washington DC did not feel like the other big southern cities that I have visited during my recent trip but it was also quite different of the other big northern cities.
Downtown DC is pedestrian friendly, it is quite different of Houston or Atlanta but it is dominated by modern building in a way that the other big cities in the north are not, there are very few pre-WWII buildings in Downtown DC.

Anyway, I think that the gap between New York City and Washington DC is smaller than the gap between Washington DC and Atlanta.

Yeah, that's because th idiots bulldozed all the beautiful buildings downtown for corporate junk in the mid to late 20th century. It used to be all old buildings. However, Boston is full of ugly towers downtown and lost much of its older stock too, yet retains more nice older buildings than dc. The best old buildings in DC are all around downtown, just outside.

DC downtown is not pedestrian friendly. Why, may you ask? Because why would you want to walk there anyway.? It's dull. I live here and don't have much incentive to walk around downtown at all. Houston probably has more variety on the street than DC.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by RCDC

Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.

Seriously, it's perhaps both, but perhaps neither.

On the charm factor, the downtown certainly doesn't have northern charm. Most of the best older buildings were destroyed by corporate/government interests.

[chris08876]

Feels like a Northern City. When I'm down South, I know I'm down South, but D.C. feels like I barely left NJ. None of our cities in NJ compare to D.C.'s greatness, but being so close to NYC, it has a mini-NYC vibe going. Busy, congested, noisy, beautiful architecture, melting pot, center of power, and fine woman.

I guess one could say mid-Atlantic, but this region often gets ignored, and most usually think North or South. Culturally, the city has Southern roots in some of its neighborhoods, but the whole place feels Northern IMO through its fast paced lifestyle.

I'm guessing transplants have added to its Northern appeal?

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Feels like a Northern City. When I'm down South, I know I'm down South, but D.C. feels like I barely left NJ. None of our cities in NJ compare to D.C.'s greatness, but being so close to NYC, it has a mini-NYC vibe going. Busy, congested, noisy, beautiful architecture, center of power, and fine woman.

I guess one could say mid-Atlantic, but this region often gets ignored, and most usually think North or South. Culturally, the city has Southern roots in some of its neighborhoods, but the whole place feels Northern IMO.

DC is hardly great. I live here and I know what a great city is, it's not here. Why do I not give a crap about the city center if DC is such a great city? Most streets are miles of corporate blandness with lousy retail. The best parts of DC are outside of downtown.

As for northern/southern, no idea. It's just DC to me, a kind of melange of America. It doesn't feel northern. More like a mix of mid-west blandness with a dull European city.

[chris08876]

See aquablue, you just started the post that will lead to this threads demise. Just like the same post that I said would lead to the demise of the Chicago is Cool thread.



Its a good question though about culture. This is not about how DC sucks.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by chris08876

See aquablue, you just started the post that will lead to this threads demise. Just like the same post that I said would lead to the demise of the Chicago is Cool thread.



Its a good question though about culture. This is not about how DC sucks.

Don't know what yer talking about man. I'm expressing my opinions about my town. DC doesn't suck at all, but it's downtown is not great.

[chris08876]

Yeah but you know how people are. I could care less, but some will go apeshit if you mention anything negative about a city.

Interesting. Never thought of Midwestern vibe. Midwestern is tricky because I don't really know what a mid western vibe is like. I've been to Chicago and it felt pretty Northern to me. To me, its either fast paced or laid back. I usually associate fast paced with the North.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Yeah but you know how people are. I could care less, but some will go apeshit if you mention anything negative about a city.

Peeps in Dc are well aware that the downtown needs Some change. Anyway, I'll say that I think Dc is not south, but some of the VA suburbs are. More north/Midwest than south.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Yeah but you know how people are. I could care less, but some will go apeshit if you mention anything negative about a city.





Interesting. Never thought of Midwestern vibe. Midwestern is tricky because I don't really know what a mid western vibe is like. I've been to Chicago and it felt pretty Northern to me. To me, its either fast paced or laid back. I usually associate fast paced with the North.

Chicago is both "northern" and "Midwestern". And "Great Lakes". It's just a huge cosmopolitan/ global Midwestern city. When most people think "Midwest" they think Muncie, IN.

[Reverberation]

D.C has all of the arrogance of the northeast coupled with the fakeness of the south plus the corruption of power. I would say it is both.