is NoVA where the North ends? (Richmond, Lynchburg: transplants, how much, college)

[Flux96]

I am conflicted. I used to think NC is the border between northern and southern culture. But nowadays I'm confused. is NOVA the fine line between the south and north?? in 2023??

[stealheadrun23]

I've lived out West my entire life but have recently been toying with the idea of moving to the Southeast. I've never heard anyone describe North Carolina as anything other than a Southern state, including the perspective of a friend who grew up in the NC Piedmont (we're both in our 20's, not sure how much that influences the perspective). I have heard NOVA described as being very non-Southern.

[reebo]

Isn’t the Mason-Dixon Line between Maryland and Pennsylvania traditionally considered the border between North and South?

Culturally, I’d say the line is south of Nova, say south of Gainesville. As my college roommate from Lynchburg said, “Y’all from Northern Virginia aren’t really Virginia being so liberal.”

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by Flux96

I am conflicted. I used to think NC is the border between northern and southern culture. But nowadays I'm confused. is NOVA the fine line between the south and north?? in 2023??

I don’t think there’s a line per se and if so, it’s definitely not a straight line.

The majority of VA is southern but you can’t definitively say everything south of NoVA because Winchester has southern culture but is geographically north of the metro region.

[oneasterisk]

Define Southern culture and Northern culture?

[webster]

There is a saying: "Below the James lies Dixie."

[mikeyo321]

No hard and fast rules on any of this. It's more an urban/suburban/rural divide than a regional divide now. You can go to some of the nice Richmond suburbs like Short Pump and Tuckahoe filled with transplants from Northern Virginia and around the country and forget you're in the south and you can also go to rural Eastern Shore Maryland or anywhere in Delaware south of New Castle County and away from the beaches and feel like you're VERY much in the South. Loudoun County used to be Southern Gentry Piedmont South, now it's tech bros east of Route 15. It's always changing and evolving.

[Aavamphibs]

Once you cross the river into Virginia you are definitely in Southern territory. Mason Dixon line was made to settle a land dispute. It's below the Mason Dixon line status has been twisted around into being a demarcation line to where the South begins. Not helping the fact that Maryland held on to slaves. But the big elephant in the room for the case of Maryland being a Southern state is...MARYLAND REMAINED IN THE UNION regardless of by will or by force it doesn't matter. And 75% plus fought for the Union Army.

[Aavamphibs]

Originally Posted by reebo

Isn’t the Mason-Dixon Line between Maryland and Pennsylvania traditionally considered the border between North and South?

Culturally, I’d say the line is south of Nova, say south of Gainesville. As my college roommate from Lynchburg said, “Y’all from Northern Virginia aren’t really Virginia being so liberal.”

I say NOVA, which is across the Potomac is definitively a confederate state. Virginia succeeded from the union and they took away their portion of land given to create Washington DC. DC exist because of Maryland. There is a difference between Marylands DC suburbs to the north and NOVA suburbs to the south of the Potomac. You can just feel it.

[ersatz]

Originally Posted by Aavamphibs

I say NOVA, which is across the Potomac is definitively a confederate state. Virginia succeeded from the union and they took away their portion of land given to create Washington DC. DC exist because of Maryland. There is a difference between Marylands DC suburbs to the north and NOVA suburbs to the south of the Potomac. You can just feel it.

For sure. NOVA is filled with a lot more Yankees!