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The East Coast, Midwest, and South are all relatively similar to each other, while the West is a complete outlier and parts of it have more in common with Canada than the rest of the U.S. It's very isolated from the rest of the country.
I definitely don't agree with this. For me California and Texas feel reasonably similar, whereas the east coast feels like a different country.
IMO the northeast is the outlier region, primarily because of the population density and age of the cities.
If I were to break the lower 48 states into N contiguous regions based only on cultural similarities, and with the rule that I can't draw the line at urban/rural areas, this is how I would do it:
2: Mexican border areas + everything else
3: Border areas + South (excluding most of Florida and Texas and northern Virginia) + everything else
4: Border areas + South + Northeast + everything else
5: Border areas + South + Northeast + Utah + everything else
6: Border areas + South + Northeast + Utah + Midwest (including eastern Montana) + everything else
7: Border areas + Deep South + Appalachia + Northeast + Utah + Midwest + everything else
8: Border areas + Deep South + Appalachia + Northeast + Utah + Midwest + California (excluding everything north of Sacramento and east of the Central Valley, but including bands leading to Reno and Las Vegas) + everything else
9: Border areas + Deep South + Appalachia + Northeast + Utah + Upper Midwest + lower Midwest + California + everything else
10: Border areas + Deep South + Appalachia + Northeast + Utah + Upper Midwest + lower Midwest + California + PNW (only west of the Cascades, and excluding everything south of Eugene) + everything else
So, to me, it's only when you get to a fairly fine level of detail that the West Coast stands out culturally from the rest of the country, when you control for rural vs. urban areas.
I definitely don't agree with this. For me California and Texas feel reasonably similar, whereas the east coast feels like a different country.
IMO the northeast is the outlier region, primarily because of the population density and age of the cities.
Dallas feels a lot more like Atlanta to me than it does LA.
Keep in mind that Atlanta, while inland, is in a East Coast state.
In fact, I'd even go so far to say that Dallas feels more like Toronto than Dallas feels like Los Angeles. Toronto and Dallas are both clean and neat, unlike Los Angeles.
And San Francisco actually does feel like an East Coast City in terms of how dense it is, how much pedestrians there are. Not climatically, though.
New Orleans reminds me far more of Montreal and DC than it does Los Angeles or Oakland or Sacramento.
It's the West that's the outlier. In Canada as well as the US. That's why Western Alienation is a big thing in Canada.
Look at a nighttime satellite image of the US. Staring from Dallas all the way to NYC you have an unbroken, dense web of cities. West of Dallas, cities are much more isolated from each other and few.and far between. That isolated area is the West. The West developed it's own culture because it was the farthest away from DC, and the most mountainous, remote region.
But I get what you're saying, West Texas, as in El Paso, Midland Odessa, and the Panhandle are not too different from Inland California. But Dallas? Much more similar to Atlanta than LA.
Dallas feels more like Atlanta to me than it does LA.
Keep in mind that Atlanta, while inland, is in a East Coast state.
In fact, I'd even go so far to say that Dallas feels more like Toronto than Dallas feels like Los Angeles.
And San Francisco actually does feel like an East Coast City in terms of how dense it is, how much pedestrians there are. Not climatically, though.
Well, when I hear "east coast" I'm not thinking Atlanta. Atlanta is in the south. I'd say Atlanta, Dallas, and LA are all similar compared to the cities on the eastern seaboard.
San Francisco proper is the most east coast-like western city, but it's really quite small. Most of the SF Bay Area is really not much different than DFW. (It's basically DFW with better scenery, weather, and a bit more tax money into public beautification.)
NYC is far more exotic to me than anything on the west coast, and even Boston I would say feels quite a bit less similar to what I am used to in Austin than does California.
Well, when I hear "east coast" I'm not thinking Atlanta. Atlanta is in the south. I'd say Atlanta, Dallas, and LA are all similar compared to the cities on the eastern seaboard.
San Francisco proper is the most east coast-like western city, but it's really quite small. Most of the SF Bay Area is really not much different than DFW. (It's basically DFW with better scenery, weather, and a bit more tax money into public beautification.)
NYC is far more exotic to me than anything on the west coast, and even Boston I would say feels quite a bit less similar to what I am used to in Austin than does California.
People have made many comparisons between Atlanta and DC. So Atlanta may not be on the coast, but it's definitely more DC, more East Coast than it is like SoCal, movie production aside.
The East Coast isn't just the Northeast. Savannah, Charleston, Miami, etc are on the East Coast.
And no, suburban Bay Area is nothing like suburban DFW. Suburban DFW is more like suburban Greater Toronto. Suburban Bay Area simply has no high rise developments like The Legacy, Frisco Station, or Downtown Mississauga. Greater Toronto and DFW are both humid in the summer, are on flat terrain, and have grid street layouts. Both are far cheaper than the suburban Bay Area. And Collin, Tarrant, Denton counties are more conservative than any Bay Area county.
Bay Area suburbs have wide streets with stucco houses, while Toronto and DFW suburban subdivisions have narrow streets with houses with a lot of brick. Both Toronto and DFW areas have mostly deciduous trees and greener summer landscapes compared to the Live Oak Savannahs of East Bay suburbs that are very dry come summer.
In California, even in the big cities, you'll meet people who have never been outside of California. That's how isolated the state is.
I have met several Californians who have bragged about how little they have traveled based on the reason that, "California has the best X, the best Y, the best Z... Why would I want to go anywhere else?"
California does have a lot of amazing places, I kind of get it, but the idea that no other place is worth visiting is so... sad.
I have met several Californians who have bragged about how little they have traveled based on the reason that, "California has the best X, the best Y, the best Z... Why would I want to go anywhere else?"
California does have a lot of amazing places, I kind of get it, but the idea that no other place is worth visiting is so... sad.
The stereotype is that it's Texans who often have never left the state and think their state is the best. But in my experience, that stereotype actually applies better to Californians.
Californians do travel a lot, to be sure, but mostly abroad and to other neighboring states. Very seldom East of the Rockies. Texans don't travel as much internationally but actually go to the West, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast a lot.
Seems like most Texans who have never been out of state would be from some small West Texas town. In California you'll meet people in the big cities who have never been out of state. That's a big difference.
The stereotype is that it's Texans who often have never left the state and think their state is the best. But in my experience, that stereotype actually applies better to Californians.
Californians do travel a lot, to be sure, but mostly abroad and to other neighboring states. Very seldom East of the Rockies. Texans don't travel as much internationally but actually go to the West, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast a lot.
Seems like most Texans who have never been out of state would be from some small West Texas town. In California you'll meet people in the big cities who have never been out of state. That's a big difference.
He used to live in California. Hated it because of the COL and the fact that sometimes the summer nights were cool. Moved to the cheapest place in the US (Oklahoma) and has been railing against California throughout his tenure here.
There are a lot of Texans who have never left the state. Jester doesn't even live in Texas, so Idk where he's getting this information. He lives in Oklahoma and is a southerner at heart.
If we're gonna chat about state arrogance, I'm well traveled, and I've never seen a bumper stickers like "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here quick enough." Very common in Texas, have not seen anything similar in other states.
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