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when i went to the navy i met a lot of people from the midwest all of which whom were extreamly friendly. I know that northeaster people are not know from being friendly but midwestern people did remind me of a more laid back verision of my people to the east, especially ones from chicago, detroit, and cleveland. My take on it is that they aremore friendly and laid back however they will speak there mind like a northeaster...basically we all dont bs and not saying western people arnt the same its just that i found them to be a tad bit superficial..idk can anyone relate?
Dude have you ever even been to Missouri? I know people from Chicago often think cities as close as St. Louis and Cincinnati are part of the Deep South in comparison to "N. Illinois", but this is ridiculous.
1) Most of Illinois and Missouri (exempting the extreme southern regions of both states) share a Dfa - Humid Continental Climate (Hot Humid Summers, Cold Brutal Winters)
2) Seeing that the climates are virtually the same, the "flora" and fauna of both states are virtually the same, sure you will have certain animals and plants that grow in one state and not the other but whatever grows in Missouri can surely grow in Illinois (vice-versa). I've never seen cactus in St. Louis, but wouldn't doubt seeing them in the far Southwest corner near Oklahoma, but definitely not common here.
3) The comment about Scorpions and Tarantulas just shows your lack of knowledge about Fauna. Variations of both species can be found on every continent in every climate (except arctic of course). I'm sure there are tarantulas species native to Chicagoland that you don't even know about, because you don't see them in the city. Never seen anything bigger than a wolf spider in Metro St. Louis.
4) Cowboy ranches? Maybe in SW Missouri near Oklahoma? I know Jesse James is native to Missouri, but back then Missouri was considered the Wild West (I'm sure they had "cowboys" in Illinois back then too). Does anyone from Kansas City no about the Cowboys? Seems like a Western Missouri thing.
Actually on the climate it is a little more complicated than that. There is desagreement on what the boundary between continental and subtropical climate it. It is either an average temperature in the coldest month of eith 0C or -3C (which is persistant snow line) If it is the later the zone line is pushed 100 or so miles North to a bit North of St. Louis. That and the issue of using 30 year averages now with the cold years of the 70's and early 80's mostly falling out that timeframe making the averages rise.
One problem is what the definition of Midwest is. Another is that certain areas are more East Coast feel than West Coast feel, though I think for many areas it more resembles the South than either coast.
In terms of Missouri it is hard to tell with either coast. The only area that resembles either is St. Louis with the East Coast (and only the city and inner suburbs). The Western parts of the state resembles the Interior West. (though this brings up the issue of are the Great Plains part of the Midwest to start) Of any non-Midwest area Missouri would resemble the South more than either coast. (though Missouri is a bit of a Midwest outlier to start with)
4) Cowboy ranches? Maybe in SW Missouri near Oklahoma? I know Jesse James is native to Missouri, but back then Missouri was considered the Wild West (I'm sure they had "cowboys" in Illinois back then too). Does anyone from Kansas City no about the Cowboys? Seems like a Western Missouri thing.
KC is not really western in that way at all. It's nothing like OKC or Fort Worth or even Dallas or Houston for that matter. Western culture just doesn't seem to exist in KC anymore despite the town's very extensive western heritage.
KC is very much like a small version of Chicago as far as the general culture of the town. And Chicago is a very large typical Midwestern town. It’s just an overgrown one.
And for the 1000th time, Missouri is not southern. The rural counties in the far southern parts of the state may pass as somewhat southern, but most of the state, especially the populated areas, are not southern in the least.
As far as the original question.
I find it silly. The Midwest is just too diverse. You can find east coast and west coast characteristics in every city in the midwest. KC for example has a very east coast core, but the suburban metro area is more west coast. Cities like St Louis and Milwaukee are even more defined by their urban east coast cores. But they too are surrounded by sprawling suburbs and the suburbs of the Midwest are MUCH nicer than the suburbs of the bigger east coast cities.
There are a lot of cities in the midwest in all kinds of terrain, topography, street layouts, densities, housing stock architecture etc. I find the Midwest quite diverse.
I also find it silly how these east coast people are comparing their big cities to the rural midwest. Isn't that comparing apples to oranges? The rural east coast is just about the same as the rural midwest and from what I have seen, the rural areas of the east coast are far more hick and hillbilly than most rural midwest areas which I don't quite understand.
Also, quit even trying to compare the mountains of the east coast to the rockies. That is simply ridiculous. There are some nice mountain ranges out east, but they don't even begin to compare to the rockies, no matter what stats you dig up.
Most of the industrial Great Lakes cities seem more like the east coast but Minneapolis and Madison are more like the northwest. The rural areas and smaller cities are like neither. There is a lot of variety in the Midwest so it is hard to sum up in a simple comparison.
KC is not really western in that way at all. It's nothing like OKC or Fort Worth or even Dallas or Houston for that matter. Western culture just doesn't seem to exist in KC anymore despite the town's very extensive western heritage.
KC is very much like a small version of Chicago as far as the general culture of the town. And Chicago is a very large typical Midwestern town. It’s just an overgrown one.
And for the 1000th time, Missouri is not southern. The rural counties in the far southern parts of the state may pass as somewhat southern, but most of the state, especially the populated areas, are not southern in the least.
As far as the original question.
I find it silly. The Midwest is just too diverse. You can find east coast and west coast characteristics in every city in the midwest. KC for example has a very east coast core, but the suburban metro area is more west coast. Cities like St Louis and Milwaukee are even more defined by their urban east coast cores. But they too are surrounded by sprawling suburbs and the suburbs of the Midwest are MUCH nicer than the suburbs of the bigger east coast cities.
There are a lot of cities in the midwest in all kinds of terrain, topography, street layouts, densities, housing stock architecture etc. I find the Midwest quite diverse.
I also find it silly how these east coast people are comparing their big cities to the rural midwest. Isn't that comparing apples to oranges? The rural east coast is just about the same as the rural midwest and from what I have seen, the rural areas of the east coast are far more hick and hillbilly than most rural midwest areas which I don't quite understand.
Also, quit even trying to compare the mountains of the east coast to the rockies. That is simply ridiculous. There are some nice mountain ranges out east, but they don't even begin to compare to the rockies, no matter what stats you dig up.
Well, I am going to compare them. The Rockies and other western mountains obviously have the height and elevation on them, everything is big out west, but the Appalachians are, for the most part, much greener, with few barren spots, and much lusher (I could include the Ozarks and Ouachitas in with Appalachians on what I just wrote). Spring is much prettier in Appalachians/Ozarks, etc., with redbuds, sarvis, dogwoods, mountain laurels, rhododendrens, and many other flowering plants, and weather is usually better, spring (until late spring) is largely mud season out west, and the fall colors in East largely beat out west, with wide varieties of trees and leaf color, etc., though aspens in Colorado or Montana in fall sure are pretty. Summer and winter are when the western mountains beat the east, with large-scale winter recreation (for those that like that sort of thing) and summers are gorgeous out west, low humidity and bright sunshine and (usually) somewhat lower temperatures than back east. Another thing about Appalachians, they are easier to get to by more people (both advantage and disadvantage) and are "managable". Eastern mountains are likely to have hardwood trees and mountain laurels, western mountains more likely to have Ponderosa Pines, Fir trees, and sagebrush.
The West and East Coasts have more in common with eachother than anything, but I'd generally go with what several posters have said here; that the tier from ND to KS is more Western and the remainder is more Eastern, as a broad generalization.
For a more detailed analysis, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, most of urban OH would fit with NYC, Boston, Philly far easier than SF, LA, Seattle. Minneapolis and Des Moines seem kind of like a more traditional Pacific Northwest. I don't even know where to begin with a more rural comparison.
Something that has always puzzled me... How are Ohio and North Dakota both lumped as "Midwestern" states, those 2 sure don't look or seem like anything remotely similar to each other. Yes, Virginia and Louisiana are far apart, but is easy to see how they are both "Southern", but Ohio and N.D. "Midwestern"? Most people I have ever met from Ohio don't even use the term "Midwest".
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