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I've been reading through this thread and it does seem that you confuse a lot of the Midwest with the South
Well let's see, I have lived in many "Midwest" states including: Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, and Missouri, so I would say Kentucky is the most southern and least Midwestern overall. Kentucky and West Virginia are the most Appalachian influenced states culturally overall, though.
The northern tier of the state is more Midwest than south. KY has no resemblance at all to the deep south. Its southern influence is more akin to Virginia or Missouri.
The northern tier of the state is more Midwest than south. KY has no resemblance at all to the deep south. Its southern influence is more akin to Virginia or Missouri.
I agree with you. I have always felt most of Kentucky had a strong Southern influence but wasn't part of the Deep South. If a person were identifying the state based on the region of Louisville to Northern Kentucky they would swear it is part of the Industrial Midwest, but if a person bases the regional identity of Kentucky anyplace south of that corridor they would swear it was Southern. The Western portion of the state is the hardest to pigeonhole and doesn't really have strong cultural ties to the rest of Kentucky, most likely because until the Western Kentucky Parkway was built they were virtually cut off from the rest of the state, combined with easier access to large cities in Missouri. Of all the states, Kentucky suffered the most from leftover fallout of Civil War "brother against brother" animosity. It still today plays a large part of the significant cultural differences between its two largest cities, Lexington and Louisville, even though they are not that far apart physically.
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The northern tier of the state is more Midwest than south. KY has no resemblance at all to the deep south. Its southern influence is more akin to Virginia or Missouri.
Missouri is at best 25% Southern influenced. Would say the inverse for Kentucky.
Louisville is the most Midwest influenced CITY but Northern Kentucky is by FAR the actual Midwestern REGION of the state. Louisville people sometimes think they are Midwest whereas it's extremely likely that most NKY people identify with Midwest. Louisville is like 35% Midwest influenced especially its South End with its lack of that old money preppy culture and its blue collar/large industrial corridor that resembles the Rust Belt. The South End of Louisville looks a lot like Midwest suburbia. The further east you go in Louisville the more Southern it gets culturally. Really the only non Southern identifying region is within 264 and even then it is a toss up. Outside of 264 most identify with the South.
Northern Kentucky as in the Cincy metro is almost 100% Midwestern. Maybe 90%. Funny how Louisville likes to think it is the only Midwest influenced region of the state when NKY truly is a extension of the Midwest because it borders an actual culturally Midwest city unlike Southern Indiana that is culturally Southern.
Last edited by EddieOlSkool; 08-29-2016 at 09:04 AM..
When determining if Kentucky is a part of the South or the Midwest, one has to consider their perspective. Clearly, Kentucky is not the Deep South, but neither is Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia. Kentucky, from my perspective is a part of the South, the Upland South to be more specific. In many ways, Kentucky is very similar to Tennessee (accent, similar sized cities Lexington: Knoxville, Louisville: Nashville, and similar topography and climate. I can see the point that some are making about it being a part of the Midwest, as there are some slight influences, but these influences certainly do not make Kentucky a part of the Midwest at all. The Midwest is just too different culturally, linguistically and geographically for Kentucky to be the midwest.
I am originally from Northeast Ohio, and many folks there would NEVER consider Kentucky to be the Midwest, sometimes we didn't even view ourselves as Midwestern. I always felt like Cleveland and points east belonged in their own region or the Northeast, as that area is very different than say Toledo, OH; Omaha, NE or Kansas City. Northeast Ohio was settled by the Western Reserve of Connecticut and the way towns were setup are very similar to New England towns. The way of life is more akin to the interior northeast than the Midwest.
To northeast Ohioans, Kentucky and to some extent Southern Ohio were referred to as "Southern", no doubt. I had a lot of friends make fun of me when I told them I was moving to Kentucky, with jokes about people without teeth, no running water, the Klan, etc. and all kinds of negative stereotypes often associated with the South. (wasn't right of them and they showed their own ignorance to make fun of an entire state they knew nothing about). J
But back to the topic, Kentucky is Southern except for maybe NKY, which I lived in for the last year before moving to Louisville. NKY is just so connected to Cincinnati, that it does at time feel midwestern. Lexington is 100% southern in my mind. Louisville is 88% southern, if I had to throw out a number. Being on the Ohio River, Louisville has a bit of a midwestern influence, but very little in my opinion. Heck, Louisville is only about 2.5-3 hours from Nashville.
When determining if Kentucky is a part of the South or the Midwest, one has to consider their perspective. Clearly, Kentucky is not the Deep South, but neither is Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia. Kentucky, from my perspective is a part of the South, the Upland South to be more specific. In many ways, Kentucky is very similar to Tennessee (accent, similar sized cities Lexington: Knoxville, Louisville: Nashville, and similar topography and climate. I can see the point that some are making about it being a part of the Midwest, as there are some slight influences, but these influences certainly do not make Kentucky a part of the Midwest at all. The Midwest is just too different culturally, linguistically and geographically for Kentucky to be the midwest.
I am originally from Northeast Ohio, and many folks there would NEVER consider Kentucky to be the Midwest, sometimes we didn't even view ourselves as Midwestern. I always felt like Cleveland and points east belonged in their own region or the Northeast, as that area is very different than say Toledo, OH; Omaha, NE or Kansas City. Northeast Ohio was settled by the Western Reserve of Connecticut and the way towns were setup are very similar to New England towns. The way of life is more akin to the interior northeast than the Midwest.
To northeast Ohioans, Kentucky and to some extent Southern Ohio were referred to as "Southern", no doubt. I had a lot of friends make fun of me when I told them I was moving to Kentucky, with jokes about people without teeth, no running water, the Klan, etc. and all kinds of negative stereotypes often associated with the South. (wasn't right of them and they showed their own ignorance to make fun of an entire state they knew nothing about). J
But back to the topic, Kentucky is Southern except for maybe NKY, which I lived in for the last year before moving to Louisville. NKY is just so connected to Cincinnati, that it does at time feel midwestern. Lexington is 100% southern in my mind. Louisville is 88% southern, if I had to throw out a number. Being on the Ohio River, Louisville has a bit of a midwestern influence, but very little in my opinion. Heck, Louisville is only about 2.5-3 hours from Nashville.
This post is pretty much the best description I have read. The only "true" Midwest part of Kentucky is its northernmost tip. But south to Lexington and it gets Southern quickly. But NKY is isolated from the state really.
Louisville likes to forget that NKY exists. Funny cuz no one from the Cincy metro considers Louisville a Midwestern sister city. Louisville thinks it's like Cincinnati but Cincinnati doesn't share that sentiment.
I grew up in Madisonville and have relatives in the Louisville area -- western Kentucky is very southern Louisville I would say certainly more southern than midwestern..... the accents are southern for sure. But as others pointed out it does change the closer you get to Cincinnati. As I have lived up north for many years now I can hear southern talk once you go anywhere south of I-70. Always going to and from home on I-57 through Effingham IL where I-70 meet it changes fast from Champaign to there. Evansville and thru southern Indiana southern influence...
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