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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: thenetwork on August 27, 2017, 10:06:08 PM

Title: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thenetwork on August 27, 2017, 10:06:08 PM
Looking at a national or regional map, most people (myself included) will refer to areas of a state by cardinal direction (Northern Illinois, Southeastern Michigan,...) or by a specific region (Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest,...) which covers a broad portion of a state or region. Most people would label my area of the country as Western Colorado. 

In a lot of these areas, the locals will call their part of the state by a more specific name that describes their area, but most outsiders won't know it by that. 

For Example:

AREA:                   OUTSIDERS CALL IT:             LOCALS CALL IT:


Cincinnati, OH        SW Ohio                               The Tri State
Cleveland, OH        NE Ohio                                The North Coast
Chicago, IL            Northern / Northeast IL          Chicagoland
Cortez/Durango     SW Colorado                          The Four Corners Region
Grand Jct, CO        Western CO                           The Western Slope
Los Angeles           Southern California                 The Southland

What do you and your local area residents call your part of the state that might not otherwise be well known to visitors / outsiders?
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: freebrickproductions on August 27, 2017, 10:11:29 PM
Area: The counties that border the Tennessee River
Outsiders Call It: Alabama/Northern Alabama
Locals Call It: The Tennessee Valley

Area: The Florence/Muscle Shoals/Sheffield/Tuscumbia, AL area
Outsiders Call It: NW Alabama
Locals Call It: The Shoals.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: theline on August 27, 2017, 10:21:18 PM
Extreme north central Indiana (South Bend, Elkhart, etc.) and extreme southwest lower Michigan (Niles, St. Joseph, Cassopolis, etc.) is called Michiana by locals.

Northwestern Indiana, basically Lake and Porter counties, is called the Calumet Region for the Calumet River. That is most often shortened to The Region by residents of the area. Denizens of The Region are not always kindly referred to as Region Rats.

The Region plus the adjacent part of Illinois is referred to as Illiana.

And of course the greater Chicago metro area is called Chicagoland.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on August 27, 2017, 10:42:51 PM
I live in the Augusta, Maine area, I'm not sure if outsiders have a name for it but it's locally called "Central Maine" (despite not really being central within the state).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: 7/8 on August 27, 2017, 10:46:18 PM
For Kitchener-Waterloo, locals would call it KW. If Cambridge is included, then locals will say "the tri-city area". I'm guessing outsiders would probably say Waterloo Region.

Cambridge was formed in 1973 by amalgamating Galt, Preston, Hespeler, and Blair. Locals still refer to the old town names, while outsiders only refer to "Cambridge".

For the Toronto metro area, locals call it the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). I'm guessing outsiders would just call the whole area "Toronto".

I feel like I have to post this... :)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fd2QCbvS.jpg&hash=0fcc6a5b1ec78035b439a04622a8092853a98756)
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Flint1979 on August 27, 2017, 10:49:35 PM
Mid-Michigan pretty much is what locals call it. An outsider would probably call it Central Michigan most likely. Locals call Saginaw, Midland and Bay City the Tri-Cities.

The Detroit area is a mix of Metro Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sparker on August 28, 2017, 02:04:01 AM
Most San Jose locals seem to be too self-effacing to call themselves anything; the most common term -- heard most often on news broadcasts, San Jose based or not, is "the South Bay", which takes in pretty much everything from Sunnyvale southeast to the farthest south outreaches of San Jose (and some even include Morgan Hill and Gilroy). 

Outsiders tend to refer to it as either San Jose itself or, occasionally, the now-ancient monicker "Silicon Valley" (go down to L.A. and listen to a news broadcast -- and if the area is mentioned, the SV term often is applied).  Use the term colloquially up here in conversation, and the response will either be rolling eyes or a grimace!
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on August 28, 2017, 02:51:19 AM
Quote from: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley

You'll occasionally hear the "Connecticut River Valley" used to refer to the Lebanon, NH/White River Junction, VT area as well. The preferred term locally is "Upper Valley."
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: epzik8 on August 28, 2017, 04:56:22 AM
Harford County, Maryland is part of the Baltimore Metro Area, or Northeast Maryland.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: hotdogPi on August 28, 2017, 06:42:57 AM
I live in the Merrimack Valley, and I would live in the North Shore if I was closer to the ocean. Outsiders would probably call this whole area Northeastern Massachusetts, which is a larger area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
I don't think anyone refers to Springfield as "southeastern MA."

Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: LM117 on August 28, 2017, 07:49:59 AM
Southside VA here or on a lesser scale, the Dan River region. When I was growing up in eastern NC, it was usually referred to as "eastern Carolina", sans "North".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: froggie on August 28, 2017, 08:09:48 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on August 28, 2017, 02:51:19 AM
Quote from: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley

You'll occasionally hear the "Connecticut River Valley" used to refer to the Lebanon, NH/White River Junction, VT area as well. The preferred term locally is "Upper Valley."

Keeping in mind that "the Upper Valley" extends pretty much the entire length of the VT/NH border.

A few more:

- The "Northeast Kingdom" of Vermont, where I live, is both a common name for the region and is actually codified in state law as encompassing Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties.

- The "Champlain Valley" in Vermont refers to the area between Lake Champlain and the spine of the Green Mountains, including Burlington.  I do not know if the term is also used on the New York side of the lake, or how far it would extend there.

- Several local terms for the Hampton Roads, VA area.  "Tidewater" is an occasionally heard term.  Going into more detail, there's "the Peninsula" (Hampton, Newport News, and other locales north of the James River), and "Southside", which is everything south of the James River (i.e. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk).

- In Minnesota, both "the 'Cities" and "the Metro" refer to the Twin Cities metropolitan area.  Everything else in Minnesota is "Outstate".

- Also in Minnesota, there's "the Arrowhead Region" generally covering St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties (effectively everything east of US 53).  "Bluff Country" refers to the bluffs in southeastern Minnesota, generally east and southeast of Rochester.  "The Iron Range" is a stretch of northeastern Minnesota best known for iron ore and taconite mining, generally running from Crosby to Grand Rapids to Ely and southeast to Lake Superior, but with a modern-day focus on the Hibbing/Virginia/Eveleth area.

- Lastly, in local/advertising/food industry folklore, the "Valley of the Jolly Green Giant" primarily refers to the Minnesota River Valley in the vicinity of Le Sueur, MN.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Henry on August 28, 2017, 09:50:23 AM
I have a few more examples:
*New York City is part of the Tri-State area, when you factor in NJ and CT.
*Washington, DC is part of the DMV, for DC-MD-VA.
*Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are part of Western PA and Eastern PA, respectively, with South added to better reflect their actual locations in the state.
*San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose are all part of the Bay Area.
*Seattle is part of the Sea-Tac area, which of course also includes Tacoma.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: froggie on August 28, 2017, 10:00:20 AM
Quote*Washington, DC is part of the DMV, for DC-MD-VA.

As a recent former resident, I'll mention that this one is not used often.   A lot of people scorn its use for the region in no small part because of the "lackluster" reputation that the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: SP Cook on August 28, 2017, 10:20:10 AM
West Virginia has no truly well defined regions.  In my area, the areas more focused on the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton region is "the Tri-State", while the area more focused on Charleston is "the Kanawha Valley", with the understanding that that means only the immediate Charleston area and not the geographical entire valley.  There is not really universal name for two combined.  They have tried to use "the Advantage Valley" but that is just some marketing deal, nobody really says that.  Northern West Virginians say "southern WV" to include Huntington and Charleston, but people here would not consider this southern WV, but rather that is the coal producing area further south.  TV weathermen will generally divide the market into "the Tri-State", "the Kanawha Valley", "the Kentucky Coalfields", "the WV Coalfields" and "southern Ohio". 

As to the rest of the state, people around Parkersburg say "Mid-Ohio Valley" for both sides of the river, which is only true if you are only talking about WV.  Nobody non-local would say that.   The norhern panhandle is the most universal term in the state, of course.  Southern WV is usually divided as "the coalfield" meaning the SW, and "the Greenbrier valley" (which is bigger than the geographic Greenbrier valley") meaning the SE.  People in Bluefield say "the two Virginias" for their area.  The eastern panhandle generally divides into "the Potomac Highlands" and the 3 prosperous DC centered counties, which can sometimes be "the eastern panhandle" by theirselves, excluding the Potomac Highlands.   North Central WV is usually just that "north central WV" of "Fairmont-Clarksburg-Morgantown" (always in that order which is not correct geographically or populationally). 
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bzakharin on August 28, 2017, 10:59:03 AM
"Delaware Valley", "Greater Philadelphia", "The Tristate", "Exit 4". Take your pick. "South Jersey" usually by northerners. The further south you live the further south the dividing line(s) tend to be. If you're from Philly, it's easily just "New Jersey" because they don't care about any parts of NJ that aren't part of their region unless it's "down the shore" (which is where I work).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Ian on August 28, 2017, 11:34:47 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on August 27, 2017, 10:42:51 PM
I live in the Augusta, Maine area, I'm not sure if outsiders have a name for it but it's locally called "Central Maine" (despite not really being central within the state).

Similarly, I've heard of Bangor being part of "Eastern Maine" (both the Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Eastern Maine Community College are located here). Geographically, it's more toward the center of the state, but I can see how it makes sense. There aren't many towns east of here...
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Takumi on August 28, 2017, 11:41:52 AM
Central Virginia, southside Richmond, greater Richmond, or Tri-Cities.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 28, 2017, 02:17:43 PM
Quote from: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley

Locals also refer to your area more specifically as The Quiet Corner. 

More broadly, the term Southern New England is often used.  There is a battle between CT and RI as to who claims that title

Locals also use the Farmington Valley, Greater Hartford, or Midstate region for my area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: JJBers on August 28, 2017, 02:20:20 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 28, 2017, 02:17:43 PM
Quote from: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley

Locals also refer to your area more specifically as The Quiet Corner. 

More broadly, the term Southern New England is often used.  There is a battle between CT and RI as to who claims that title

Locals also use the Farmington Valley, Greater Hartford, or Midstate region for my area.
I call the area Hartford suburbs.
Also locals mostly call this area Willimantic area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on August 28, 2017, 02:32:43 PM
Quote from: froggie on August 28, 2017, 08:09:48 AM
- Also in Minnesota, there's "the Arrowhead Region" generally covering St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties (effectively everything east of US 53). "The Iron Range" is a stretch of northeastern Minnesota best known for iron ore and taconite mining, generally running from Crosby to Grand Rapids to Ely and southeast to Lake Superior, but with a modern-day focus on the Hibbing/Virginia/Eveleth area.

Locals often refer to this area collectively as "the Northland" (generally throwing in some counties west of the Range), which in some definitions also includes the adjoining part of northern Wisconsin.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: nexus73 on August 28, 2017, 03:22:48 PM
Coos Bay-North Bend OR and the surrounding unincorporated area is called the Bay Area by the locals.  The region covering Curry, Coos, coastal Douglas and coastal Lane counties is called the South Coast by its inhabitants.  As for what they call this locale out of the area, I sometimes wonder if the people in PDX and the Valley even know we are here!

Rick
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
Orlando, FL is known as Central Florida. 
Tampa, FL (and St. Pete) is called the Bay Area.
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach is called South Florida.
Fort Myers and Naples area: SW Florida.
Fort Pierce and Vero Beach is locally known as "The Treasure Coast."
Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, and Titusville area is the Florida Space Coast (aka Space Coast.)


All of Union and Middlesex Counties in NJ were known as North Central Jersey.  I also believe Somerset and Hunterdon Counties too were included in that as well.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ilpt4u on August 28, 2017, 04:50:41 PM
Southern IL is pretty much Southern IL -- but there is the other name of "Little Egypt"

The city of Cairo, the Lake of Egypt, a local paper is The Daily Egyptian, etc etc -- just a few references to "Egypt" around -- of course, mostly due to the Mississippi, which is basically the USA's Nile River
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jp the roadgeek on August 28, 2017, 04:53:18 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach is called South Florida.

Yet, the University of South Florida is in St. Pete.  I've never referred to or thought of that area as South Florida.  Just from West Palm south and The Keys.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: mgk920 on August 28, 2017, 09:42:34 PM
The Appleton/Green Bay/Oshkosh, WI area, alternatively 'Northeastern Wisconsin' or the 'Fox Valley/Fox River Valley'.

TV station WFRV (Channel 5 in Green Bay) stands for 'Fox River Valley'.

The Green Bay metro area is also sometimes self-referred to as 'The Bay Area'.

Mike
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 10:14:19 PM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".

Hm.  I know people still use the division around here, though, if not in specific reference to the region.  More of a separation from the City and Lon Guyland.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: SD Mapman on August 28, 2017, 10:23:43 PM
Spearfish, SD:

Outsiders: Western SD (or "flyover country" if they know nothing at all).

Us: West River, The Hills, or the Northern Hills depending on who we're talking to and how specific we want to be.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Hot Rod Hootenanny on August 28, 2017, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on August 27, 2017, 10:06:08 PM
Looking at a national or regional map, most people (myself included) will refer to areas of a state by cardinal direction (Northern Illinois, Southeastern Michigan,...) or by a specific region (Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest,...) which covers a broad portion of a state or region. Most people would label my area of the country as Western Colorado. 

In a lot of these areas, the locals will call their part of the state by a more specific name that describes their area, but most outsiders won't know it by that. 

For Example:

AREA:                   OUTSIDERS CALL IT:             LOCALS CALL IT:


Cincinnati, OH        SW Ohio                               The Tri State
Cleveland, OH        NE Ohio                                The North Coast

What do you and your local area residents call your part of the state that might not otherwise be well known to visitors / outsiders?

Columbus, OH       State Capital       Central Ohio
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Quillz on August 28, 2017, 11:24:24 PM
I'm in "the Valley." Non-local parlance would generally just be "SoCal" or "the Southland."

I'm moving up to the Eureka area early next year, which seems to be "the Redwood Curtain," "Eurtweaka," or the "Cannabis Coast," depending on who I've talked to.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jwolfer on August 28, 2017, 11:26:36 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
Orlando, FL is known as Central Florida. 
Tampa, FL (and St. Pete) is called the Bay Area.
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach is called South Florida.
Fort Myers and Naples area: SW Florida.
Fort Pierce and Vero Beach is locally known as "The Treasure Coast."
Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, and Titusville area is the Florida Space Coast (aka Space Coast.)


All of Union and Middlesex Counties in NJ were known as North Central Jersey.  I also believe Somerset and Hunterdon Counties too were included in that as well.
Jacksonville area is known as North Florida( as opposed to Gainesville/Ocala/ Lake City/Live Oak which is North Central Florida and the Panhandle is the Panhandle to those out of state its all North Florida) sometimes Jax area is Northeast Florida...another tourism board monicer  for Jax area is First Coast. All regions of Florida have some kind of "Xxx Coast"name.  Like Sarasota is the Culture Coast.. A bit pretentious if you ask me

LGMS428
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jwolfer on August 28, 2017, 11:42:12 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 28, 2017, 04:53:18 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach is called South Florida.

Yet, the University of South Florida is in St. Pete.  I've never referred to or thought of that area as South Florida.  Just from West Palm south and The Keys.
When USF started in the1950s it was the first State University South of Gainesville.. Thus the name...

UF was THE state university( for white men)... Florida State(originally Florida Normal School or something like that) was the teachers college for women.. Florida A&M was the state university for blacks..

(Just to be absolutely clear I in no way endorse segregation or think it was wonderful.. Just giving some hisorical perspective. And yes my family has been in Florida since the 1820s ...i am an evil hated white Southern male)

You will notice it is very rare to hear the full name University of South Florida. The only place you see it is on the degrees.  I went to the University fo North Florida(UNF) for my undergrad degree. A frw years ago the alumni magazine had an article about de-emphasizing the directional components of state universities.. Thus USF, UCF, UNF, UWF, even FIU,FAU and FGCU are more commonly seen than full names

LGMS428

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on August 28, 2017, 11:43:18 PM
Quote from: Ian on August 28, 2017, 11:34:47 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on August 27, 2017, 10:42:51 PM
I live in the Augusta, Maine area, I'm not sure if outsiders have a name for it but it's locally called "Central Maine" (despite not really being central within the state).

Similarly, I've heard of Bangor being part of "Eastern Maine" (both the Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Eastern Maine Community College are located here). Geographically, it's more toward the center of the state, but I can see how it makes sense. There aren't many towns east of here...

To add confusion for outsiders (or people "from away" in local parlance), there's also DOWN East Maine, which encompasses Hancock and Washington Counties. Though I have seen "Down East" in business titles as far south as Brunswick. Someone from Bar Harbor or Calais would never claim to be from Eastern Maine (despite being eastern in geography) but would instead claim to be from Downeast Maine.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Thing 342 on August 28, 2017, 11:57:02 PM
Locals usually call the Newport News / Norfolk / VA Beach / et al area by the name of Hampton Roads, or occasionally the Tidewater if they're a bit older. Anyone referring to it as SE Virginia is likely to be from out-of-state.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Bickendan on August 29, 2017, 12:03:36 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 28, 2017, 03:22:48 PM
Coos Bay-North Bend OR and the surrounding unincorporated area is called the Bay Area by the locals.  The region covering Curry, Coos, coastal Douglas and coastal Lane counties is called the South Coast by its inhabitants.  As for what they call this locale out of the area, I sometimes wonder if the people in PDX and the Valley even know we are here!

Rick
It wouldn't be surprising if the Willamette Valley thinks the coast as Newport on north...
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sparker on August 29, 2017, 12:09:14 AM
Quote from: Quillz on August 28, 2017, 11:24:24 PM
I'm in "the Valley." Non-local parlance would generally just be "SoCal" or "the Southland."

I'm moving up to the Eureka area early next year, which seems to be "the Redwood Curtain," "Eurtweaka," or the "Cannabis Coast," depending on who I've talked to.

Being born & raised in Glendale, I heard "Valley Adjacent" for much of my youth.  Another term for where you're going (Humboldt County?) is "The Big Fogbank" -- particularly if you're along the coast (or Humboldt Bay) between Ferndale and Trinidad during much of the summer.   
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: 1995hoo on August 29, 2017, 07:26:13 AM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 28, 2017, 11:57:02 PM
Locals usually call the Newport News / Norfolk / VA Beach / et al area by the name of Hampton Roads, or occasionally the Tidewater if they're a bit older. Anyone referring to it as SE Virginia is likely to be from out-of-state.

Historically, the term "Tidewater" was broader than that and referred to one of three general geographic portions of Virginia–Tidewater, Piedmont, and "Valley-and-Ridge" (the last of these a term you'd never hear today and I've seldom heard outside Virginia history class in school growing up!). The line between "Tidewater" and "Piedmont" was roughly, though not necessarily exactly, where the fall line is on the various rivers. Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville takes its name from the traditional region, for example.

If I tell someone not from Virginia or Maryland where I live, I'd tell them I live in the DC area because "Northern Virginia," the name most commonly used here, wouldn't necessarily mean anything to them. When I was in college at UVA, everyone there referred to Northern Virginia as "NOVA," but if you say that here, people think of Northern Virginia Community College, most often the location on Route 236 between the Beltway and Fairfax City (when I was a kid and there was a stigma against community colleges, people called it "Turnpike Tech" or "Harvard on the Highway," the former a reference to its location on Little River Turnpike).

I've never heard anyone over the age of 30, other than some newspaper reporters trying to look what they think is trendy, refer to the area as "the DMV."
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bzakharin on August 29, 2017, 09:28:12 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
All of Union and Middlesex Counties in NJ were known as North Central Jersey.  I also believe Somerset and Hunterdon Counties too were included in that as well.
I'm pretty sure this was much discussed on some other thread, but basically, it depends on where you're from. Philly tends to think the part of NJ in its northern metro area is Central Jersey, while its southern metro area is South Jersey. Anything north of that (sometimes as far south as Trenton) is North Jersey. NYC would say anything accessible by bridge or tunnel (except maybe GWB) is Central Jersey with South Jersey starting as far north as Trenton. I only sent my resume to what turned out to be my first job because it was advertised as "Central Jersey" which turned out to be Union County. The shore, though, is an odd beast. I travel SE for work from what is already "South Jersey" by most definitions. Yet, I don't necessarily think of the Atlantic City area as South Jersey. "Down the Shore" is its own thing, although that term seems to be more used by the Philly area than by NYC.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on August 29, 2017, 09:33:27 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 29, 2017, 07:26:13 AM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 28, 2017, 11:57:02 PM
Locals usually call the Newport News / Norfolk / VA Beach / et al area by the name of Hampton Roads, or occasionally the Tidewater if they're a bit older. Anyone referring to it as SE Virginia is likely to be from out-of-state.

Historically, the term "Tidewater" was broader than that and referred to one of three general geographic portions of Virginia–Tidewater, Piedmont, and "Valley-and-Ridge" (the last of these a term you'd never hear today and I've seldom heard outside Virginia history class in school growing up!). The line between "Tidewater" and "Piedmont" was roughly, though not necessarily exactly, where the fall line is on the various rivers. Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville takes its name from the traditional region, for example.

If I tell someone not from Virginia or Maryland where I live, I'd tell them I live in the DC area because "Northern Virginia," the name most commonly used here, wouldn't necessarily mean anything to them. When I was in college at UVA, everyone there referred to Northern Virginia as "NOVA," but if you say that here, people think of Northern Virginia Community College, most often the location on Route 236 between the Beltway and Fairfax City (when I was a kid and there was a stigma against community colleges, people called it "Turnpike Tech" or "Harvard on the Highway," the former a reference to its location on Little River Turnpike).

I've never heard anyone over the age of 30, other than some newspaper reporters trying to look what they think is trendy, refer to the area as "the DMV."

Funny that I see this this morning because I was just having a conversation with a friend about this last night. I'm in Alexandria for a few days visiting friends and doing some work related things.

A friend was telling me that when he goes back to his hometown in Michigan and tells people that he lives in Northern Virginia, people get this image of him living in the cultural, rural South and don't seem to realize that Northern Virginia abuts DC. He always has to clarify that he lives in the DC suburbs.

Re: DMV

I'm always unclear as to what gets included in that definition. I've heard people use the term and sometimes it's just DC and its suburbs and other times, it includes Baltimore. My mom's roots are in Baltimore and in my MANY visits to the city, I've never heard a single person use DMV to describe the area. I concur that I had never heard it used in DC either until relatively recently.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: SP Cook on August 29, 2017, 09:52:39 AM
I know the story that USF was the first state university south of Gainsville, but it is still the most woefully misnamed college in the country.  It was founded in 1956, after all, it is not like the term "south Florida" to mean the greater Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-WPB region did not yet exist, nor that they could not anticipate the eventual need to add more colleges further south than Tampa, as today they have four, including two (Florida Atlantic and Florida International) in actual south Florida, plus FGCU in south west Florida.   While I am at it, what exactly is "international" about Florida International?  Yes, it has a lot of US born Hispanic, mostly Cuban, students, but no more actual foreign students than any major university (6%).  It is just like they were looking to have all the schools be Florida something and it was available.

Other woefully misnamed colleges, IMHO:

Eastern and Western Kentucky, both of which are in central Kentucky.  Morehead State and Murray State are actually in eastern and western Kentucky respectivly. 

The University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center.  Originally a private school called "Southwestern" it merged into Texas.  While, yes Texas is certainly in the southwest in national terms, within Texas, Dallas is in north Texas, and the UT system has six other medical schools, either south or west or both of Dallas.

While we are at it, Northwestern.  Even when founded in 1850, the northwest meant Washington and Oregon.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: nexus73 on August 29, 2017, 11:05:53 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on August 29, 2017, 12:03:36 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 28, 2017, 03:22:48 PM
Coos Bay-North Bend OR and the surrounding unincorporated area is called the Bay Area by the locals.  The region covering Curry, Coos, coastal Douglas and coastal Lane counties is called the South Coast by its inhabitants.  As for what they call this locale out of the area, I sometimes wonder if the people in PDX and the Valley even know we are here!

Rick
It wouldn't be surprising if the Willamette Valley thinks the coast as Newport on north...

They'll take in Waldport and Yachats.  Eugene/Springfield people can add Florence. 

Rick
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: briantroutman on August 29, 2017, 12:51:36 PM
Growing up in Williamsport, I'd most often hear our region referred to as "Central Pennsylvania"  or "The Susquehanna Valley" . It always struck me as odd when Altoona or State College was referred to as "Central Pennsylvania" –even though they are closer to the geographic center. Infrequently, you'll hear or see "West Branch Valley"  to differentiate Williamsport's Susquehanna from Wilkes-Barre's, Sunbury's, or Harrisburg's. "North Central Pennsylvania"  shows up in the name of various organizations, but I've rarely heard it used conversationally.

When I lived in Harrisburg, "The Midstate"  was the term I heard most frequently to describe the region. "Central Pennsylvania"  was fairly common, too; "South Central"  usually referred to York and Gettysburg. Locally, though, it was always "East Shore"  or "West Shore"  to describe which side of the Susquehanna you were on.

When I lived in Allentown, it was "The Lehigh Valley"  or sometimes just "The Valley" .

My wife, a native of Wilkes-Barre, always refers to that part of the state as NEPA–pronounced as a word (like "knee-pah" ).

I've seen people abbreviate Southeastern Pennsylvania in writing as SEPA, but I've never ever heard anyone say "see-pah"  in speech. "Delaware Valley"  is fairly common as is just referring to the entire metro area as "Philadelphia"  or "Philly"  when talking with people outside the area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jeffandnicole on August 29, 2017, 01:05:41 PM
In my area, usually South Jersey.

A newspaper or two tried making GloCo (Gloucester County) a thing, but it's never caught on.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Desert Man on August 29, 2017, 01:35:46 PM
The "Southwest" (we're a desert like Phoenix and Vegas) followed by "Inland Empire" (Palm Springs area sometimes treated as a separate region) and "Southland" (esp. LA basin/the OC). We're another part of the "So Cal" (the state California) and West coast (the nation USA). And the 3 valleys of the Coachella valley: "West" - Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, "Mid" - Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. And "East" - Indio, Coachella and La Quinta. Interestingly, Indio is the oldest, largest and county seat city (we're part of Riverside county), Palm Desert is the center, didn't really exist in the mid 20th century and wealthiest, and Palm Springs is the most famous and visited (we're the "Palm Springs, not Indio" area). 
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Brandon on August 29, 2017, 01:47:10 PM
Quote from: theline on August 27, 2017, 10:21:18 PM
Extreme north central Indiana (South Bend, Elkhart, etc.) and extreme southwest lower Michigan (Niles, St. Joseph, Cassopolis, etc.) is called Michiana by locals.

Northwestern Indiana, basically Lake and Porter counties, is called the Calumet Region for the Calumet River. That is most often shortened to The Region by residents of the area. Denizens of The Region are not always kindly referred to as Region Rats.

The Region plus the adjacent part of Illinois is referred to as Illiana.

And of course the greater Chicago metro area is called Chicagoland.

And Chicagoland gets subdivided even further:

North Shore: From the Loop (or Chicago city limits) northward along Lake Michigan.
Then you have your North/Northwest/West/Southwest/South Suburbs
The South and Southwest Suburbs get grouped together as The Southland, stretching from the Indiana state line to Morris.
The further west West Suburbs are the Fox Valley, stretching from north of Elgin to Yorkville.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ilpt4u on August 29, 2017, 01:56:50 PM
The far NW Burbs also claim the "Fox Valley" title sometimes, as the Fox River heads up that way too, into McHenry County
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: hbelkins on August 29, 2017, 10:42:18 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 29, 2017, 07:26:13 AM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 28, 2017, 11:57:02 PM
Locals usually call the Newport News / Norfolk / VA Beach / et al area by the name of Hampton Roads, or occasionally the Tidewater if they're a bit older. Anyone referring to it as SE Virginia is likely to be from out-of-state.

Historically, the term "Tidewater" was broader than that and referred to one of three general geographic portions of Virginia–Tidewater, Piedmont, and "Valley-and-Ridge" (the last of these a term you'd never hear today and I've seldom heard outside Virginia history class in school growing up!).

My dad called it "Tidewater."

A term I've frequently heard for far southwestern Virginia is "Mountain Empire." Basically anything west of Bristol (Lee, Scott, Wise, Washington, Dickenson, Buchanan, Tazewell counties) qualifies.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Brooks on August 30, 2017, 01:04:45 AM
People from out of state usually call the Memphis area southwest Tennessee.  Here, we refer to it as the Mid-South (also used heavily by local and state media).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: DandyDan on August 30, 2017, 06:32:37 AM
I am still getting used to living here in Mason City, but I do believe the locals call it North Iowa, whereas outsiders call it Northern Iowa.

One thing I would love to know is where in NW Iowa the Sioux Empire, centered around Sioux Falls, begins, and Siouxland, centered around Sioux City, ends. To me, it all seems like NW Iowa and SE South Dakota. It does seem like an overlap there.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Sctvhound on August 30, 2017, 03:26:27 PM
The metro Charleston area is usually called the Lowcountry. Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Beaufort, Colleton, and sometimes Jasper counties are a part of it. Georgetown and Horry are a part of the Grand Strand.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Bickendan on August 30, 2017, 05:12:37 PM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 29, 2017, 11:05:53 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on August 29, 2017, 12:03:36 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 28, 2017, 03:22:48 PM
Coos Bay-North Bend OR and the surrounding unincorporated area is called the Bay Area by the locals.  The region covering Curry, Coos, coastal Douglas and coastal Lane counties is called the South Coast by its inhabitants.  As for what they call this locale out of the area, I sometimes wonder if the people in PDX and the Valley even know we are here!

Rick
It wouldn't be surprising if the Willamette Valley thinks the coast as Newport on north...

They'll take in Waldport and Yachats.  Eugene/Springfield people can add Florence. 

Rick
Pretty much.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jwolfer on September 02, 2017, 04:36:30 PM


[
"A friend was telling me that when he goes back to his hometown in Michigan and tells people that he lives in Northern Virginia, people get this image of him living in the cultural, rural South and don't seem to realize that Northern Virginia abuts DC. He always has to clarify that he lives in the DC suburbs. "


Same thing with Northern Kentucky.  I worked for a company that was purchased by Citibank.. They have a big presence in Florence KY we had sime people come down from that office and people at work were expectinf them to be  Butcher Holler hillbilly types.. I had to tell them it was Cincinnati suburbs

LGMS428

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 05:15:35 PM
In the Sacramento Area we separate the central valley into 2 parts.


North of Rio Vista, CA the Central Valley is called Sacramento Delta/ Sacramento Valley up to Redding area.


South of Rio VIsta, CA The Central Valley is called San Joaquin Valley/ Delta all the way to Ridge Route area in Southern California.


In the Bay Area we Call the San Jose Area "The South Bay" but its interchangebly used with Silicon Valley. San Francisco is Called "The City", San Mateo County "The Peninsula"  ,  The East Bay for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties


The North Bay for Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano counties


http://www.dailyrepublic.com/solano-news/solano-county/fairfield-suisun-sits-between-bay-valley/ (http://www.dailyrepublic.com/solano-news/solano-county/fairfield-suisun-sits-between-bay-valley/)




However, Soiano County, CA  has portions of its territory in the Sacramento Valley and Sacramento Radio and TV Outlets refer to Vacaville and Dixon as part of the Sacramento Valley.


In San Francisco they refer to Vallejo and Benicia as part of the Bay Area.


However the North Bay sometimes get called as Wine Country




But I remember in the 2014 Earthquake where Napa was named as the city affected by the earthquake the national news never even mentioned Vallejo as getting hit by the quake even though its the largest city near the epicenter hit by the quake. I noticed Sacramento and San Francisco media outlets did mention Vallejo in its coverage and focused on the Downtown areas. '


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXwNJDYwVA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDI1U-ZHFcs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR_Z6mq-QyU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ4q0fPgO04




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yjqxJ0duuI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnxEVPyk7S4
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Quillz on September 02, 2017, 06:03:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 05:15:35 PM
But I remember in the 2014 Earthquake where Napa was named as the city affected by the earthquake the national news never even mentioned Vallejo as getting hit by the quake even though its the largest city near the epicenter hit by the quake.
On a national level, probably because most people would know the "Napa Valley" name before the city of Vallejo, so it stuck. On a (not so similar) note, it's like how the "Northridge Earthquake" was really epicentered in Reseda, but by the time this was learned, the name had already stuck.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 08:34:44 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 02, 2017, 06:03:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 05:15:35 PM
But I remember in the 2014 Earthquake where Napa was named as the city affected by the earthquake the national news never even mentioned Vallejo as getting hit by the quake even though its the largest city near the epicenter hit by the quake.
On a national level, probably because most people would know the "Napa Valley" name before the city of Vallejo, so it stuck. On a (not so similar) note, it's like how the "Northridge Earthquake" was really epicentered in Reseda, but by the time this was learned, the name had already stuck.

In reality it's the 2014 American Canyon Quake but the national News only focused on Napa even though local TV Stations in Sacramento and San Francisco did show pictures of downtown Vallejo having similar damage to Napa mainly because Mare Island and Downtown Vallejo is built on Landfill similar to the Marina District of San Francisco. Well I seen national coverage of the 2014 quake and they focused on how wine country is affected by the quake.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Mrt90 on September 02, 2017, 11:28:25 PM
Quote from: ilpt4u on August 29, 2017, 01:56:50 PM
The far NW Burbs also claim the "Fox Valley" title sometimes, as the Fox River heads up that way too, into McHenry County
Just for clarification, this is actually a different Fox River than the one referred to in a previous post about an area in Wisconsin that is also know as the Fox Valley.  Also, there is an area a bit north of the Illinois Fox Valley that is known as the Chain O Lakes region, where a dozen or so lakes form a "chain" connected by the Fox River, and channels and canals. Some people also refer to this area as the Lakes area.

The northwestern part of Waukesha County Wisconsin, which is just west of Milwaukee, including Pewaukee, Hartland, Delafield, and other towns in this area, is known locally as Lake Country because of the large number of lakes in the area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ilpt4u on September 02, 2017, 11:52:03 PM
Quote from: Mrt90 on September 02, 2017, 11:28:25 PM
Quote from: ilpt4u on August 29, 2017, 01:56:50 PM
The far NW Burbs also claim the "Fox Valley" title sometimes, as the Fox River heads up that way too, into McHenry County
Just for clarification, this is actually a different Fox River than the one referred to in a previous post about an area in Wisconsin that is also know as the Fox Valley.  Also, there is an area a bit north of the Illinois Fox Valley that is known as the Chain O Lakes region, where a dozen or so lakes form a "chain" connected by the Fox River, and channels and canals. Some people also refer to this area as the Lakes area.

The northwestern part of Waukesha County Wisconsin, which is just west of Milwaukee, including Pewaukee, Hartland, Delafield, and other towns in this area, is known locally as Lake Country because of the large number of lakes in the area.
I never realized that the Fox River up near Green Bay and the Fox River running thru the far West and NW Burbs are NOT the same river -- I figured they were connected, but a quick Google Maps check -- they are not the same waterway

There was an earlier post referencing the Far West Suburbs of Chicago being called the "Fox Valley" -- the Fox Valley Mall is in Aurora, for example. I was simply pointing out that even up in McHenry County, that "Fox Valley" title can be claimed.

Chain O Lakes certainly applies as well in that area, too
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: SD Mapman on September 03, 2017, 12:44:17 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on August 30, 2017, 06:32:37 AM
I am still getting used to living here in Mason City, but I do believe the locals call it North Iowa, whereas outsiders call it Northern Iowa.

One thing I would love to know is where in NW Iowa the Sioux Empire, centered around Sioux Falls, begins, and Siouxland, centered around Sioux City, ends. To me, it all seems like NW Iowa and SE South Dakota. It does seem like an overlap there.
Maybe a tiny NW corner of Lyon County? The "Empire" (pretentious flatlanders; honestly the only time I use the term is when I'm talking about the mall) is really a South Dakota area and the Siouxland is an Iowa area. N. Sioux City (and maybe Elk Point and Jefferson) are the only parts of SD that are really in the Siouxland.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Quillz on September 03, 2017, 02:30:51 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 08:34:44 PM
Quote from: Quillz on September 02, 2017, 06:03:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 02, 2017, 05:15:35 PM
But I remember in the 2014 Earthquake where Napa was named as the city affected by the earthquake the national news never even mentioned Vallejo as getting hit by the quake even though its the largest city near the epicenter hit by the quake.
On a national level, probably because most people would know the "Napa Valley" name before the city of Vallejo, so it stuck. On a (not so similar) note, it's like how the "Northridge Earthquake" was really epicentered in Reseda, but by the time this was learned, the name had already stuck.

In reality it's the 2014 American Canyon Quake but the national News only focused on Napa even though local TV Stations in Sacramento and San Francisco did show pictures of downtown Vallejo having similar damage to Napa mainly because Mare Island and Downtown Vallejo is built on Landfill similar to the Marina District of San Francisco. Well I seen national coverage of the 2014 quake and they focused on how wine country is affected by the quake.
Well, exactly, that was my point. People on a national level will know SF and Sacramento, and "Wine Country." They likely would not know Vallejo or some of the other specific cities, so saying the earthquake affected "Wine Country" is just an easier way to report things, even if it's not totally accurate.

I was actually in Sonoma about a week before that earthquake struck, and found out the hotel I was staying in took some pretty heavy damage. So I really lucked out there.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: cjk374 on September 03, 2017, 04:26:32 PM
Lincoln Parish, where my hometown is located, is named with 2 different names. It is the western-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Miss. It is also the eastern-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Tex. I just call it home.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on September 03, 2017, 06:33:28 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on September 03, 2017, 04:26:32 PM
Lincoln Parish, where my hometown is located, is named with 2 different names. It is the western-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Miss. It is also the eastern-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Tex. I just call it home.

Ive heard Arklatex before, but never Arklamiss.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: keithvh on September 03, 2017, 08:58:23 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 03, 2017, 06:33:28 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on September 03, 2017, 04:26:32 PM
Lincoln Parish, where my hometown is located, is named with 2 different names. It is the western-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Miss. It is also the eastern-most parish in what is called the Ark-La-Tex. I just call it home.

Ive heard Arklatex before, but never Arklamiss.

I've heard Ark-La-Miss before, but really only in the context of the Louisiana counties that are part of the Delta Region (Mississippi Embayment).  Lincoln Parish and Ruston aren't really part of the Delta region --- that's definitely the hill country.

Monroe, Louisiana -- about 30 miles east of Ruston --- that's the Delta region.  That's where Delta Airlines was first founded, and where its name comes from.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 09:18:44 PM
I'm originally from far western Indiana, around Terre Haute, and there are several names the area goes by:

Within Indiana, it's known as "West Central Indiana", and most of the regions in the state have a directional: Central Indiana is Indianapolis; South Central Indiana is Bloomington/Bedford; Southwestern Indiana around Evansville.

Within the immediate region, there are two names commonly heard:

"The Wabash Valley" is the most common; this includes counties in Illinois in the economic reach of Terre Haute;

"Illiana" is a less common moniker, but captures the bi-state region like Wabash Valley. Areas around South Bend are known as Michiana; The Louisville area is sometimes called Kentuckiana, and I've heard "Ohiana" perhaps around Richmond.

I now live near Toledo, Ohio, and this area is almost universally called "Northwest Ohio." Very occasionally I will hear it referred to as the "Maumee Valley", or "Lake Erie West".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thenetwork on September 03, 2017, 10:16:41 PM
Quote from: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 09:18:44 PM
I now live near Toledo, Ohio, and this area is almost universally called "Northwest Ohio." Very occasionally I will hear it referred to as the "Maumee Valley", or "Lake Erie West".

When I lived there in the 80s, one TV station in town (WTOL) used to call NW Ohio "The Heartland" on many occasions.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 11:09:42 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 03, 2017, 10:16:41 PM
Quote from: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 09:18:44 PM
I now live near Toledo, Ohio, and this area is almost universally called "Northwest Ohio." Very occasionally I will hear it referred to as the "Maumee Valley", or "Lake Erie West".

When I lived there in the 80s, one TV station in town (WTOL) used to call NW Ohio "The Heartland" on many occasions.

That was probably a marketing ruse. Now 13ABC uses the vapid and generic "This is Home" slogan/theme song.

When I hear a place referred to as the "Heartland", I assume that there's nothing of note there. I've seen that in lots of rural areas in the Midwest, but havent heard it here.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: DandyDan on September 04, 2017, 09:43:08 AM
Quote from: SD Mapman on September 03, 2017, 12:44:17 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on August 30, 2017, 06:32:37 AM
I am still getting used to living here in Mason City, but I do believe the locals call it North Iowa, whereas outsiders call it Northern Iowa.

One thing I would love to know is where in NW Iowa the Sioux Empire, centered around Sioux Falls, begins, and Siouxland, centered around Sioux City, ends. To me, it all seems like NW Iowa and SE South Dakota. It does seem like an overlap there.
Maybe a tiny NW corner of Lyon County? The "Empire" (pretentious flatlanders; honestly the only time I use the term is when I'm talking about the mall) is really a South Dakota area and the Siouxland is an Iowa area. N. Sioux City (and maybe Elk Point and Jefferson) are the only parts of SD that are really in the Siouxland.
The problem I have with that is that I always assumed SW Minnesota, where my mom came from and where some of my relatives still live, was part of the Sioux Empire as well. Maybe that's just a TV invention.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: xcellntbuy on September 04, 2017, 12:39:25 PM
Monroe County, Florida (the Keys) "the Conch Republic."
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: UCFKnights on September 04, 2017, 03:13:30 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 28, 2017, 04:45:44 PM
Orlando, FL is known as Central Florida.
I'd say you don't generally hear Orlando referred to as Central Florida, its said more as the Greater Orlando area. Of course, the outsiders call all of Central Florida "Orlando" very regularly. Which isn't helped by the fact that the attractions that are an hour or more away from Orlando use the Orlando name to promote themselves, such as Kennedy Space Center, Port Canaveral (often called Port of Orlando by outsiders), Orlando-Melbourne International Airport, and Orlando-Sanford International Airport.

Hell, many outsiders seem to believe Busch Gardens in Tampa is in Orlando... so if you ask our tourists... Orlando is a city that expands over 100 miles wide.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: noelbotevera on September 04, 2017, 03:27:38 PM
There's a few definitions that overlap my area, but from my observation it changes where TV/radio shows are based from.

Harrisburg Area (WGAL, NPR for example): Susquehanna Valley
Hagerstown/Martinsburg (WV) Area (WJAL and radio channel FM 95.1): Tri-State Region
Outsiders: Southcentral Pennsylvania (I call my part of the state this, though I change between Susquehanna Valley and this)
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: SD Mapman on September 04, 2017, 09:47:18 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on September 04, 2017, 09:43:08 AM
Quote from: SD Mapman on September 03, 2017, 12:44:17 AM
Quote from: DandyDan on August 30, 2017, 06:32:37 AM
I am still getting used to living here in Mason City, but I do believe the locals call it North Iowa, whereas outsiders call it Northern Iowa.

One thing I would love to know is where in NW Iowa the Sioux Empire, centered around Sioux Falls, begins, and Siouxland, centered around Sioux City, ends. To me, it all seems like NW Iowa and SE South Dakota. It does seem like an overlap there.
Maybe a tiny NW corner of Lyon County? The "Empire" (pretentious flatlanders; honestly the only time I use the term is when I'm talking about the mall) is really a South Dakota area and the Siouxland is an Iowa area. N. Sioux City (and maybe Elk Point and Jefferson) are the only parts of SD that are really in the Siouxland.
The problem I have with that is that I always assumed SW Minnesota, where my mom came from and where some of my relatives still live, was part of the Sioux Empire as well. Maybe that's just a TV invention.
I really couldn't tell you; like I said we don't use the "Empire" term West River. We just say "Sioux Falls" or "Harrisburg" or "Tea" or "Brandon".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on September 04, 2017, 09:51:08 PM
Quote from: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 11:09:42 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 03, 2017, 10:16:41 PM
Quote from: westerninterloper on September 03, 2017, 09:18:44 PM
I now live near Toledo, Ohio, and this area is almost universally called "Northwest Ohio." Very occasionally I will hear it referred to as the "Maumee Valley", or "Lake Erie West".

When I lived there in the 80s, one TV station in town (WTOL) used to call NW Ohio "The Heartland" on many occasions.

That was probably a marketing ruse. Now 13ABC uses the vapid and generic "This is Home" slogan/theme song.

When I hear a place referred to as the "Heartland", I assume that there's nothing of note there. I've seen that in lots of rural areas in the Midwest, but havent heard it here.

Ohio tried to hint at the "Heartland" thing for the whole state with the "The Heart of It All" slogan.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bassoon1986 on September 04, 2017, 10:45:37 PM
Here are the Louisiana ones I'm familiar with:

Shreveport/NW Louisiana - ArkLaTex
Monroe/NE Louisiana - ArkLaMiss
Alexandria area- Cenla
Lafayette area - Acadiana
Hammond/Covington/Slidell - The Northshore

I'm not sure if Northshore includes the parishes in the "toe of the boot" that border Mississippi or just the areas bordering Lake Ponchartrain. I've occasionally heard of this whole area along the I-12 corridor called the Florida Parishes, a throwback to the time when the area east of the MS River still belonged to Spanish Florida.


iPhone
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: fillup420 on September 04, 2017, 11:37:28 PM
Some areas of North Carolina:

Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill - "The Triangle"
Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point - "The Triad"
Watauga/Ashe/Avery/Caldwell counties (Boone, Blowing Rock)- "The High Country"
Mecklenburg/Gaston/Union/Cabarrus counties - "Charlotte"
Anywhere east of US 1 and west of I-95 - "The Sandhills"
Anywhere east of I-95 - "Down East"
The outer banks - "The Outer Banks"
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 05, 2017, 12:08:33 AM
Where's the Piedmont in NC, then?
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 10, 2017, 05:30:18 PM
Yes I am hearing that Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida are being referred to as West Coast and Miami and Palm Beach are being referred to as East Coast for Hurricane Irma updates in Florida according to the national news.

Usually the Miami area in the past was known as South Florida prior to Hurricane Irma in the news.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 10, 2017, 11:25:05 PM
Tampa is usually called The Bay Area prior to the Hurricane Irma event.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 89 on September 11, 2017, 01:10:32 AM
In Utah:

The urban areas aong the west side of the Wasatch Mountains are known collectively as the Wasatch Front.
Southern SL and northern UT county: Silicon Slopes
Utah County as a whole: Happy Valley
The cities on the other side (Heber, Park City, etc): Wasatch Back
Southwest Utah, especially the St. George area: Dixie
Anything west of the Wasatch Front and I-15: West Desert
US 40 corridor east of Heber: Dinosaurland

Less commonly:

Price area: Castle Country
Logan area: Bridgerland (better known as Cache Valley)
Cedar City area: Color Country
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 11:06:36 AM
Quote from: epzik8 on August 28, 2017, 04:56:22 AM
Harford County, Maryland is part of the Baltimore Metro Area, or Northeast Maryland.
Wouldn't the latter term conflict with the town of North East, MD?  Unless you meant to say Northeastern Maryland.

For my hometown of Marblehead, MA; such was referred to as either part of the North Shore or the Greater Boston area (yes the 2 regions overlap somewhat).

Where I presently live (in Delaware County, PA); the locals will call it Delco.  Expanding to include all of southeastern PA, most locals will call it the Delaware Valley (which includes southwest NJ & northern Delaware); some might call it (at least southeastern PA) Greater Philly.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on September 11, 2017, 11:09:41 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 05, 2017, 12:08:33 AM
Where's the Piedmont in NC, then?

The Piedmont is basically an umbrella term for the Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte areas. It's not really used colloquially for any one region.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 14, 2017, 12:44:35 PM
Palm Beach, FL was once called the Gold coast prior to Irma. Now its called the east coast of Florida.

Tallahassee was once known as The Panhandle prior to Irma but that got called as The Capital.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: DTComposer on September 14, 2017, 01:49:29 PM
As mentioned above, San Jose and environs are usually called the "South Bay" - but it should be noted that there are two other regions in California that use "South Bay" regularly:
-in L.A. County - Redondo/Hermosa/Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Carson (South Bay referring to Santa Monica Bay, which doesn't seem like much of a bay to me)
-in San Diego County - Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City (South Bay referring to San Diego Bay)

So when in Southern California, I'll just say I'm from the Bay Area (if I don't just say San Jose) rather than the more specific South Bay. That said, if you say East Bay in Southern California, they'll usually know you mean Oakland and vicinity.

The broader term Bay Area is also used in several other locales (Tampa for one, as noted above), but it should be noted that if you just put "Bay Area" in Wikipedia, it gives you the San Francisco Bay Area page.

Also interesting: there is no federal government-defined area that corresponds to the traditional nine-county definition of the Bay Area. The San Francisco-Oakland MSA only includes five counties (and the San Jose MSA includes an outlying county), and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland CSA includes three outlying counties (for a total of twelve).

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: LM117 on September 14, 2017, 05:15:29 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 29, 2017, 01:05:41 PM
In my area, usually South Jersey.

A newspaper or two tried making GloCo (Gloucester County) a thing, but it's never caught on.

Reminds me of Johnston County in North Carolina. The Triangle area newspapers often refer to it as JoCo, but during my 14 years in neighboring Wayne County (1995-2009) I've never once heard anyone call it that.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: LM117 on September 14, 2017, 05:44:29 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on September 04, 2017, 11:37:28 PM
Some areas of North Carolina:

Anywhere east of I-95 - "Down East"

Sometimes, but "Eastern Carolina" was the more popular term. However, Goldsboro does have the Down East Travel Center on US-117 and Kinston has the "Down East Wood Ducks" minor league baseball team, so there's that. :spin:
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 15, 2017, 12:01:25 AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41270891

If you look at international news you sometimes see Burma get used for the official country of Myanmar. And this shows up when international human rights violations are at play here.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/09/13/if-trump-wants-to-unravel-obamas-legacy-he-could-start-with-burma/
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jaehak on September 15, 2017, 03:28:17 PM
Quote from: DTComposer on September 14, 2017, 01:49:29 PM
Also interesting: there is no federal government-defined area that corresponds to the traditional nine-county definition of the Bay Area. The San Francisco-Oakland MSA only includes five counties (and the San Jose MSA includes an outlying county), and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland CSA includes three outlying counties (for a total of twelve).

While the government does recognize CSAs and MSAs, it's not an important distinction. The Kansas City CSA/MSA lies in two states and across multiple counties and municipalities, but there is no "CSA law" or "MSA jurisdiction."  CSAs and MSAs are much more related to TV/media markets than anything else.  The definition of the Bay Area is fluid, like most everywhere else.  Take Chicago - the traditional 6 county definition of Chicagoland is Cook, DuPage, Lake (IL), Kane, Will, and McHenry.  However, one could easily make an argument for Grundy, Lake (IN), Porter, Berrien, Kenosha, and other counties being in the mix depending on what's being looked at.  Hell, there are parts of lower Berrien County (Michigan) that are closer to the loop than parts of outer McHenry. 
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: inkyatari on September 15, 2017, 03:35:00 PM
Illinois - Everywhere that's not the Chicago area, regardless of compass direction, downstate
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 16, 2017, 01:34:04 PM
http://www.twoorthreethings.com/california-dma-map.html

Well I noticed that sometimes cities are split by DMA according to Nielsen.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jwolfer on September 16, 2017, 10:03:28 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 10, 2017, 05:30:18 PM
Yes I am hearing that Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida are being referred to as West Coast and Miami and Palm Beach are being referred to as East Coast for Hurricane Irma updates in Florida according to the national news.

Usually the Miami area in the past was known as South Florida prior to Hurricane Irma in the news.
East Coast/West Coast of Florida is used and always has been used for the peninsular coasts. Not new terms at all.

Irma effected the entire state, from the keys to Jacksonville to the Panhandle.



LGMS428
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 17, 2017, 12:12:49 AM
http://www.ssf.net/our-city/biotech/biotech-in-ssf

That is interesting though I never knew South San Francisco slogan was also called "The Birthplace of Biotechnology".  However when I lived in South San Francisco I didn't really think the Biotech industry was big there. Locals tended to call South City "The industrial city" when I lived there.

But then the more interesting part is that I first heard that my old city South San Francisco is the "Birthplace of Biotechnology" was when I went to my biology class in community college in the Sacramento area and University in the Sacramento Valley. The teachers and job recruiters referred to my childhood city as "The Birthplace of Biotechnology"  Note locals as far as I know never call South San Francisco as Biotech's birthplace they tend to call it South City or the Peninsula.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 17, 2017, 01:11:42 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKYP3ipzGFg

How about Hollywood I noticed that the national media refers to this district of Los Angeles as the west coast branch of national media outlets. But when you look at Hollywood in a roadgeek video its more bleak than that.

However TV Studios in the LA area tend to be clustered near the CA-134 freeway.

But Los Angeles residents know that TV/Radio/app studios tend to be  near West LA, Studio City, Universal City, Glendale, Culver City and Burbank.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8QIAXv3K8o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MNN468kIIU.

Here's another roadgeek video where it states that Hollywood also has little Armenia and a Thai district within Hollywood. Note these are facts that Locals are aware of but not the national audiences know about.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 19, 2017, 01:12:09 PM
https://sacramentopress.com/2013/08/21/remember-the-west-end-with-blackbird-kitchen-bar/

West end district in Sacramento most older residents might know this district from its past. But West End District Sacramento today is known as Capitol Mall section of Downtown Sacramento.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: clong on September 19, 2017, 02:27:06 PM
Quote from: freebrickproductions on August 27, 2017, 10:11:29 PM
Area: The counties that border the Tennessee River
Outsiders Call It: Alabama/Northern Alabama
Locals Call It: The Tennessee Valley

Area: The Florence/Muscle Shoals/Sheffield/Tuscumbia, AL area
Outsiders Call It: NW Alabama
Locals Call It: The Shoals.
And some locals refer to it as The Quad Cities.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: doorknob60 on September 19, 2017, 04:59:20 PM
Boise, ID area (roughly stretching from Ontario or Vale to Boise) - Treasure Valley

Bend, OR area (roughly Madras to La Pine, Sisters to Prineville) - Central Oregon
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: DTComposer on September 19, 2017, 06:09:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 17, 2017, 01:11:42 PM
(video)

How about Hollywood I noticed that the national media refers to this district of Los Angeles as the west coast branch of national media outlets. But when you look at Hollywood in a roadgeek video its more bleak than that.

However TV Studios in the LA area tend to be clustered near the CA-134 freeway.

But Los Angeles residents know that TV/Radio/app studios tend to be  near West LA, Studio City, Universal City, Glendale, Culver City and Burbank.

(videos)

Here's another roadgeek video where it states that Hollywood also has little Armenia and a Thai district within Hollywood. Note these are facts that Locals are aware of but not the national audiences know about.

Hollywood today is more a metonym for the entertainment industry, regardless of where in the L.A. region it now is, based on the fact that during the rise of the great movie (then television) studios, they were indeed located in the Hollywood district proper (which was once its own independent city).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 41 on September 19, 2017, 06:14:29 PM
Terre Haute and the surrounding area is called "The Wabash Valley" by locals.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: allniter89 on September 19, 2017, 09:47:26 PM
The panhandle as in the NW FL panhandle. Because the weather is somewhat different north of I-10, meteorologist use the term "along the I-10 corridor" or "north of the I-10 corridor".
The I-10 corridor is typically the dividing line between warmer weather to the south & hot hot weather to the north in the summer or warmer weather to the south & cold weather to the north in the winter. Thunderstorms often develop 1st along I-10 because of the clash of the hot humid air to the south & the hotter more humid air to the north.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 19, 2017, 10:40:45 PM
Quote from: DTComposer on September 19, 2017, 06:09:06 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 17, 2017, 01:11:42 PM
(video)

How about Hollywood I noticed that the national media refers to this district of Los Angeles as the west coast branch of national media outlets. But when you look at Hollywood in a roadgeek video its more bleak than that.

However TV Studios in the LA area tend to be clustered near the CA-134 freeway.

But Los Angeles residents know that TV/Radio/app studios tend to be  near West LA, Studio City, Universal City, Glendale, Culver City and Burbank.

(videos)

Here's another roadgeek video where it states that Hollywood also has little Armenia and a Thai district within Hollywood. Note these are facts that Locals are aware of but not the national audiences know about.

Hollywood today is more a metonym for the entertainment industry, regardless of where in the L.A. region it now is, based on the fact that during the rise of the great movie (then television) studios, they were indeed located in the Hollywood district proper (which was once its own independent city).

Same with Silicon Valley in Northern California its more of a metonym for the tech sector and not just the electronics industry south of the San Mateo bridge and north of Gilroy. Now Silicon Valley also includes startups in San Francisco and Emeryville. I know the biotech industry has been mentioned as part of Silicon Valley even though they are completely different entities by their respective experts.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thenetwork on September 19, 2017, 11:26:19 PM
Cleveland & Cuyahoga County is pretty much either the "East Side" or the "West Side" -- even if you live south of town you are still either East- or West-Side.  The Cuyahoga River is the dividing line all the way through Cuyahoga County.

The corner of Northeast Ohio roughly east of I-271 and North of I-80 is generally referred to as either the Western Reserve or the Snow Belt (due to all the water that gets sucked up over Lake Erie & dumps as snow in that region over the winter).

The area of Northern Ohio which includes Lorain, Huron and Erie County is known as the Firelands region.

Amish Country is generally Wayne, Holmes, and parts of Knox & Richland Counties, although parts of the Western Reserve mentioned above have been also called Amish Country.

Warren & Youngstown are part of the Mahoning Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 21, 2017, 12:04:26 PM
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/08/15/yolo-versus-yolo-whats-in-a-name/

Yes Yolo to non Sacramento area residents mean "You Only Live Once" However when Sacramento residents say Yolo its for completely different reasons and it means Yolo County the territory that has West Sacramento, Davis and Woodland. And we mean it to include areas west of the Sacramento river.

Note Yolo was originally named after the natives that lived in the Sacramento area prior to Spain taking over California.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 22, 2017, 11:02:17 AM
https://www.kcet.org/redefine/understanding-californias-bay-delta-in-63-photos

Well when California refers to the Delta they mean the San Joaquin/Sacramento delta.

But in other parts of the country its the Mississippi delta.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 22, 2017, 09:19:56 PM
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/s-town_trial_will_be_held_in_b.html

Bibb County, Alabama most people outside of Alabama will know Bibb County, Alabama as the scene of the S-town podcasts.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Bruce on October 30, 2017, 11:55:46 PM
Washington:

Northwestern: Puget Sound region

Southeastern: Palouse

Central: Columbia Basin
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM
This part of Kansas is often just called "Southeast Kansas," which is rather boring.  The region just northeast of here is called the Flint Hills, which I think sounds kind of cool.

I grew up in Atwood, Kansas.  One time, I told someone in Kansas City that I was from western Kansas, and she said "You mean like Salina?"  No.  No, that's not...  OK, the world doesn't end at Manhattan, people!

Similarly, people in Chicago seem to think Champaign is in southern Illinois.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Brandon on October 31, 2017, 09:57:43 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM
Similarly, people in Chicago seem to think Champaign is in southern Illinois.

Oh hell, people from Chicago (especially the North Side) think Kankakee is southern Illinois.  Their world ends at 130th Street.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: inkyatari on October 31, 2017, 12:55:43 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM


Similarly, people in Chicago seem to think Champaign is in southern Illinois.

The term is "downstate," which also roughly applies to areas west of the Fox river, as well as south of I-80.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on October 31, 2017, 01:02:08 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_(proposed_Pacific_state)

Areas like the northern half of the Sacramento Valley to the redwood coast of California has been called as the proposed "State of Jefferson" its been mentioned multiple times from Six California proposal to future plans for decades.

Also parts of South Oregon has been mentioned to be part of this list for Jefferson. Note counties have varied over the years for this proposal.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: BakoCondors on November 05, 2017, 08:35:30 PM
Bakersfield and Kern County in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California adopted the name 'Golden Empire.' The bus system in town has been called Golden Empire Transit since the 1960s but the name didn't really register in my mind until channel 17 changed its call letters from KJTV to KGET (Kern Golden Empire Television) and branded themselves the "Heart of The Golden Empire" back in the late-1980s.

Outsiders like to derisively call us the Armpit of California  :pan:
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: roadman65 on November 05, 2017, 08:41:48 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM
This part of Kansas is often just called "Southeast Kansas," which is rather boring.  The region just northeast of here is called the Flint Hills, which I think sounds kind of cool.

I grew up in Atwood, Kansas.  One time, I told someone in Kansas City that I was from western Kansas, and she said "You mean like Salina?"  No.  No, that's not...  OK, the world doesn't end at Manhattan, people!

Similarly, people in Chicago seem to think Champaign is in southern Illinois.
Its like people where I lived in NJ would call anything above the Bronx-Westchester Border as Upstate in NY.  Yet some on here were disagreeing with that philosophy that anything in the Empire State that is not NYC or Long Island is Upstate.

Also I lived in North Central Jersey, but those way south in Salem County would even consider Toms River (South of where I grew up) as North Jersey.  A few I knew from Woodstown and Elmer area thought the world ended at the ACE of course.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jaehak on November 06, 2017, 10:01:43 AM
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM

I grew up in Atwood, Kansas.  One time, I told someone in Kansas City that I was from western Kansas, and she said "You mean like Salina?"  No.  No, that's not...  OK, the world doesn't end at Manhattan, people!


I'm from Lawrence.  West of Topeka is western Kansas.  :D
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sparker on June 23, 2018, 02:50:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.

Over here in housing-crisis central, "the valley" is quickly becoming a catch-all term for the affordable housing area east of Altamont or the Diablos; it generally takes in Discovery Bay and parts of Brentwood (although the latter is generally considered the "gateway" between the Valley and the actual Bay Area -- with housing prices somewhere in between).  Nevertheless, it mostly refers to Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Patterson, and these days even Stockton and Lodi -- anywhere where 2500sf can be gotten for about $400K or less.  This exurb concept is starting to drift southeast on CA 99 to include Ripon and Salida; Modesto has defined the practical "outer limits" of commute distances for some time now.  The ACE commute rail line (San Jose-Stockton) is presently exploring establishing some additional service lines down toward Modesto and even Turlock (and extending the present service route up to Lodi), which might prompt some enhanced consideration of those areas as viable housing options. 
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 03:05:23 PM
Quote from: sparker on June 23, 2018, 02:50:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.

Over here in housing-crisis central, "the valley" is quickly becoming a catch-all term for the affordable housing area east of Altamont or the Diablos; it generally takes in Discovery Bay and parts of Brentwood (although the latter is generally considered the "gateway" between the Valley and the actual Bay Area -- with housing prices somewhere in between).  Nevertheless, it mostly refers to Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Patterson, and these days even Stockton and Lodi -- anywhere where 2500sf can be gotten for about $400K or less.  This exurb concept is starting to drift southeast on CA 99 to include Ripon and Salida; Modesto has defined the practical "outer limits" of commute distances for some time now.  The ACE commute rail line (San Jose-Stockton) is presently exploring establishing some additional service lines down toward Modesto and even Turlock (and extending the present service route up to Lodi), which might prompt some enhanced consideration of those areas as viable housing options.

That's still incredulous to me that people would rather have a 90-120 minute commute to work just to retain a job in the Bay Area Megalopolis.  I've usually tended to bail on a Metro Area once it's approached the 3.5-4.5 million mark in the course of my own life.  At some point you'd work-life balance or lack thereof would chase people to places like Fresno, Redding or Bakersfield.  You can definitely tell that particular part of the Central Valley is starting to merge with the Bay Area, the traffic is awful heading westward during morning rush hour. 

Right now the Fresno Area is generally to be considered about a million people.  It's pretty obvious that places like Madera, Hanford and Visalia are starting to morph it into a larger metro area.  I'd give it a solid 3-4 decades before some of those civic gaps in the farm lands start to close.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Super Mateo on June 23, 2018, 03:57:15 PM
Quote from: inkyatari on October 31, 2017, 12:55:43 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2017, 09:48:42 AM


Similarly, people in Chicago seem to think Champaign is in southern Illinois.

The term is "downstate," which also roughly applies to areas west of the Fox river, as well as south of I-80.

The area I live in is being marketed as the Chicago Southland, which includes the suburbs from Burbank south and from Homer Glen east, and complete excludes anything in Indiana.  However, I've lived here my entire life, and I've never heard anyone call this area the Chicago Southland.

Really, though, people from Chicagoland only recognize two areas in Illinois:  Chicagoland and Downstate.  ANYTHING that isn't Chicagoland is considered Downstate and vice versa.

My brother lives in a region of North Carolina that includes Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, etc.  From what little I've seen, they seem to refer to the area as the Sand Hills.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 05:29:26 PM
Quote from: sparker on June 23, 2018, 02:50:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.

Over here in housing-crisis central, "the valley" is quickly becoming a catch-all term for the affordable housing area east of Altamont or the Diablos; it generally takes in Discovery Bay and parts of Brentwood (although the latter is generally considered the "gateway" between the Valley and the actual Bay Area -- with housing prices somewhere in between).  Nevertheless, it mostly refers to Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Patterson, and these days even Stockton and Lodi -- anywhere where 2500sf can be gotten for about $400K or less.  This exurb concept is starting to drift southeast on CA 99 to include Ripon and Salida; Modesto has defined the practical "outer limits" of commute distances for some time now.  The ACE commute rail line (San Jose-Stockton) is presently exploring establishing some additional service lines down toward Modesto and even Turlock (and extending the present service route up to Lodi), which might prompt some enhanced consideration of those areas as viable housing options.

Solano County especially when you see that they are the commuter county for two distinct census areas like the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento area. I do remember hearing that Temecula was the so-Cal version of Solano county where its the commuter area for San Diego and Los Angeles though.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: WestDakota on June 24, 2018, 12:07:20 AM
Quote from: jaehak on September 15, 2017, 03:28:17 PM
Quote from: DTComposer on September 14, 2017, 01:49:29 PM
Also interesting: there is no federal government-defined area that corresponds to the traditional nine-county definition of the Bay Area. The San Francisco-Oakland MSA only includes five counties (and the San Jose MSA includes an outlying county), and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland CSA includes three outlying counties (for a total of twelve).

While the government does recognize CSAs and MSAs, it's not an important distinction. The Kansas City CSA/MSA lies in two states and across multiple counties and municipalities, but there is no "CSA law" or "MSA jurisdiction."  CSAs and MSAs are much more related to TV/media markets than anything else.  The definition of the Bay Area is fluid, like most everywhere else.  Take Chicago - the traditional 6 county definition of Chicagoland is Cook, DuPage, Lake (IL), Kane, Will, and McHenry.  However, one could easily make an argument for Grundy, Lake (IN), Porter, Berrien, Kenosha, and other counties being in the mix depending on what's being looked at.  Hell, there are parts of lower Berrien County (Michigan) that are closer to the loop than parts of outer McHenry.

An MSA is definitely a government-created entity. 

Quoting wikipedia (which has a source to back it up)
"MSAs are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and used by the Census Bureau and other federal government agencies for statistical purposes."
Businesses sometimes use these to determine if they will allow a franchise into the market.  For instance, It was seen by some as important when the Bismarck, ND MSA got over 100,000 people as it opened up more franchises that would consider the area.

The TV/media markets are completely separate and are controlled by the FCC.  While sometimes similar, they can be a lot broader or narrower depending on the area.  For instance, all of Western North Dakota is in one media market for TV, but the four main towns (Bismarck, Minot, Dickinson, Williston) each have their own metropolitan or micropolitan MSA from the census side.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sparker on June 24, 2018, 01:02:05 AM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 05:29:26 PM
Quote from: sparker on June 23, 2018, 02:50:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.

Over here in housing-crisis central, "the valley" is quickly becoming a catch-all term for the affordable housing area east of Altamont or the Diablos; it generally takes in Discovery Bay and parts of Brentwood (although the latter is generally considered the "gateway" between the Valley and the actual Bay Area -- with housing prices somewhere in between).  Nevertheless, it mostly refers to Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Patterson, and these days even Stockton and Lodi -- anywhere where 2500sf can be gotten for about $400K or less.  This exurb concept is starting to drift southeast on CA 99 to include Ripon and Salida; Modesto has defined the practical "outer limits" of commute distances for some time now.  The ACE commute rail line (San Jose-Stockton) is presently exploring establishing some additional service lines down toward Modesto and even Turlock (and extending the present service route up to Lodi), which might prompt some enhanced consideration of those areas as viable housing options.

Solano County especially when you see that they are the commuter county for two distinct census areas like the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento area. I do remember hearing that Temecula was the so-Cal version of Solano county where its the commuter area for San Diego and Los Angeles though.


When it comes to general Bay Area commutes, of course the I-80 corridor through Solano County must be considered.  However, it is something of a stretch to consider that a viable option for commuters to the South Bay ("Silicon Valley" if you will), as any reasonable route (80/880 or 680) would have to wade through a mass of E-W commuters through the Walnut Creek/Concord area to & from their residences.  Thus that specific group of long-distance commuters has generally chosen the area from Brentwood east into San Joaquin County (plus tentacles into Stanislaus County as well) as the least troublesome option for affordable family-type housing.  The north side of Stockton (the location of most newer housing development) and even Lodi are becoming outposts of this phenomenon; it could be fairly said that if it weren't for the presence of the Delta and its inhospitality to development, a line from Discovery Bay to Lodi could be drawn with housing dominating everything below that line. 

And adding to that is the southward expansion of the Sacramento area due to similar dynamics there (albeit somewhat scaled-down in overall pricing).  I have a business associate in Folsom who is being priced out of her residence; she is in the process of relocating south to Galt, where rental housing remains relatively reasonable.  Galt's only about a dozen miles north of Lodi;  I predict that within 20-25 years housing will dominate the CA 99 corridor all the way from Sacramento to Turlock .  I-5 traverses the eastern reaches of the Delta, including areas unsuitable for such development because of unstable (read waterlogged) ground -- the same stuff that made that I-5 stretch the last in the Valley to be opened to traffic in 1981, so south of Elk Grove the rural status quo will likely persist.  But 99, situated on solid ground, is more than ripe for such activity.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: mrose on June 24, 2018, 04:11:45 AM
Western Slope and Four Corners were already mentioned for Colorado. I'd add:

Front Range: Denver Metro + points north on I-25 corridor including Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Boulder, Longmont
The Foothills: Transition areas immediately west of Denver such as Evergreen, Genesee, Indian Hills, Hi-Wan, Morrison, Conifer - a lot of bedroom communities
Palmer Divide: Area south of Denver around Castle Rock, Elizabeth, The Pinery, rural Douglas and Elbert counties
Eastern Plains: Pretty much the entire (flat) eastern half of Colorado out towards Kansas, from Fort Morgan and Sterling to Limon, Burlington, and down to Lamar
High Country: Pretty much the whole mountain areas and resorts - Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Loveland, Vail, etc...

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: slorydn1 on June 24, 2018, 08:17:52 AM
Locals call my part of the state the Crystal Coast, or Eastern North Carolina, or simply "The East".

"Down East"  refers specifically to far eastern Carteret County and all those little communities like Otway and Harkers Island-they even have their own language down there. When ever I would take a call from someone who is from down there (which was very rare) I had to get my partner to translate for me (she's from that area). Oddly enough I haven't had a call from a downeaster since she transferred to a different shift a few years ago.

Far eastern Pamlico County is called the Lowlands-appropriately named, they flood every time some one takes their dog out for a walk. Oh and their mosquitoes are so large the FAA requires them to have position lights and tail numbers, too, lol.

Funny thing, here in New Bern when true locals (not transplants like myself) say "down in the county" they aren't referring to Craven County where New Bern is located, they are talking about Pamlico County. They call the areas of Craven County not in New Bern as "out in the county".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on June 25, 2018, 03:07:12 AM
Quote from: sparker on June 24, 2018, 01:02:05 AM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 05:29:26 PM
Quote from: sparker on June 23, 2018, 02:50:35 PM
Quote from: bing101 on June 23, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"In The Valley" I know Southern California say this to mean the San Fernando Valley.

But in Northern California "In the Valley" can mean various areas like in the Bay Area it refers to Santa Clara Valley, But in Solano County and Sacramento it means Sacramento portion of the Central Valley.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 23, 2018, 01:49:36 PM
In San Joaquin Valley the common slang is "Central Valley"  with the locals.  A lot of outsiders lump into the larger geographic area of Northern California.

Over here in housing-crisis central, "the valley" is quickly becoming a catch-all term for the affordable housing area east of Altamont or the Diablos; it generally takes in Discovery Bay and parts of Brentwood (although the latter is generally considered the "gateway" between the Valley and the actual Bay Area -- with housing prices somewhere in between).  Nevertheless, it mostly refers to Tracy, Manteca, Lathrop, Patterson, and these days even Stockton and Lodi -- anywhere where 2500sf can be gotten for about $400K or less.  This exurb concept is starting to drift southeast on CA 99 to include Ripon and Salida; Modesto has defined the practical "outer limits" of commute distances for some time now.  The ACE commute rail line (San Jose-Stockton) is presently exploring establishing some additional service lines down toward Modesto and even Turlock (and extending the present service route up to Lodi), which might prompt some enhanced consideration of those areas as viable housing options.

Solano County especially when you see that they are the commuter county for two distinct census areas like the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento area. I do remember hearing that Temecula was the so-Cal version of Solano county where its the commuter area for San Diego and Los Angeles though.


When it comes to general Bay Area commutes, of course the I-80 corridor through Solano County must be considered.  However, it is something of a stretch to consider that a viable option for commuters to the South Bay ("Silicon Valley" if you will), as any reasonable route (80/880 or 680) would have to wade through a mass of E-W commuters through the Walnut Creek/Concord area to & from their residences.  Thus that specific group of long-distance commuters has generally chosen the area from Brentwood east into San Joaquin County (plus tentacles into Stanislaus County as well) as the least troublesome option for affordable family-type housing.  The north side of Stockton (the location of most newer housing development) and even Lodi are becoming outposts of this phenomenon; it could be fairly said that if it weren't for the presence of the Delta and its inhospitality to development, a line from Discovery Bay to Lodi could be drawn with housing dominating everything below that line. 

And adding to that is the southward expansion of the Sacramento area due to similar dynamics there (albeit somewhat scaled-down in overall pricing).  I have a business associate in Folsom who is being priced out of her residence; she is in the process of relocating south to Galt, where rental housing remains relatively reasonable.  Galt's only about a dozen miles north of Lodi;  I predict that within 20-25 years housing will dominate the CA 99 corridor all the way from Sacramento to Turlock .  I-5 traverses the eastern reaches of the Delta, including areas unsuitable for such development because of unstable (read waterlogged) ground -- the same stuff that made that I-5 stretch the last in the Valley to be opened to traffic in 1981, so south of Elk Grove the rural status quo will likely persist.  But 99, situated on solid ground, is more than ripe for such activity.

Wait Isn't Sutter, Yuba and Butte Counties supposedly becoming the northern growth areas for Sacramento and is supposedly going to get more affordable housing in areas north of Sacramento and meant for people who got priced out of Davis and Sacramento itself. I do remember hearing some of the long time residents of Sacramento talk about moving to these areas when I worked and went to school there years ago. I do know this part that Lodi and Galt were considered to become growth areas for Sacramento but the Delta Issue just overshadowed that argument though over housing in the area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: GreenLanternCorps on June 25, 2018, 10:56:23 AM
The Dayton area is usually called The Miami Valley due to the Great Miami River and the Little Miami river.

But that is never used outside of it due to the city in Florida.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US71 on June 25, 2018, 11:38:26 AM
Ft Smith/Van Buren is the River Valley

Fayetteville/Springdale, etc is NW Arkansas

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: spooky on June 25, 2018, 12:49:17 PM
The coastal towns south of Boston towards Cape Cod are commonly called the South Shore. This name is sometimes also used to describe some of the landlocked towns immediately west of the shore towns.

It is also colloquially known as the Irish Riviera because of the high percentage of Irish heritage. A lot of the Irish folks who lived in Boston would vacation on the South Shore and eventually migrated south.

https://www.irishcentral.com/homepage/the-most-irish-town-in-america-is-named-133427563-237789381
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on June 25, 2018, 02:52:33 PM
From Duluth, MN northeast, the strip of Lake Superior to the border is the North Shore or just the Shore. Geographically the North Shore stretches back around to SSM, but American definitions usually stop at the border. Similarly the strip from Superior east is called the South Shore in Wisconsin, which also I'm not sure if Michiganders use this term.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Brandon on June 25, 2018, 03:23:53 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 25, 2018, 02:52:33 PM
From Duluth, MN northeast, the strip of Lake Superior to the border is the North Shore or just the Shore. Geographically the North Shore stretches back around to SSM, but American definitions usually stop at the border. Similarly the strip from Superior east is called the South Shore in Wisconsin, which also I'm not sure if Michiganders use this term.

No, Yoopers really don't.  That's the Superior or North Coast (as opposed to the Michigan or South Coast).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: fillup420 on June 25, 2018, 11:55:55 PM
Northwestern NC is often referred to as The High Country
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sparker on June 26, 2018, 02:50:14 AM
Regarding the "Valley" (in Bay Area vernacular), more fuel has been added to the fire regarding housing affordability (or the lack thereof) in the coastal regions.  As of the first of this month, the income level required to receive housing assistance in the tri-county (San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin) area, for a family of four, is now $117.4K per year!  That now allows entry-level programmers and IT personnel to qualify for such assistance.  I'm still shaking my head......
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jon daly on June 26, 2018, 08:06:16 PM
Quote from: JJBers on August 27, 2017, 11:11:39 PM
Hartford and Springfield, MA area
Outsiders call it Northern CT and Southeastern MA
Locals call it the Connecticut River Valley

Do locals call the Mass. portion The Pioneer Valley? I seem to recall Rock 102 (WAQY) referring to it as such.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: froggie on June 27, 2018, 04:35:09 PM
^ Yes.  We have a few students up here from that area who refer to it as such (Pioneer Valley).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jon daly on June 27, 2018, 04:58:33 PM
I grew up east of Hartford during the 80s and some folks called that area East of the River. But I can't recall if it was the snobs from the 'burbs west of Hartford like Avon or Simsbury who used it derisively or if it was used by proud residents of towns such as East Hartford, Glastonbury, & Manchester.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on June 28, 2018, 11:27:37 AM
Quote from: sparker on June 26, 2018, 02:50:14 AM
Regarding the "Valley" (in Bay Area vernacular), more fuel has been added to the fire regarding housing affordability (or the lack thereof) in the coastal regions.  As of the first of this month, the income level required to receive housing assistance in the tri-county (San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin) area, for a family of four, is now $117.4K per year!  That now allows entry-level programmers and IT personnel to qualify for such assistance.  I'm still shaking my head......

Yes I heard of the saying that a crackhouse cost a million dollars in San Jose and that is no bad joke and its true sadly.

But back to the point of the thread.

"The Metro" that is what Locals of Manila,Philippines refer to Areas referring to  Manila and Suburbs but the national Philippine government refers Manila as (National Capital Region). Note Quezon City as mentioned in other threads as having more people than Manila.



But back to locals referring to their area of the state.

"Olympic Peninsula" the west side of the Puget Sound in Washington state and that has Port Angeles.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Bruce on August 02, 2018, 07:29:09 PM
Most locals would get it if I told them I was from around Everett, though that evokes negative imagery of the city's decline (a miniature version of the Rust Belt's blues).

For out-of-staters, I always open with being from "Seattle", as that's all they would be familiar with.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bzakharin on August 02, 2018, 07:45:57 PM
My office is located in EHT (it's Egg Harbor Township in contrast to Egg Harbor City) to the locals, and I mean people who live or work in Atlantic County, NJ. For other New Jerseyans (and for that matter the Philly metro area) it's "Down the shore". To anyone further away, it's Atlantic City, or just New Jersey.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ModernDayWarrior on August 02, 2018, 10:26:24 PM
Some nicknames for the different parts of Missouri I've lived in...

The St. Louis metro is sometimes called the Bi-State Area or just the Bi-State. The Illinois portion of it is usually called the Metro East.

The central part of the state, specifically Columbia, Boone County and neighboring counties, is called Little Dixie.

Southeastern Missouri is often shortened to SEMO, and sometimes referred to as the Bootheel, even the parts of it that aren't geographically part of the Bootheel. Lots of people also mispronounce it as "Boothill."

Not sure I've ever heard a nickname for the southwest part of the state. I guess some people call it "the 417" (referring to the area code in that part of the state).

The entire southern third of the state or so often gets lumped together as "the Ozarks," again including some places that aren't actually part of the Ozark Mountains.

I'm not familiar with any nicknames for the Kansas City metro, the northern part of the state, or other regions.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: kphoger on November 15, 2018, 01:56:09 PM
I've skimmed through this whole thread, and I don't see any references to "Middle ________".  There have been a few "Mid-______", but not using the whole word "Middle".  I know there's such a things as Middle Tennessee, but I'm curious to know if there are any other regions in the US that are referred to in that way.

???
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ipeters61 on November 15, 2018, 03:56:25 PM
Living in Dover: I don't think anybody has a name for it, but probably the boring "Central Delaware" or just "Kent County."  However, depending on where you consider Southern Delaware to begin (some say it's the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, I'd say it's Smyrna, with a break in the culture in Dover), it would be "Lower Slower."

I grew up "east of the (Connecticut) river" in South Windsor, Connecticut.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 89 on November 15, 2018, 04:52:10 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 15, 2018, 01:56:09 PM
I've skimmed through this whole thread, and I don't see any references to "Middle ________".  There have been a few "Mid-______", but not using the whole word "Middle".  I know there's such a things as Middle Tennessee, but I'm curious to know if there are any other regions in the US that are referred to in that way.

???

The area of Georgia centered around Macon is known as "Middle Georgia".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: wriddle082 on November 15, 2018, 05:10:41 PM
The central part of South Carolina, including Columbia and Sumter, is referred to as the Midlands, since it's between the Upstate (NW SC counties) and the Low Country (most of the southern part of the state).

Other regions of the state include:
* The CSRA (Central Savannah River Area), which includes Augusta, GA, North Augusta and Aiken, SC, and surrounding counties in both states
* The Pee Dee (Florence area)
* The Sand Hills (NW of the Pee Dee, includes Rockingham, NC area)
* The Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach area)
* Even though the counties close to Charlotte (York, Chester, Lancaster) are supposed to be part of "Metrolina" , I have never heard a local nor a news reporter refer to the Charlotte area as such.  So I guess you would just call that area Greater Charlotte.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ET21 on November 16, 2018, 03:21:43 PM
Chicagoland
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: PAHighways on November 17, 2018, 10:30:27 AM
Quote from: Henry on August 28, 2017, 09:50:23 AM
*Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are part of Western PA and Eastern PA, respectively, with South added to better reflect their actual locations in the state.

The Pittsburgh area is also referred to as the tri-state area (PA, OH, WV).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Techknow on November 21, 2018, 06:19:12 PM
I was watching a Senate Bill 1 Spotlight video, and I noticed that the narrator mentioned "the North State" near Redding, CA. I know people say Northern California in my region, but that generally refers to all of California north of the SLO, Kern, and San Bernardino county lines. I have never heard of "the North State" until I watched the video. Googling the term didn't yield much. Does anyone know it came to be?

Here's the video, the term is at 0:38:

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: jbnv on November 22, 2018, 10:16:22 AM
Quote from: bassoon1986 on September 04, 2017, 10:45:37 PM
Here are the Louisiana ones I'm familiar with:

Shreveport/NW Louisiana - ArkLaTex
Monroe/NE Louisiana - ArkLaMiss
Alexandria area- Cenla
Lafayette area - Acadiana
Hammond/Covington/Slidell - The Northshore

I'm not sure if Northshore includes the parishes in the "toe of the boot" that border Mississippi or just the areas bordering Lake Ponchartrain. I've occasionally heard of this whole area along the I-12 corridor called the Florida Parishes, a throwback to the time when the area east of the MS River still belonged to Spanish Florida.

Let me help you with that.

The "Florida Parishes" are indeed all of the parishes that were, very briefly, part of the "West Florida Republic." The "Northshore" is basically limited to the corridor from Hammond to Slidell. Some people will refer to northern Tangipahoa or even Washington Parish as part of "the Northshore," but that's a stretch.

The New Orleans area is commonly called, appropriately, "the Southshore." New Orleans media use "Southshore" and "Northshore" to distinguish between the two halfs of the area. Within "the Southshore", you have "the Westbank" and "the Eastbank" of the Mississippi.

Depending on which definition of Acadiana you use, it's either eight parishes surrounding Lafayette, or 22 parishes making a large triangle from Lake Charles to Marksville to lower Lafourche Parish. The latter definition reflects the presence of Cajun communities in Avoyelles and Lafourche parishes.

"Cenla" is basically everything north of Acadiana and south of the Ark-La-Tex-Miss, including Natchitoches.

You also have:

* Baton Rouge calls itself "the Capital Region" or "the Capital Area."

* "The River Parishes": St. James, St. John and St. Charles parishes.

* "Down the bayou": Everything south of Houma and Thibodaux.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: skluth on November 24, 2018, 12:43:55 AM
Just discovered this thread. I've lived a few places, so I will address each area separately.

Quote from: 1995hoo on August 29, 2017, 07:26:13 AM
Quote from: Thing 342 on August 28, 2017, 11:57:02 PM
Locals usually call the Newport News / Norfolk / VA Beach / et al area by the name of Hampton Roads, or occasionally the Tidewater if they're a bit older. Anyone referring to it as SE Virginia is likely to be from out-of-state.

Historically, the term "Tidewater" was broader than that and referred to one of three general geographic portions of Virginia–Tidewater, Piedmont, and "Valley-and-Ridge" (the last of these a term you'd never hear today and I've seldom heard outside Virginia history class in school growing up!). The line between "Tidewater" and "Piedmont" was roughly, though not necessarily exactly, where the fall line is on the various rivers. Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville takes its name from the traditional region, for example.

When I lived in Portsmouth, nobody referred to anything north/west of Yorktown and Suffolk as Tidewater. I know it's geographically the Coastal Plain up to the Fall Line, but usually people just used the local county or town/city name or other major landmark (e.g., Ft Hill). Other regions I remember are the Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, Northern Virginia (approx NE of Quantico to Leesburg), and SW Virginia (anything west of Roanoke). As mentioned elsewhere, Tidewater is divided into the Peninsula north of the James River and the Southside (everything from Suffolk to Va Beach). Names both locals and textbooks used include the Delmarva (Peninsula) and the Outer Banks. I only times I ever heard people refer to the Piedmont was when referring to the I-85 corridor in NC from Charlotte to the Research Triangle area, although I am aware it refers to everything between the Fall Line/Coastal Plain and the Blue Ridge from Virginia to Georgia. 

Younger people also refer to Tidewater as the 757 after the local area code.

Quote
If I tell someone not from Virginia or Maryland where I live, I'd tell them I live in the DC area because "Northern Virginia," the name most commonly used here, wouldn't necessarily mean anything to them. When I was in college at UVA, everyone there referred to Northern Virginia as "NOVA," but if you say that here, people think of Northern Virginia Community College, most often the location on Route 236 between the Beltway and Fairfax City (when I was a kid and there was a stigma against community colleges, people called it "Turnpike Tech" or "Harvard on the Highway," the former a reference to its location on Little River Turnpike).

I've never heard anyone over the age of 30, other than some newspaper reporters trying to look what they think is trendy, refer to the area as "the DMV."
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: skluth on November 24, 2018, 01:13:46 AM
Quote from: mgk920 on August 28, 2017, 09:42:34 PM
The Appleton/Green Bay/Oshkosh, WI area, alternatively 'Northeastern Wisconsin' or the 'Fox Valley/Fox River Valley'.

TV station WFRV (Channel 5 in Green Bay) stands for 'Fox River Valley'.

The Green Bay metro area is also sometimes self-referred to as 'The Bay Area'.

Mike

Just adding to the above. I grew up in Green Bay.

The Fox Cities extend from Neenah to Kaukauna, though it also sometimes includes Oshkosh. LIke the rest of Wisconsin and Michigan, we refer to the Upper Peninsula as the U.P. Up North generally refers to anything north of WI 29 to the U.P. Door County typically means the part of Door County north of Sturgeon Bay. South of Sturgeon Bay is referred to Southern Door. The part of the Niagara Escarpment near Green Bay is called The Ledge.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: skluth on November 24, 2018, 01:32:35 AM
Quote from: ModernDayWarrior on August 02, 2018, 10:26:24 PM
Some nicknames for the different parts of Missouri I've lived in...

The St. Louis metro is sometimes called the Bi-State Area or just the Bi-State. The Illinois portion of it is usually called the Metro East.

The central part of the state, specifically Columbia, Boone County and neighboring counties, is called Little Dixie.

Southeastern Missouri is often shortened to SEMO, and sometimes referred to as the Bootheel, even the parts of it that aren't geographically part of the Bootheel. Lots of people also mispronounce it as "Boothill."

Not sure I've ever heard a nickname for the southwest part of the state. I guess some people call it "the 417" (referring to the area code in that part of the state).

The entire southern third of the state or so often gets lumped together as "the Ozarks," again including some places that aren't actually part of the Ozark Mountains.

I'm not familiar with any nicknames for the Kansas City metro, the northern part of the state, or other regions.

I also spent over 25 years in St Louis. We used both the Bi-State and Metro East terms pretty regularly. The entire area refers to Jefferson County as Jeffco. I don't think any other county was similarly shorthanded. We only refer to the actual Bootheel of Missouri as the Bootheel. It doesn't include Sikeston or Cape Girardeau (which is locally referred to as just Cape). SEMO usually was anything SE of a line through Perryville and Poplar Bluff. The Lake specifically means Lake of the Ozarks region.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: skluth on November 24, 2018, 02:25:26 AM
Quote from: Desert Man on August 29, 2017, 01:35:46 PM
The "Southwest" (we're a desert like Phoenix and Vegas) followed by "Inland Empire" (Palm Springs area sometimes treated as a separate region) and "Southland" (esp. LA basin/the OC). We're another part of the "So Cal" (the state California) and West coast (the nation USA). And the 3 valleys of the Coachella valley: "West" - Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, "Mid" - Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. And "East" - Indio, Coachella and La Quinta. Interestingly, Indio is the oldest, largest and county seat city (we're part of Riverside county), Palm Desert is the center, didn't really exist in the mid 20th century and wealthiest, and Palm Springs is the most famous and visited (we're the "Palm Springs, not Indio" area).

I've only heard the Inland Empire referring to the area around Riverside and San Bernardino cities. I live in Palm Springs and you have the Coachella Valley part pretty accurate. Big Bear is the entire San Bernardino Mountains area above San Bernardino and Redlands. I've also heard the weather people refer to the area around Joshua Tree and north as the Upper Desert.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on March 18, 2019, 09:23:32 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4)

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest)
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Bruce on March 19, 2019, 02:08:23 AM
Quote from: bing101 on March 18, 2019, 09:23:32 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4)

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest)


Yeah, the semi-arid area east of the Cascades has been called the "Inland Empire" since the early 20th century.

Though recently they've been trying to secede and call themselves the State of Liberty.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:58:48 AM
After perusing this thread for near 15 minutes, I have a couple (please excuse if I list something already mentioned--trying to read 7 pages quickly)...

Where I live, Northern Kentucky, for the suburban area south of Cincinnati.
I have heard the term "Kentuckiana" on TV stations in the Louisville area.
The area of New York State from Bemus Point to Binghamton as the Southern Tier.
I have heard truckers on CB refer to the capital of Tennessee as "Crashville".
Centralia, PA as "Silent Hill".   :-D (just kidding)
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Flint1979 on March 19, 2019, 07:03:03 AM
There is a sign in Birch Run on I-75 that was installed within the last 5 years or so that says GREAT LAKES BAY REGION on it. I guess that's the part of the Great Lakes we're in but the Saginaw Bay isn't the only Bay on the Great Lakes.

I consider it Mid-Michigan or Central Michigan.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ipeters61 on March 19, 2019, 07:57:24 AM
Quote from: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).
Do any of you use the term steamed hams? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDUIGvpDolw
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 81 on March 19, 2019, 07:59:26 AM
Two notes on Texas:

The Trans-Pecos area is often called 'the wing-tip.'

San Antonio and Austin are 80mi apart within the Hill Country, and yet San Antonio is usually 'south Texas' and Austin is usually 'central Texas.' 
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 12:21:03 PM
Quote from: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
I grew up in western MA.  Can't put my finger on exactly when people would use "Pioneer Valley" rather than "western MA." Both were quite common (e.g., PVTA), but there is some subtle contextual difference where someone would use one rather than the other.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: frankenroad on March 19, 2019, 01:16:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 12:21:03 PM
Quote from: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
I grew up in western MA.  Can't put my finger on exactly when people would use "Pioneer Valley" rather than "western MA." Both were quite common (e.g., PVTA), but there is some subtle contextual difference where someone would use one rather than the other.

My ex-wife is from Pittsfield.   That is definitely Western MA and NOT the Pioneer Valley.   

I would suggest that Western MA is divided into two parts - the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 01:20:50 PM


Quote from: frankenroad on March 19, 2019, 01:16:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 12:21:03 PM
Quote from: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
I grew up in western MA.  Can't put my finger on exactly when people would use "Pioneer Valley" rather than "western MA." Both were quite common (e.g., PVTA), but there is some subtle contextual difference where someone would use one rather than the other.

My ex-wife is from Pittsfield.   That is definitely Western MA and NOT the Pioneer Valley.   

I would suggest that Western MA is divided into two parts - the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley.

Well, of course Pittsfield is out in the boondocks and not in the Pioneer Valley.

I grew up in the Pioneer Valley, where people use both terms, but not always interchangeably.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ipeters61 on March 19, 2019, 02:34:30 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 01:20:50 PM


Quote from: frankenroad on March 19, 2019, 01:16:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 12:21:03 PM
Quote from: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
I grew up in western MA.  Can't put my finger on exactly when people would use "Pioneer Valley" rather than "western MA." Both were quite common (e.g., PVTA), but there is some subtle contextual difference where someone would use one rather than the other.

My ex-wife is from Pittsfield.   That is definitely Western MA and NOT the Pioneer Valley.   

I would suggest that Western MA is divided into two parts - the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley.

Well, of course Pittsfield is out in the boondocks and not in the Pioneer Valley.

I grew up in the Pioneer Valley, where people use both terms, but not always interchangeably.
As someone from the northern part of Connecticut, I rarely heard Pioneer Valley when referring to the Springfield area, it was usually just lumped in as Western Mass.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 04:17:53 PM
Quote from: ipeters61 on March 19, 2019, 02:34:30 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 01:20:50 PM


Quote from: frankenroad on March 19, 2019, 01:16:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on March 19, 2019, 12:21:03 PM
Quote from: Ben114 on March 19, 2019, 07:46:17 AM
I live in the Blackstone Valley, could be known as just the Valley, outsiders would just call this part of the larger Central Massachusetts or the Worcester area.
I grew up in western MA.  Can't put my finger on exactly when people would use "Pioneer Valley" rather than "western MA." Both were quite common (e.g., PVTA), but there is some subtle contextual difference where someone would use one rather than the other.

My ex-wife is from Pittsfield.   That is definitely Western MA and NOT the Pioneer Valley.   

I would suggest that Western MA is divided into two parts - the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley.

Well, of course Pittsfield is out in the boondocks and not in the Pioneer Valley.

I grew up in the Pioneer Valley, where people use both terms, but not always interchangeably.
As someone from the northern part of Connecticut, I rarely heard Pioneer Valley when referring to the Springfield area, it was usually just lumped in as Western Mass.
Probably more used north of the Holyoke Range.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: webny99 on March 19, 2019, 08:10:27 PM
I can't believe this thread has made it this far without getting moved to a more appropriate board: Off-topic, or maybe Travel?
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: X99 on March 19, 2019, 08:21:55 PM
Area: South Dakota, everything west of the Missouri River
Outsiders call it: western South Dakota
Local name: West River

It's the same for the other side of the state: East River.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 02:24:17 PM
Everything north of WI-29 is generally the Northwoods. The southeast part of the state is just "Milwaukee". The Fox Valley is Oshkosh/Appleton/Green Bay.
As for other states, "Chicago" is a synonym of Illinois. Upper Michigan is "The UP", or Upper Peninsula.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on July 02, 2019, 01:33:58 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Saigon,_Orange_County

https://visitanaheim.org/blog/little-saigon-the-vietnamese-heart-of-orange-county (https://visitanaheim.org/blog/little-saigon-the-vietnamese-heart-of-orange-county)

Locals know the area surrounding Disneyland as Little Saigon in Orange County. But Outsiders know Anaheim as simply the area as Disneyland or the Anaheim Resort District.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaheim_Resort
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sprjus4 on July 02, 2019, 02:38:50 PM
Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Southeast Virginia, etc.

Outsiders just pick a big city in the area such as Virginia Beach or Norfolk and refer to anything and everywhere in the Hampton Roads area as that.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on July 02, 2019, 03:04:20 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).

Is there a region of New York that calls itself "Upstate New York?"

It seems like a term that outsiders use to describe the parts of the state that are outside of the NYC Metro Area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Roadgeekteen on July 02, 2019, 03:37:26 PM
metro Boston. maybe metro west.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: vdeane on July 02, 2019, 09:24:50 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on July 02, 2019, 03:04:20 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).

Is there a region of New York that calls itself "Upstate New York?"

It seems like a term that outsiders use to describe the parts of the state that are outside of the NYC Metro Area.
I guess I'm the exact opposite.  I grew up in the Rochester area and everyone I knew always thought of themselves as "Upstate NY".  Same for now that I live near Albany.  I've always understood regions like Central NY, the Finger Lakes, the North Country as being subsets of Upstate.

In fact, the line for what one considered "Upstate" moves south the further southeast one goes!  To the Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse area, is the part of the state north of the flat part of the PA border (and where it would be if it extended across the whole state).  To the Capital District, it's around I-84.  To the North Country, it's the Adirondacks.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: webny99 on July 02, 2019, 09:51:27 PM
^ Yep, I would endorse that. I think of myself as being from Upstate NY. Western NY and the Finger Lakes are subsets.

I actually hadn't heard of the term North Country until more recently; everything north and east of Syracuse was just "the Adirondacks".
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: planxtymcgillicuddy on July 02, 2019, 11:30:48 PM
Here in northwest NC, most refer to it as simply "The High Country"
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: ipeters61 on July 03, 2019, 08:06:50 AM
Quote from: vdeane on July 02, 2019, 09:24:50 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on July 02, 2019, 03:04:20 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).

Is there a region of New York that calls itself "Upstate New York?"

It seems like a term that outsiders use to describe the parts of the state that are outside of the NYC Metro Area.
I guess I'm the exact opposite.  I grew up in the Rochester area and everyone I knew always thought of themselves as "Upstate NY".  Same for now that I live near Albany.  I've always understood regions like Central NY, the Finger Lakes, the North Country as being subsets of Upstate.

In fact, the line for what one considered "Upstate" moves south the further southeast one goes!  To the Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse area, is the part of the state north of the flat part of the PA border (and where it would be if it extended across the whole state).  To the Capital District, it's around I-84.  To the North Country, it's the Adirondacks.
Is there such a thing as "Downstate New York"?  I always thought it was north of NYC but south of I-84.  I have a friend who's from Brooklyn/Long Island and she says there's no such thing, but I've heard the term before.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: hotdogPi on July 03, 2019, 08:08:56 AM
Quote from: ipeters61 on July 03, 2019, 08:06:50 AM
Quote from: vdeane on July 02, 2019, 09:24:50 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on July 02, 2019, 03:04:20 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on March 19, 2019, 04:42:31 AM
Quote from: Sam on August 28, 2017, 09:44:12 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 28, 2017, 07:16:34 AM
Here in Albany, it's the "Capital District" or you say you are from the city you are in (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).  If you are in a suburb, you say the "Albany area" to outsiders.

Here it's the "Finger Lakes region" (or "Western New York" or "Central New York"). Never "upstate".
Amen! (from a Syracuse area native).

Is there a region of New York that calls itself "Upstate New York?"

It seems like a term that outsiders use to describe the parts of the state that are outside of the NYC Metro Area.
I guess I'm the exact opposite.  I grew up in the Rochester area and everyone I knew always thought of themselves as "Upstate NY".  Same for now that I live near Albany.  I've always understood regions like Central NY, the Finger Lakes, the North Country as being subsets of Upstate.

In fact, the line for what one considered "Upstate" moves south the further southeast one goes!  To the Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse area, is the part of the state north of the flat part of the PA border (and where it would be if it extended across the whole state).  To the Capital District, it's around I-84.  To the North Country, it's the Adirondacks.
Is there such a thing as "Downstate New York"?  I always thought it was north of NYC but south of I-84.  I have a friend who's from Brooklyn/Long Island and she says there's no such thing, but I've heard the term before.

Downstate is everything that's not Upstate, including NYC itself.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: webny99 on July 03, 2019, 08:31:02 AM
Quote from: ipeters61 on July 03, 2019, 08:06:50 AM
Is there such a thing as "Downstate New York"?  I always thought it was north of NYC but south of I-84.  I have a friend who's from Brooklyn/Long Island and she says there's no such thing, but I've heard the term before.

To me, downstate is anything south of I-84 (roughly), but anyone who lives below that line would likely say downstate does not exist, or at least is not an appropriate term. The prevailing attitude in NYC and Long Island is that I am the one from NY, and this is NY, no clarification needed, and anyone who is from the state but not the NYC area needs to specify "upstate". I guess a certain amount of arrogance is built in to coming from the largest city in the country; doesn't surprise me one bit that they don't want to be referred to as "downstate", instead preferring "NY", with "City" being assumed.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on July 03, 2019, 08:35:23 AM
There is a whole thread dedicated to the upstate/downstate debate.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: skluth on July 03, 2019, 12:07:44 PM
Quote from: sprjus4 on July 02, 2019, 02:38:50 PM
Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Southeast Virginia, etc.

Outsiders just pick a big city in the area such as Virginia Beach or Norfolk and refer to anything and everywhere in the Hampton Roads area as that.

Sounds right. It's also subdivided into the Southside (Norfolk, VA Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk) and the Peninsula (Newport News, Hampton). Technically, the Peninsula also includes Williamsburg and Yorktown, but it's a less flexible definition. There are also some old communities that were absorbed when all the old counties incorporated like Sandbridge and Denbigh.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on July 03, 2019, 08:51:55 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise,_Nevada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip

Outsiders think "The Strip" is in the city of Las Vegas. But Locals know "The Strip" is being in Paradise, NV.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: stwoodbury on July 04, 2019, 04:26:00 AM
Quote from: Bruce on March 19, 2019, 02:08:23 AM
Quote from: bing101 on March 18, 2019, 09:23:32 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4)

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest)


Yeah, the semi-arid area east of the Cascades has been called the "Inland Empire" since the early 20th century.

Though recently they've been trying to secede and call themselves the State of Liberty.
This clip brought back some memories because I lived in the Spokane area when that was aired.

The "Inland Empire"  Or "Inland Northwest"  includes the area between the Cascades in Washington and Montana with Spokane as the de facto capital, basically Eastern Washington and North Idaho (a local term for the Panhandle). Some more expansive visions include Western Montana, NE Oregon, and even parts of Canada (which is roughly the broadcast market for the three Spokane TV networks KHQ, KREM, and KXLY).

The Spokane based media uses the terms Inland Empire or Inland Northwest for the whole region but in that part of Idaho, the locals prefer the term North Idaho (not Northern Idaho but "North"  Idaho as if it were its own State like North Carolina or North Dakota).

There have been a few notions of creating a separate State of Lincoln or Columbia for this area, since Eastern WA and North Idaho are isolated from their respective state capitals, but none of them went very far. The latest Liberty initiative (which only includes Eastern Washington as far as I know) is a conservative revolt against the more populated and more liberal Western Washington.






iPhone
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on July 04, 2019, 09:34:26 AM
Quote from: stwoodbury on July 04, 2019, 04:26:00 AM
Quote from: Bruce on March 19, 2019, 02:08:23 AM
Quote from: bing101 on March 18, 2019, 09:23:32 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4)

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest)


Yeah, the semi-arid area east of the Cascades has been called the "Inland Empire" since the early 20th century.

Though recently they've been trying to secede and call themselves the State of Liberty.

This clip brought back some memories because I lived in the Spokane area when that was aired.

The "Inland Empire"  Or "Inland Northwest"  includes the area between the Cascades in Washington and Montana with Spokane as the de facto capital, basically Eastern Washington and North Idaho (a local term for the Panhandle). Some more expansive visions include Western Montana, NE Oregon, and even parts of Canada (which is roughly the broadcast market for the three Spokane TV networks KHQ, KREM, and KXLY).

The Spokane based media uses the terms Inland Empire or Inland Northwest for the whole region but in that part of Idaho, the locals prefer the term North Idaho (not Northern Idaho but "North"  Idaho as if it were its own State like North Carolina or North Dakota).

There have been a few notions of creating a separate State of Lincoln or Columbia for this area, since Eastern WA and North Idaho are isolated from their respective state capitals, but none of them went very far. The latest Liberty initiative (which only includes Eastern Washington as far as I know) is a conservative revolt against the more populated and more liberal Western Washington.






Thanks I never knew there was another Inland Empire besides the California one.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: johnintx on July 08, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: AlexandriaVA on July 08, 2019, 09:58:21 PM
At least in VA, Alexandria and Arlington are usually considered inner suburbs. Then you've got middle suburbs (Fairfax and to a lesser extent Prince William counties) and then outer suburbs/exurbs (Loudoun, etc).

I think that most people in the US would consider Alexandria and Arlington urban, as well as many parts of Fairfax. Not as sure about outer areas like Loudoun and PW County because I don't ever really get out that way, but I know there are some malls/town centers and such. Loudoun and PW are where Nova start to creep towards rural.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bassoon1986 on July 08, 2019, 11:06:28 PM
Quote from: johnintx on July 08, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.

Golden Triangle is also used in DFW. The triangle being Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth


iPhone
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Konza on July 10, 2019, 05:57:21 PM
Anything south of the Gila River is often referred to as Baja Arizona.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: 3467 on July 10, 2019, 08:14:25 PM
I am in Western Illinois also known as forgottonia  based on paucity of 4 lane roads. On rare occasion Illowa and even Chicagoland  based on McCormick s original definition of the daily home delivery of the Tribune.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Road Hog on July 11, 2019, 02:21:29 AM
Quote from: johnintx on July 08, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.

I would throw in a few others. The counties bordering the Red River are generally called Texoma, specifically between Paris and Wichita Falls. The area around Abilene is known as the Big Country – you enter it once you climb Ranger Hill, which is really an escarpment to a very flat plateau. (To me anything west of I-35 is West Texas, but the locals definitely do discriminate.)

And there is a dividing line between the Panhandle and West Texas, basically the parallel that separates the counties contained within the part where the Texas-Oklahoma border starts heading north from the river from the ones south of it. In other words, Amarillo is Panhandle, Lubbock is West Texas.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: johnintx on July 12, 2019, 09:02:09 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on July 11, 2019, 02:21:29 AM
I would throw in a few others. The counties bordering the Red River are generally called Texoma, specifically between Paris and Wichita Falls. The area around Abilene is known as the Big Country – you enter it once you climb Ranger Hill, which is really an escarpment to a very flat plateau. (To me anything west of I-35 is West Texas, but the locals definitely do discriminate.)

And there is a dividing line between the Panhandle and West Texas, basically the parallel that separates the counties contained within the part where the Texas-Oklahoma border starts heading north from the river from the ones south of it. In other words, Amarillo is Panhandle, Lubbock is West Texas.

I should remember the Big Country. My wife went to school in Abilene.  :-o And yes, it starts at Ranger Hill. Though I feel like I've hit west Texas when I pass Weatherford, or even West Loop 820 in Fort Worth.  :-D

Lubbock is also called the South Plains, Midland & Odessa are called the Permian Basin, and San Angelo is called the Concho Valley. Those of us east of I-35 simply call it all West Texas. Amarillo, though, is most definitely the Panhandle.

And yes, that area on the Red River calls itself Texoma, or Texomaland. I'm old enough to remember when they called themselves North Texas. That name got swallowed up by the growth of the DFW area.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: stwoodbury on July 13, 2019, 01:15:21 AM
Quote from: AlexandriaVA on July 08, 2019, 09:58:21 PM
At least in VA, Alexandria and Arlington are usually considered inner suburbs. Then you've got middle suburbs (Fairfax and to a lesser extent Prince William counties) and then outer suburbs/exurbs (Loudoun, etc).

I think that most people in the US would consider Alexandria and Arlington urban, as well as many parts of Fairfax. Not as sure about outer areas like Loudoun and PW County because I don't ever really get out that way, but I know there are some malls/town centers and such. Loudoun and PW are where Nova start to creep towards rural.
I used to drive through Loudoun County every day. The western half of the county is rural but the eastern half (Leesburg, Ashburn, Dulles Airport) is fairly well developed.


iPhone
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: sprjus4 on July 13, 2019, 10:31:47 PM
Quote from: johnintx on July 08, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.
I've only used and heard "Corpus" from locals, including family. "Coastal Bend" is a first.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 81 on July 16, 2019, 11:21:57 AM
Quote from: johnintx on July 12, 2019, 09:02:09 PM

...
And yes, that area on the Red River calls itself Texoma, or Texomaland. I'm old enough to remember when they called themselves North Texas. That name got swallowed up by the growth of the DFW area.

I, too am old enough to remember when Texoma was just the lake. In those days, many made the distinction between "North Central Texas" = DFW urban/suburban and "North Texas" rural and south of the Red, including Paris, Gainesville and Sherman/Denison
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: US 81 on July 16, 2019, 11:26:07 AM
Quote from: sprjus4 on July 13, 2019, 10:31:47 PM
Quote from: johnintx on July 08, 2019, 08:55:36 PM
The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.
I've only used and heard "Corpus" from locals, including family. "Coastal Bend" is a first.

I have understood "Coastal Bend" to refer to a large region (more or less centered on Corpus to be sure) from about Matagorda Bay south to South Padre.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on July 16, 2019, 11:31:45 AM
"Coastal Bend" sounds like someone's got indigestion.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: StogieGuy7 on July 16, 2019, 01:55:19 PM
Quote from: thspfc on March 30, 2019, 02:24:17 PM
The southeast part of the state is just "Milwaukee".

No.  I live near Kenosha and can assure you that the overall region (SE 1/4 of the state) is called "Southeast Wisconsin").  In fact, moving here from the Chicago area I was surprised to learn that what people consider to be the Milwaukee area is basically limited to Milwaukee and the WOW counties.  Racine and Kenosha are considered outside the area, as Fond du Lac or Sheboygan would be.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: 20160805 on July 20, 2019, 05:36:22 PM
My metro area is often known, both by insiders and by people on the news, as "the Fox Cities", which makes sense as it's right along the Fox River.  People from outside Wisconsin would more than likely just call it Appleton.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: webny99 on July 22, 2019, 10:27:52 AM
Seems funny to mention it after almost 200 replies, but shouldn't this be in the off-topic board?
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thspfc on August 08, 2019, 09:07:42 AM
Quote from: 20160805 on July 20, 2019, 05:36:22 PM
My metro area is often known, both by insiders and by people on the news, as "the Fox Cities", which makes sense as it's right along the Fox River.  People from outside Wisconsin would more than likely just call it Appleton.
I call it the Fox Valley. Really no difference though.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: kphoger on August 08, 2019, 01:08:47 PM
To my ears, "Fox Valley" refers to places in Illinois.  Specifically Aurora up to Elgin for me, although the region does extend beyond there.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: thspfc on August 08, 2019, 03:23:06 PM
Quote from: kphoger on August 08, 2019, 01:08:47 PM
To my ears, "Fox Valley" refers to places in Illinois.  Specifically Aurora up to Elgin for me, although the region does extend beyond there.
You would be correct - except there is no hills or valleys, or any vertical topography whatsoever, in Illinois.  :pan:
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: kphoger on August 08, 2019, 04:10:24 PM
Quote from: thspfc on August 08, 2019, 03:23:06 PM
there is no hills or valleys, or any vertical topography whatsoever, in Illinois.

Having lived in southern Illinois, I strongly disagree.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Mrt90 on August 08, 2019, 05:37:53 PM
The high school conference in that part of Wisconsin is called the Fox Valley Association, so the term Fox Valley is definitely used up there, too.  I live and work in between those two areas and I hear it used in reference to Wisconsin much more than Illinois. 

There's actually some discussion of the 2 Fox Valleys much earlier in this topic.  So to repeat myself from earlier, the Fox River in the Appleton, Wisconsin area and the Fox River in Elgin, Illinois are not the same river, although the Fox River that runs though the Fox Valley in Illinois begins in Wisconsin.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: allniter89 on September 16, 2019, 10:06:06 PM
yonder :bigass:
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: hotdogPi on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 02:06:59 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

Your analysis is making too broad of a conclusion given actual nuances in the composition of the population.

Like I said, compared to Northampton and Amherst.  There is definitely a higher number of conservatives as you go west, no matter which way the majority elects their representatives.

The conservatism of the area east of the Valley went without saying, although the idea that Amherst isn't liberal is laughable, going by your generalization.

In any matter, my overall point is that the signs regarding the Valley are further out than some people really consider the Valley.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: KEVIN_224 on September 22, 2019, 03:44:48 PM
It seems like Massachusetts just signs it that way for the whole 55 miles of I-91, from the Connecticut and Vermont borders. Here it's simply central Connecticut while some will say greater Hartford. I get to within a few hundred feet of the state's geographical center on my walks in Berlin. Without giving the exact address away, I'll just say it's very close to CT Route 372, where traffic dumps out onto it from the Berlin Fair every September.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on September 22, 2019, 10:06:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 02:06:59 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

Your analysis is making too broad of a conclusion given actual nuances in the composition of the population.

Like I said, compared to Northampton and Amherst.  There is definitely a higher number of conservatives as you go west, no matter which way the majority elects their representatives.

The conservatism of the area east of the Valley went without saying, although the idea that Amherst isn't liberal is laughable, going by your generalization.

In any matter, my overall point is that the signs regarding the Valley are further out than some people really consider the Valley.

This seems like a good discussion for the "parts of state isolated from the rest of their state" thread because Massachusetts west of I-91 definitely feels more like Vermont than it does the rest of the state. Vermont's hill people are also fairly conservative.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 23, 2019, 07:02:28 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 22, 2019, 10:06:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 02:06:59 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

Your analysis is making too broad of a conclusion given actual nuances in the composition of the population.

Like I said, compared to Northampton and Amherst.  There is definitely a higher number of conservatives as you go west, no matter which way the majority elects their representatives.

The conservatism of the area east of the Valley went without saying, although the idea that Amherst isn't liberal is laughable, going by your generalization.

In any matter, my overall point is that the signs regarding the Valley are further out than some people really consider the Valley.

This seems like a good discussion for the "parts of state isolated from the rest of their state" thread because Massachusetts west of I-91 definitely feels more like Vermont than it does the rest of the state. Vermont's hill people are also fairly conservative.
And yet, I think culturally, western MA is still distinguished from VT.  Bennington, North Adams and Williamstown are all distinct locations, for example.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: The Nature Boy on September 23, 2019, 10:19:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2019, 07:02:28 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 22, 2019, 10:06:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 02:06:59 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

Your analysis is making too broad of a conclusion given actual nuances in the composition of the population.

Like I said, compared to Northampton and Amherst.  There is definitely a higher number of conservatives as you go west, no matter which way the majority elects their representatives.

The conservatism of the area east of the Valley went without saying, although the idea that Amherst isn't liberal is laughable, going by your generalization.

In any matter, my overall point is that the signs regarding the Valley are further out than some people really consider the Valley.

This seems like a good discussion for the "parts of state isolated from the rest of their state" thread because Massachusetts west of I-91 definitely feels more like Vermont than it does the rest of the state. Vermont's hill people are also fairly conservative.
And yet, I think culturally, western MA is still distinguished from VT.  Bennington, North Adams and Williamstown are all distinct locations, for example.

And Bennington is distinct from Newport or White River Junction. I think that Western MA has more in common with Vermont writ large than it does with the rest of MA. It's less industrial than Springfield, Worcester, and Lowell, isn't coastal like SE MA and the Cape, and certainly isn't a sprawling metro like the Rt. 128 corridor and Boston. Its political and social culture is closer to Vermont and the Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire than MA, which isn't surprising given that state lines are fairly artificial boundaries.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 24, 2019, 08:36:07 AM


Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 23, 2019, 10:19:35 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2019, 07:02:28 AM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 22, 2019, 10:06:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 02:06:59 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

Your analysis is making too broad of a conclusion given actual nuances in the composition of the population.

Like I said, compared to Northampton and Amherst.  There is definitely a higher number of conservatives as you go west, no matter which way the majority elects their representatives.

The conservatism of the area east of the Valley went without saying, although the idea that Amherst isn't liberal is laughable, going by your generalization.

In any matter, my overall point is that the signs regarding the Valley are further out than some people really consider the Valley.

This seems like a good discussion for the "parts of state isolated from the rest of their state" thread because Massachusetts west of I-91 definitely feels more like Vermont than it does the rest of the state. Vermont's hill people are also fairly conservative.
And yet, I think culturally, western MA is still distinguished from VT.  Bennington, North Adams and Williamstown are all distinct locations, for example.

And Bennington is distinct from Newport or White River Junction. I think that Western MA has more in common with Vermont writ large than it does with the rest of MA. It's less industrial than Springfield, Worcester, and Lowell, isn't coastal like SE MA and the Cape, and certainly isn't a sprawling metro like the Rt. 128 corridor and Boston. Its political and social culture is closer to Vermont and the Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire than MA, which isn't surprising given that state lines are fairly artificial boundaries.

Your definition of western MA differs from how locals define it.  Locals in the area call western MA basically anything from Ware to the west (of course, with regional definitions, the border's fuzzy).  Gardner, for instance, doesn't "feel" like western MA to say, someone from Longmeadow or Leverett.

Springfield is reluctantly accepted as the "capital" of western MA, despite most locals considering it also the "elephant graveyard" of the region (we don't go there).  So, separating it out isn't really how the region is defined.

The Berkshires/Berkshire County are viewed as a subset of western MA by those in the Valley.  Kind of interesting, really.  I think Northampton and Amherst have a closer regional tie to the northern corridor along MA 2 (Shelburne Falls, Williamstown and North Adams) than, say, Pittsfield.  Pittsfield can feel like a world away (and a dying city without much reason to visit), but locals still think of it as western Mass.

Anyway, although I agree the culture is closer to Vermont's, it is still distinguished from Vermont.  The hippies of MA do view their counterparts to the north as being of a different breed (one example).  It's sort of like how some Americans view Canadians:  Sure, we're similar culturally, but there are distinct differences that keep us separated.

Heh, and I think everyone agrees Worcester is a different area.  Although western Mass is stuck with Springfield, they are more than happy to not lay claim to that steaming cesspool that is Worcester.  Only reason to go there was Spag's back in the day and now that's not even there anymore.  Pioneer Valley people also tend to look down their noses at people from Worcester (which you can detect a mile away from their accent which can be harsher than anything in the Boston area).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: StogieGuy7 on September 26, 2019, 11:21:39 AM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2019, 12:40:15 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2019, 12:35:05 PM
Quote from: Conn. Roads on September 22, 2019, 05:42:34 AM
The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.
MA probably still has signs up in a couple of places that say entering or leaving the pioneer valley.  The thing is that I think those signs stretch the definition.  As soon as you hit the hills, especially to the west, people don't think of themselves as part of the valley.

There is also something of a political divide as the hilltowns lean more conservative compared to say, the liberal meccas of Northampton and Amherst.

Both the 2016 precinct map and the current state legislature delegation show that almost everything west of I-91/US 5 is liberal (basically an extension of Vermont), while the more conservative area is the part between Springfield and Worcester.

And even that is a pretty broad-brushed and not exactly correct political analysis of the state.  You're right in that the most "conservative" areas of MA (such as they are) tend to be in central MA - mainly northern and southern parts of Worcester County.  The other conservative area in MA seems to be in the inland SE part of the state - an area accessed by 495. Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties used to be more moderate politically but are now quite far left.   Northampton, Amherst and North Adams/Williamstown are as politically progressive as anyplace in the country and hold their own with the likes of Cambridge as far as that goes. Then again, Mass is a state where all politics tend to be discussed in shades of blue and the main political discourse is between the left and the farther left.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Rothman on September 26, 2019, 01:35:28 PM
Although Amherst is still liberal, it has shifted more right (still on left) since when I was a kid.  There have been business developments that would have been protested to high heaven in the 1980s that were accepted this past decade or so.

A proposal to develop Flat Hills in particular came closer to coming to fruition than it would have ever done in the 1980s, for one example.

And, although the likes of Ashfield and Cummington have probably become more liberal over the years, I'd still think places like Otis or Chesterfield or Plainfield to be more moderate.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on September 26, 2019, 11:25:18 PM
https://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04/09/what-does-leeward-and-windward-mean/ (https://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/04/09/what-does-leeward-and-windward-mean/)


Hawaii mentions certain parts of their state as Windward and Leeward sides of the islands.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: StogieGuy7 on September 27, 2019, 11:41:16 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 26, 2019, 01:35:28 PM
Although Amherst is still liberal, it has shifted more right (still on left) since when I was a kid.  There have been business developments that would have been protested to high heaven in the 1980s that were accepted this past decade or so.

A proposal to develop Flat Hills in particular came closer to coming to fruition than it would have ever done in the 1980s, for one example.

And, although the likes of Ashfield and Cummington have probably become more liberal over the years, I'd still think places like Otis or Chesterfield or Plainfield to be more moderate.

Here's a link to the 2016 election map for Massachusetts.  More Trump voters in the Springfield area than I'd have thought but otherwise the pattern remains the same:
https://www.wbur.org/politicker/2016/11/08/massachusetts-election-map (https://www.wbur.org/politicker/2016/11/08/massachusetts-election-map)
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on April 20, 2020, 08:10:56 PM
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/6606160-181/telecom-valley-veterans-launch-petaluma (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/6606160-181/telecom-valley-veterans-launch-petaluma)
Telecom Valley was a place located in Sonoma County, CA that only some of the Silicon Valley insiders knew about but it didnt really catch on to the general public. Sonoma County is mainly known as Redwood Empire or North Bay to locals though.


https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Sonoma-s-Telecom-Valley-3076400.php
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: CoreySamson on April 20, 2020, 08:37:02 PM
Most people refer to the Houston area as simply Houston or something like H-Town.

As for the surrounding area, it usually goes by the Gulf Coast or Upper Coast, and not Southeastern Texas (That term is reserved for Beaumont).
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: D-Dey65 on April 20, 2020, 09:34:29 PM
People from Nassau County, and parts of Western Suffolk used to refer to the place I grew up in as "the sticks," and even Hicksville, even though the REAL Hicksville is south of Jericho.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: webny99 on April 20, 2020, 10:05:12 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 20, 2020, 09:34:29 PM
People from Nassau County, and parts of Western Suffolk used to refer to the place I grew up in as "the sticks," and even Hicksville, even though the REAL Hicksville is south of Jericho.

I thought "the sticks" was everything north of the 42nd parallel.

Oh wait, you're talking Long Island. So "the sticks" are Westchester County, and the North Pole is somewhere around this place called Poughkeepsie...?  :-D
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: D-Dey65 on April 20, 2020, 11:37:48 PM
Quote from: webny99 on April 20, 2020, 10:05:12 PM
Quote from: D-Dey65 on April 20, 2020, 09:34:29 PM
People from Nassau County, and parts of Western Suffolk used to refer to the place I grew up in as "the sticks," and even Hicksville, even though the REAL Hicksville is south of Jericho.

I thought "the sticks" was everything north of the 42nd parallel.

Oh wait, you're talking Long Island. So "the sticks" are Westchester County, and the North Pole is somewhere around this place called Poughkeepsie...?  :-D
Nah. The North Pole is in the far reaches of the Adirondacks. :biggrin: :)

https://www.northpoleny.com/

Speaking of the North Pole, I've mentioned this a couple of times, but that was one of the possible sites I thought the Sprain Brook Parkway was going to go when they were building it past Jackson Avenue. Even if I had been wrong, I was convinced that wherever it went would be a treat.

But alas, it only goes to Hawthorne.

Wait a minute. I want to go to Hawthorne when I take my next trip up to Metro NYC.

Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Ketchup99 on April 21, 2020, 09:11:57 AM
In Pennsylvania, many folks from Philly and indeed all of Eastern Pennsylvania refer to anything west of the Susquehanna - especially southwest PA - not-so-endearingly as "Pennsyltucky." Living in State College I say "central Pennsylvania" but anything ten miles away counts as "Pennsyltucky." Locally people use the term Happy Valley to distinguish State College from the rest of the region. One odd trend is that many people from Pennsyltucky other parts of Central Pennsylvania is calling anything south (and usually east) "down there." Down there is usually Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and anyone else they don't like.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: bing101 on July 01, 2020, 02:43:55 PM
https://www.builtinla.com/2018/03/26/silicon-beach-guide-tech-scene (https://www.builtinla.com/2018/03/26/silicon-beach-guide-tech-scene)




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Beach (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Beach)




Thats interesting I never heard of Silicon Beach before. Long time Southland residents know Silicon Beach as "Beach Cities" in the LA area. This has to be a new district branding.
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: Ketchup99 on July 01, 2020, 06:03:56 PM
The State College area is always Happy Valley. Doesn't matter that the rest of the valley isn't called that...
Title: Re: What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???
Post by: machias on July 05, 2020, 01:22:36 AM
Chicago.