What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???

Started by thenetwork, August 27, 2017, 10:06:08 PM

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allniter89

BUY AMERICAN MADE.
SPEED SAFELY.


Conn. Roads

The Connecticut River area of Massachusetts is called the Pioneer Valley.

Rothman

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.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

hotdogPi

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.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Rothman

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.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

KEVIN_224

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.

The Nature Boy

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.

Rothman

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.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

The Nature Boy

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.

Rothman



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).
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

StogieGuy7

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.

Rothman

#211
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.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

bing101


StogieGuy7

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

bing101

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

CoreySamson

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).
Buc-ee's and QuikTrip fanboy. Clincher of FM roads. Proponent of the TX U-turn.

My Route Log
My Clinches

Now on mobrule and Travel Mapping!

D-Dey65

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.


webny99

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

D-Dey65

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.


Ketchup99

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.

bing101

https://www.builtinla.com/2018/03/26/silicon-beach-guide-tech-scene




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.

Ketchup99

The State College area is always Happy Valley. Doesn't matter that the rest of the valley isn't called that...

machias




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