News:

Thank you for your patience during the Forum downtime while we upgraded the software. Welcome back and see this thread for some new features and other changes to the forum.

Main Menu

"Forgotten" parts of your state

Started by STLmapboy, June 23, 2020, 05:46:01 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

MikieTimT

Quote from: Konza on June 25, 2020, 02:32:57 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 25, 2020, 12:50:43 PM
Having lived in both rural and urban Kansas, I don't think I have a good perspective on what part of this state is "forgotten".  Any ideas?

How about southeastern Kansas?  I think people know about the cities, the college towns, the wide open spaces to the west, and the Flint Hills.  But anything south of, say, US 54/Fort Scott and east of the Flint Hills is an area where the main industry was extraction and at best it's not as easy or cheap to extract anymore.  It's a bit Ozarky, but not enough that it gets the play that the Ozarks in Arkansas, Missouri, and even Oklahoma do. Not to mention it is bypassed by most of the main roads.

US-69 is a fairly major road that runs through there.  It'd be nice if they'd run the freeway portion around Fort Scott and south to Pittsburg at least, although all the way down to US-400/US-160 would be nice.  Take a few more minutes off the trip to the Gardner/Olathe area where in-laws live.  By the time I get up to US-69 on my trip, between Pittsburg and Ft. Scott, you'd be hard pressed to notice anything about the landscape that looked Ozarky.


MikieTimT

Quote from: Road Hog on June 23, 2020, 09:42:33 PM
The entire southeastern half of Arkansas is withering away. Everyone knows of the explosive growth in NWA, and the Little Rock metro area continues to grow as well.

But in the delta, there are towns like Marianna that had 5A schools just 30 years ago that can't even field an 11-man football team today. The only place wholly east of US 67 that has any prosperity at all is Jonesboro.

Amazing how the wealth of the state just flip-flopped from one side of US-67 to the other.  Used to be all agricultural wealth, but now it's the mountains, lakes, and forests that are the draw these days.  Especially right now.  You can't hardly find any decently priced lake houses in the state after Covid hit with all of the Florida, Illinois, Texas, and California plates you see around here these days.

cjk374

Most of Louisiana is pretty much forgotten north of I-10. I learned at a young age that many people think that once you cross into Louisiana ANYWHERE, all houses are built on stilts in a swamp surrounded by alligators...and that the entire population of the state is cajun.

If you need an easy reference: History Channel's "Swamp People" is pretty much US 190 south. A&E's "Duck Dynasty" is US 190 north.

The delta region is sparsely populated. Many areas north of Alexandria & south of I-20 is mostly pine forests (most of Kisatchie NF is here).

I hosted a meet in Shreveport/Caddo Parish 2 years ago. Some of the attendees had no idea that Shreveport was an "actual city". So maybe this shows that all of Louisiana is forgotten? 😁😁🤣🤣🤣
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

webny99

Outsider's perspective on Louisiana: I definitely forget about everything north of I-10. I mostly think of New Orleans, and if you said
"rural Louisiana", my immediate thoughts would be of the bayou/delta region in the south.

Road Hog

A few years ago I drove in that area to explore I-49 and find the LA-TX-AR tri-point. That part of NW LA is scenic and actually surprisingly hilly.

kevinb1994

Quote from: Road Hog on July 27, 2020, 10:30:25 PM
A few years ago I drove in that area to explore I-49 and find the LA-TX-AR tri-point. That part of NW LA is scenic and actually surprisingly hilly.
Isn't that part of the Ozarks there?

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: STLmapboy on June 23, 2020, 10:04:01 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on June 23, 2020, 08:19:21 PM
Quote from: STLmapboy on June 23, 2020, 05:46:01 PM
As I was perusing a thread about Southern Illinois, someone referred to the southeast-central part (between 70 and the Ohio River, east of 57 roughly, as "Forgottonia." That got me thinking--what part of your state is neglected, little-populated, not much visited, or just unlikely to cross your mind that often? For Missouri there are parts of the Northeast and North-central regions that might fit the bill. Any other corners like that?

I always thought of/heard that Forgottonia was the western bulge of Illinois (south of Moline, north of St. Louis, and west of Springfield).

That's the historical definition, yeah. In recent decades, with the flight of people and jobs from SE Illinois, the depopulation has shifted to mostly there. It's kinda paradoxical, but when everyone calls a region Forgottonia it ceases to be forgotten as much.

Either that, or Forgottonia has become so forgotten that everyone forgot the name was already taken.  :-D
Interstates clinched: 4, 57, 275 (IN-KY-OH), 465 (IN), 640 (TN), 985
State Interstates clinched: I-26 (TN), I-75 (GA), I-75 (KY), I-75 (TN), I-81 (WV), I-95 (NH)

3467

Forgottonia was or is the bulge here in Western Illinois. Wikipedia has a pretty good article on it.
The Southeast area of Illinois is hardly forgotten . The Eastern Alliance is a group of big Trump supporting legislators who are be th good at getting media attention for attacking Chicago.
Unlike original Forgottonia  the Eastern Alliance said they would drive on gravel if it would do something that would upset Chicago.
There was very little money for 4 lane roads in the new Capital bill.....all of it went in or near Forgottonia.

cjk374

Quote from: kevinb1994 on July 27, 2020, 10:38:42 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on July 27, 2020, 10:30:25 PM
A few years ago I drove in that area to explore I-49 and find the LA-TX-AR tri-point. That part of NW LA is scenic and actually surprisingly hilly.
Isn't that part of the Ozarks there?

Not even close.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

Roadgeekteen

What's Florida's forgotten area?
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

Takumi

Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

kevinb1994


webny99

Quote from: Takumi on July 28, 2020, 11:52:46 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 28, 2020, 10:36:42 PM
What's Florida's forgotten area?
Anything not coastal.

Orlando is not coastal, and quite the opposite of forgotten.

I say the panhandle, especially the western panhandle.

thspfc

For WI I'd say the area south of La Crosse, west of Reedsburg, and north of Prairie du Chien. The rolling topography makes it so that there can't really be any large towns in that area - Viroqua and Richland Center are the only places of any size at all. And there's no real reason for any regional travelers to drive through there - US-14/61 is the only road of note, and even that one passes through so many tiny little towns. It's a lot quicker to take I-90.

thspfc

Quote from: MikieTimT on July 22, 2020, 04:32:03 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on June 23, 2020, 09:42:33 PM
The entire southeastern half of Arkansas is withering away. Everyone knows of the explosive growth in NWA, and the Little Rock metro area continues to grow as well.

But in the delta, there are towns like Marianna that had 5A schools just 30 years ago that can't even field an 11-man football team today. The only place wholly east of US 67 that has any prosperity at all is Jonesboro.

Amazing how the wealth of the state just flip-flopped from one side of US-67 to the other.  Used to be all agricultural wealth, but now it's the mountains, lakes, and forests that are the draw these days.  Especially right now.  You can't hardly find any decently priced lake houses in the state after Covid hit with all of the Florida, Illinois, Texas, and California plates you see around here these days.
I think that sort of thing is happening with all southeastern states. Like Alabama for example - the state is declining as a whole, but Huntsville is growing really quickly.

Takumi

Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 11:38:54 AM
Quote from: Takumi on July 28, 2020, 11:52:46 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 28, 2020, 10:36:42 PM
What's Florida's forgotten area?
Anything not coastal.

Orlando is not coastal, and quite the opposite of forgotten.

I say the panhandle, especially the western panhandle.
All right, you found the one exception. I was thinking more of places like Ocala and Sebring.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 11:51:42 AM
For WI I'd say the area south of La Crosse, west of Reedsburg, and north of Prairie du Chien. The rolling topography makes it so that there can't really be any large towns in that area - Viroqua and Richland Center are the only places of any size at all. And there's no real reason for any regional travelers to drive through there - US-14/61 is the only road of note, and even that one passes through so many tiny little towns. It's a lot quicker to take I-90.

I was also thinking the area north of WIS 29 between US 53 and US 41.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

kphoger

Quote from: Takumi on July 29, 2020, 12:52:21 PM

Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 11:38:54 AM

Quote from: Takumi on July 28, 2020, 11:52:46 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 28, 2020, 10:36:42 PM
What's Florida's forgotten area?

Anything not coastal.

Orlando is not coastal, and quite the opposite of forgotten.

I say the panhandle, especially the western panhandle.

All right, you found the one exception. I was thinking more of places like Ocala and Sebring.

So Gainesville counts as forgotten?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Quote from: kphoger on July 29, 2020, 03:43:15 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 29, 2020, 12:52:21 PM

Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 11:38:54 AM

Quote from: Takumi on July 28, 2020, 11:52:46 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 28, 2020, 10:36:42 PM
What's Florida's forgotten area?

Anything not coastal.

Orlando is not coastal, and quite the opposite of forgotten.

I say the panhandle, especially the western panhandle.

All right, you found the one exception. I was thinking more of places like Ocala and Sebring.

So Gainesville counts as forgotten?

For me it does, definitely.
If I had to put Florida into tiers, from most-remembered to most-forgotten, it would look like:

Tier 1: Eastern shore (from Daytona Beach to Miami), Orlando area, Tampa Bay area
Tier 2: Jacksonville, Everglades, Florida Keys
Tier 3: Everything else east of Tallahassee, including Tallahassee itself.
Tier 4: Everything west of Tallahassee

thspfc

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 29, 2020, 03:39:22 PM
Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 11:51:42 AM
For WI I'd say the area south of La Crosse, west of Reedsburg, and north of Prairie du Chien. The rolling topography makes it so that there can't really be any large towns in that area - Viroqua and Richland Center are the only places of any size at all. And there's no real reason for any regional travelers to drive through there - US-14/61 is the only road of note, and even that one passes through so many tiny little towns. It's a lot quicker to take I-90.

I was also thinking the area north of WIS 29 between US 53 and US 41.
Not at all. There are several touristy towns in that area. Plus for highways they have the expressway US-51.

Eth

Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 04:00:40 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 29, 2020, 03:43:15 PM
Quote from: Takumi on July 29, 2020, 12:52:21 PM

Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 11:38:54 AM

Quote from: Takumi on July 28, 2020, 11:52:46 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on July 28, 2020, 10:36:42 PM
What's Florida's forgotten area?

Anything not coastal.

Orlando is not coastal, and quite the opposite of forgotten.

I say the panhandle, especially the western panhandle.

All right, you found the one exception. I was thinking more of places like Ocala and Sebring.

So Gainesville counts as forgotten?

For me it does, definitely.

I doubt most Floridians would agree, though, particularly given that it's the home of the state's flagship university.

My best guess would be everything north of I-10, excluding the Jacksonville area.




As for my own state, I'll go with probably the bit bounded by I-75, I-16, I-95, and US 82. I've never been there myself in 30+ years living in Georgia and really couldn't tell you much of anything that's there.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 05:20:49 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 29, 2020, 03:39:22 PM
Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 11:51:42 AM
For WI I'd say the area south of La Crosse, west of Reedsburg, and north of Prairie du Chien. The rolling topography makes it so that there can't really be any large towns in that area - Viroqua and Richland Center are the only places of any size at all. And there's no real reason for any regional travelers to drive through there - US-14/61 is the only road of note, and even that one passes through so many tiny little towns. It's a lot quicker to take I-90.

I was also thinking the area north of WIS 29 between US 53 and US 41.
Not at all. There are several touristy towns in that area. Plus for highways they have the expressway US-51.

Yeah, I suppose Bayfield and the Apostles are a little more well known than that, aren't they.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

thspfc

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 29, 2020, 09:36:33 PM
Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 05:20:49 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 29, 2020, 03:39:22 PM
Quote from: thspfc on July 29, 2020, 11:51:42 AM
For WI I'd say the area south of La Crosse, west of Reedsburg, and north of Prairie du Chien. The rolling topography makes it so that there can't really be any large towns in that area - Viroqua and Richland Center are the only places of any size at all. And there's no real reason for any regional travelers to drive through there - US-14/61 is the only road of note, and even that one passes through so many tiny little towns. It's a lot quicker to take I-90.

I was also thinking the area north of WIS 29 between US 53 and US 41.
Not at all. There are several touristy towns in that area. Plus for highways they have the expressway US-51.

Yeah, I suppose Bayfield and the Apostles are a little more well known than that, aren't they.
Places like Minocqua, Rhinelander, and Hayward are popular tourist destinations for Chicagolanders as well.

Sctvhound

South Carolina in tiers of "forgotten."

Tier 1: Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Columbia, Greenville
Tier 2: Florence, Rock Hill, Clemson (I'd maybe even put Florence toward bottom of tier 1 because so many people drive through SC on I-95 and Florence is the only city of note)
Tier 3: Sumter, Aiken, Anderson, Spartanburg, Point South (the 33 MM on I-95 where 17 forks off toward Charleston).
Tier 4: Tons of forgotten areas in the state. Pretty much anywhere not on I-95, 26, 85, or US 17.

To those of us in Charleston, York County may as well be Charlotte, SC; Williamsburg County, even though it is only 60 miles away, feels like it is years backwards.

Even northern Berkeley and western Dorchester counties to most Charlestonians barely exists. Dorchester County has two school districts; 2 for the Summerville area, and 4 for the much poorer western part of the county.

Abbeville, Greenwood, Saluda, McCormick, and Edgefield Counties are often forgotten by almost everybody. The local TV stations serving each of those counties don't cover a lot of news from those places. McCormick and Edgefield are served by Augusta stations, which mainly focus on GA counties and Aiken County.

Abbeville/Greenwood are served by Greenville TV stations, which are 50-60 miles from those counties and mainly focus on HS football when they do cover them, unless it is something real major like a double murder or bad severe weather.

webny99

Quote from: Eth on July 29, 2020, 07:53:17 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 29, 2020, 04:00:40 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 29, 2020, 03:43:15 PM
So Gainesville counts as forgotten?
For me it does, definitely.
I doubt most Floridians would agree, though, particularly given that it's the home of the state's flagship university.

My best guess would be everything north of I-10, excluding the Jacksonville area.

North of I-10? That doesn't leave very much. Maybe north of Gainesville (excluding Jacksonville), so you're at least including the entire panhandle.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.