As someone who is not a native of Virginia, I was originally part amazed and part confused by the strange way folks in this area had to refer to this area.
I can tell you that 99% of the people around the country have no idea which Tide and which Water is being referred to with Tidewater, they have no idea what the Peninsula and Southside represent, they think Hampton Roads refers to the system of streets and highways in the city of Hampton, and I doubt they would even know that Seven Cities referred to somewhere in the USA.
Having lived here for 30 years now, I remain amazed but I am no longer confused.
It all boils down to politics, and the fact that we have seven different power structures now firmly entrenched and protecting their turf and their paychecks and their taxing authority.
Only the economic development groups from southside and the peninsula seem to understand what could be, but that marraige is very young.
Because of the way this area has developed politically, there will never be an agreement on calling the entire area Norfolk-the most well-known and widely recogized of the Gang of Seven. It will never happen, and we will just have to be satisfied with that and all the ramifications, which are many.
Edited by Chesapeake Pirate, 25 March 2005 - 12:21 PM.