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Louisville Gateway city to the South


Louisvilleslugger

Is Louisville considered the gateway city to the South  

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  1. 1. Is Louisville considered the gateway city to the South

    • Yes it is the Gateway city
      13
    • No it isn't the Gateway city
      29


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For centuries now Louisville has long been considered the Gateway city to the South.

However it seems some people get the term midwestern and River City mixed up. The definition of a Midwestern city is Minneanpolis ( Not Saint Louis or Cincinnati, those cities have a signifigant amout of Southern influence), And when people think of a midwestern city some say Louisville is b/c it has a little in common with those cities (All river cities). But unlike those two cities Louisville has a prodominatly Southern culture.

Yes Louisville has a sizable catholic population, but the vast majority of Louisvillians are Southern baptist (Kentucky has the 3rd largest Southern Baptist population in the nation). Yes Louisville had heavy industry in it's early days, But not b/c some say we're midwestern but b/c we were a major Shipping Port which in turn brought the Industry to Louisville (please note that Memphis and New Orleans were also major Southern Shipping Ports which both heavy industry to those areas). Then just think about L&N (Louisville and Nashville) it's not L&C (Louisville and chicago) that goes to show unlike northern cties who closed all trade with the South during the Civil War, Louisville kept it's ties with the South. Louisville also had one of the largest slaveowning populations in the country(midwestern cities didn't have slaves). Then think about the Holy day in the South "The Kentucky Derby" Don't scream nothin but Southerness (Some indinial natives who are scared to be called Southern might say, that Louisville put's on a fake face for Derby :blink: I hate to break it to them but real Louisville excluding eastern Jefferson County "Which is feeled with out of towners" is Southern Year round and they know that).

Then think about the massive neighborhoods of Old Louisville that has them ancient Victorian stlye homes found all throughout the South.

then if you compare us to New Orleans (hardcore Southern city) and Minneanpolis(a hardcore midwestern city) Louisville undoubtibly has 3x more in common with New orleans.

So take this in consideration on this poll. :D

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Having lived in Kentucky for four years, (Leitchfield which is west of E-town) I would say Kentucky is Southern but Louisville is mid-western. My wife was born in St. Louis and raised in western Illinois near Iowa and those people call themselves mid-westerners so who am I to argue? For whatever reason, Louisville has the same river flavor that St. Louis and Memphis has but without a lot of "southern-ness" (if that is a word).

So using that criteria I would have to reconsider my vote and say Louisville is the gateway but the city is North and everthing south is southern.

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Having lived in Kentucky for four years, (Leitchfield which is west of E-town) I would say Kentucky is Southern but Louisville is mid-western.  My wife was born in St. Louis and raised in western Illinois near Iowa and those people call themselves mid-westerners so who am I to argue?  For whatever reason, Louisville has the same river flavor that St. Louis and Memphis has but without a lot of "southern-ness" (if that is a word). 

So using that criteria I would have to reconsider my vote and say Louisville is the gateway but the city is North and everthing south is southern.

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The entire Ohio river Valley has a Southern vibe to it. Even over the bridge in Southern Indiana or Southern Illinoise there is a prodominat Southern culture. I use to live in Atlanta for 4 years and I say aside from land form there was almost no difference in the way of life.

Now between Memphis and St.Louis I'll have to go with memphis with it's slower pace of life, more southern baptist religion, and even the architecture (shotgun houses lined up street by street, and ancient Victorian stlye homes).

St. louis is not a hardcore midwestern city. It has plenty of Southern culture (which is why Louisville has a little in common with it). Like I said in my earlier post Minneanapolis is the standard for a midwestern city. And as far as I can tell Louisville as almost nothin in common with minneanpolis culturally.

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The built environment of Louisville suggests something more Midwestern than Southern. However, the city does seem Southern in many ways. As for being "the" gateway, that is a title which could be said of other cities as well. It could well be considered "a" gateway city to the South. Mant Southern traditions are alive and well there, making it part of the South, but it is not strictly Southern. I think if you had asked native son Hunter Thompson this question, he'd have included it in the South.

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Louisville's skyline was ranked 34th best in the conutry. Then when you are entering the region from the Indiana side of the river and you see that skyline it's beautiful.

I said Louisville was the Gateway to the South b/c it's located on 1-65 (which has 4 major cities located on it) md Louisville is located just below ONE of the barriers on The North and South making it Officially a Southern city. Plus it's architecture is way more Southern (compared to northern cities) The only cities in the Midwest with Victorian style homes are the 2 boarder/ river cites of St. Louis and Cincinnati (that have alot of Southern influence). Louisville has ton's of buildings/midrises built during the 1930's that gives the city a more Southern dept and history. I mean when you think about the pace of life, cultural wise and even population in Louisville compared to Cincannati and Memphis, it looks like Memphis's twin.

Can you imagine groupin Louisville with midwestern cities like Kansas city, minneanpolis, Cleaveland, even Detroit over Nashville, Charlotte, and Birmingham. It would make no since, Louisville would stick out like a sore thumb with those cities, But Louisville blends in 5x more with Southern cities.

I think DC is much more Northern than Southern, It's like a suburb for New Yorkers (not saying it's a major city, It's HUGE) but it's more or so like other cities in Megalopalis than most Southern cities, though with it's size makes it alot like Atlanta.

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The built environment of Louisville suggests something more Midwestern than Southern.  However, the city does seem Southern in many ways.  As for being "the" gateway, that is a title which could be said of other cities as well.  It could well be considered "a" gateway city to the South.  Mant Southern traditions are alive and well there, making it part of the South, but it is not strictly Southern.  I think if you had asked native son Hunter Thompson this question, he'd have included it in the South.

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Not to call you out or nothin, But can somebody please tell me what makes Louisville so Midwestern, Yes it has A LITTLE midwestern influence but Speaking as a Native from Louisville and having lived in the "Deep South for 4 years" I really don't see that much of a difference in cultures and way of life. I don't know if someone just made the comment Louisville was more Midwestern and now everybody's Just sayin it just to say somethin. But with the rednecks and people with accents in my neighborhood " In The Real City of Louisville." Nothin to me suggest this city is midwestern. I mean people from Indiana,Illionse, and Ohio don't even claim the Southern half of their state b/c it has so much Southern influence that comes from US/Louisville. I mean how can Louisville, Kentucky actually have something in common with a city who's residence has never seen a hamhock in their greens or even a hamhock!!!!

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i've always seen it as a midwestern town, but i do consider it as a gateway to the south. it's definatly not the deep south however. i don't even consider nashville to be deep south.

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You're right, Nashville isn't the deep south, but it definitely is in the South. When you hit the delta, hear the blues, and feel the blues, then you know you're really in the South! Nashville & Memphis are both southern, but Memphis is much more southern than Nashville, which is much more southern than Louisville. Louisville doesn't have the southern smell either. I can't explain that one, but different parts of the country have different smells in my opinion. The South has a very unique smell in the air, especially in the spring.

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I think that smell has to do with the humidity. :D We have plenty of that, esp. the further south you go. Nothing beats a hot humid day (or night even) in Memphis or West Tennessee.........makes you feel alive. LOL Same holds true for basically all the areas that border the Mississippi from Cairo, IL on south IMO.

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Hey -- I was born in and raised just north of Cairo - maybe the humidity (and don't forget the mosquitos) is why we always felt like we were part of the South! Or maybe it's because anytime you say you're from Southern IL, people automatically ask "is that near Chicago?"!!

Louisville - "A" Gateway to the South. Come on, how can any single city be "THE" single solitary gateway to the entire South? :huh:

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Can somebody please explain to me where all this midwestern influence comes from in Louisville. It's just as Southern as Nashville, and has absolutly nothing to do with midwestern cities (except St. Louis and Cincinnati).

I bet if Tennessee was the State that started the South then some people would say Nashville is more Midwestern ;)

Some of the hicks in Kentucky try to exclude louisville out of the state b/c of it's high crime rate and all the people with flashy cars :D

So can somebody please tell me how is Louisville so midwestern. I'm dyin to know

how a city that has people walking in a downtown grocery store barefoot is Midwestern. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that it's on the ohio river/boarder or what, But all I'm sayin is that it's a Southern city plain and simple.

Oh and BTW even in most encyclopedia's they state that Louisville has long been considered the gateway city to the South (not saying there aren't any other gateways). But since Louisville is located on the Ohio river and right across the bridge is Indiana (a midwestern state) and Louisville officailly being a Southern city I would Call it the Major Gateway City entering the South.

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Can somebody please explain to me where all this midwestern influence comes from in Louisville.

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People equate Louisville with the Midwest, because its an older, architecturally-rich, fairly dense, manufacturing-based city. However, outside of manufacturing, all of those other characteristics have more to do with the age of the city, more-so than the region. Louisville, like Baltimore and other border cities are blessed to have a mix of cultural influences from the region, but in the end......Louisville is Southern.

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@Louisvilleslugger -

I personally think there are strong midwestern traits to the city compared to the rest of the state, but by pure geographic and terms its a southern city; and by that I mean that its not as southern as the rest of Kentucky. I mean compare Jefferson County to lets say Graves, Davies, or Warren County and you can tell a major difference. On the flip side I would say there places like Cairo (IL), Evansville (IN), Sikeston (MO), etc etc -ie the southern parts of the southern tier of Midwestern states- have strong southern overtones that make them different than most of the rest of their respective states.

So Louisville is a southern city, but I think most would say there is simply midwestern influence in some of the social and cultural aspects of the city, but plenty of southern ones too that keep it southern.

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You're right, Nashville isn't the deep south, but it definitely is in the South.  When you hit the delta, hear the blues, and feel the blues, then you know you're really in the South!  Nashville & Memphis are both southern, but Memphis is much more southern than Nashville, which is much more southern than Louisville.  Louisville doesn't have the southern smell either.  I can't explain that one, but different parts of the country have different smells in my opinion.  The South has a very unique smell in the air, especially in the spring.

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I really don't see to much of a difference between Nashville and Louisville's culture. Yes yall are right we ain't the deep South, But we 're still Southerners. Louisville is just as Southern as Nashville and nobody can isn't. The vast majority of Louisville's population is Southern Baptist. Louisville might have a few midwestern stables like WhtieCastles, and Grippios(chips)(also located in Nashville) but we have Indy's Chicken that's found throughout Kentucky and Some of Tennesee.

Also Yall in Tenessee got the whole Delta thing goin on, Well we got Derby that Attracts over half a million Southerns. Not everybody comes for the horse racing though alot come for the Cruisin on Broadway(It's a MASSIVE Car Show in westend Louisville "heavily blacks area" that screams nothin but Southerness).

That's why we're called the Derby City Whereas Nashville is called the Music City both equally Southern.

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@Louisvilleslugger -

I personally think there are strong midwestern traits to the city compared to the rest of the state, but by pure geographic and terms its a southern city; and by that I mean that its not as southern as the rest of Kentucky. I mean compare Jefferson County to lets say Graves, Davies, or Warren County and you can tell a major difference. On the flip side I would say there places like Cairo (IL), Evansville (IN), Sikeston (MO), etc etc -ie the southern parts of the southern tier of Midwestern states- have strong southern overtones that make them different than most of the rest of their respective states.

So Louisville is a southern city, but I think most would say there is simply midwestern influence in some of the social and cultural aspects of the city, but plenty of southern ones too that keep it southern.

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Yes that's what I've been trying to say. I know it has midwestern influence, it's just when people say it's a midwestern city and that's it, then it just makes no since.

But I understand what you're saying. :)

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I'm not sure people are saying that the citizens of Louisville aren't southerners or as a city is alot different than say Nashville - which is losing alot of its "old south" southerness IMO- its just that Louisville does have those aspects of midwestern culture that are simply absent in most of the rest of the South. I think Louisville may have been the first southern city to lose some of its "old south" feel since its so close to so many other midwestern states and a place that midwesterners (and others) could move to in the South (and KY in particular) and not feel like they were moving to the South.

All the cities that fall into the "shatterbelt" that seperates the South from the Midwest have this mixing of cultural and social traits. Its not a bad thing, and it does remove the fact that historically and geographically Louisville is a southern city, even if in parts and at times it can feel midwestern.

Edit: Fixed some typos.

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