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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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I not sure people are saying that the citizens of Louisville aren't southerners or are 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 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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you made a typo, But I understand what you're saying completely.

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I'm going to say no. I feel Louisville isn't THE gateway city to the South but one of many gateway cities. I've been a bit perplexed at how many people from Louisville want to debate whether they are a part of the Midwest or the South as if, at this point of time, the two regions are so diametriccally different that the city has to form allegience to one region or the other.

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I'm going to say no. I feel Louisville isn't THE gateway city to the South but one of many gateway cities. I've been a bit perplexed at how many people from Louisville want to debate whether they are a part of the Midwest or the South as if, at this point of time, the two regions are so diametriccally different that the city has to form allegience to one region or the other.

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Louisville pledged its allegience to the South over 300 yearsago when it was founded.

That's why they put it on the Kentucky side of the River which is why we had one of the largest slaveowning populations in the nation, also when we kept all our ties with the South during the Civil War, and to this day we still pledge our allegiance to the South :D

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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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There are alot of architecturally rich cities in the South also like New Orleans, Charleston, Savanah, even Memphis.

New Orleans and Memphis are much denser Southern cities than Louisville. There are also major manufacturing cities in the South like Birmingham, Memphis, New Orleans (New Orleans and Memphis were both major shipping Ports just like Louisville).

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Yes, I agree, like Louisville, Memphis and New Orleans, Jacksonville is also a major port city on a large river and Tampa grew up as a diverse Cigar manufacturing city.

However you asked why people equate Louisville with the Midwest and I just gave my answer. Unfortunately, the Southern stigma is so negative that many on these various urban forums, many only view the area as having sprawl infested cities in a pool of dixie loving uneducated hicks. From my forum experience, many also see the South's plethora of beautiful cities with decent pedestrian friendly cores as exceptions to the rule. Its not right, but that's just the way it is.

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Yes and but all of those characterics are more commonly found throughout the South and River Cities/boarder cities(Cincinnati and STL) than the Midwest.

I really wish people would not get those two terms mixed up.

Louisville's architecture and history has nothing in common with Detroits and Cleavlands.

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Slugger, I think that one thing that throws people off about Louisville is that it was very large at a far earlier date than most other Southern cities. Atlanta did not really exist until the War Between the States, Birmingham did not come into existence until after the war. Memphis and Nashville where conciderably smaller than Louisville. Charleston and Savannah went into dormancy for many years following the war. The only Southern cities that could be compared with Louisville in terms of size and age are Richmond and New Orleans. Richmond was an old urban manufacturing center with a strong tie to tobacco which matches well in some aspects to Louisville and New Orleans with its River City tie also matches on several points. Louisville has a large number of historic districts that do tie it to the Midwest as well. Don't get me wrong, but the war and reconstruction played a major role in shaping Southern towns and cities that Louisville did not have. Many of those historic districts are from the era of reconstruction when there was not the money in the South to actually build or even make money. Louisville also gained much Southern influence during this time as well. In the 1870's, both St Louis and Louisville got huge influxes of people from Memphis excaping Yellow Fever. I also agree that much of Southern Indiana has a strong Southern influence these days. If you ask is Louisville a Southern city or is it the Gateway City to the South, my answer would be are there really any Southern cities anymore or is our country becoming to much the same and what of the other Gateway cities. Yes, it is as Southern as many Southern cities and more Southern than a number. It is a Gateway city and the most important for it's region of the country. The main thing is that it is your City and that you are proud of it and recognize the things that make it special.

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Yeah on the other side of the Kennedy bridge (the Indiana).

The city of Louisville is in Kentucky (a Southern state) not Indiana I don't know who is saying this city is the Gateway to the North but it makes absolutely no since at all. :angry:

Indiana is not the north anyway - it's the midwest. So Loiusville can be the gateway to the midwest!

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Yeah on the other side of the Kennedy bridge (the Indiana).

The city of Louisville is in Kentucky (a Southern state) not Indiana I don't know who is saying this city is the Gateway to the North but it makes absolutely no since at all. :angry:

Well, let's just say then that Louisville is a Gateway IN the South. lol

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Indiana is not the north anyway - it's the midwest. So Loiusville can be the gateway to the midwest!

It makes no since How is it that you are in the midwest and you're in a Southern city. Louisville's bounderies don't extend across the brigde (except for it's Metro) When you are on the bridge and you are going to Indiana it tells you that you have entered Indiana.

Come on if yall are gonna comment at least make sure it makes since.

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It makes no since How is it that you are in the midwest and you're in a Southern city. Louisville's bounderies don't extend across the brigde (except for it's Metro) When you are on the bridge and you are going to Indiana it tells you that you have entered Indiana.

Come on if yall are gonna comment at least make sure it makes since.

huh?

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I can't say that I have ever heard Louisville described as the Gateway to the South. I guess in a way it could be considered as such since the state has elements of being both a midwestern and southern state.

The state of Kentucky is Southern, Louisville has "alittle midwestern influence but is prodominatly Southern" but places like bowling Green and Paducah are Southern and I wish people really knew what midwestern is so they would Kentucky does NOT fix that discription.

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The state of Kentucky is Southern, Louisville has "alittle midwestern influence but is prodominatly Southern" but places like bowling Green and Paducah are Southern and I wish people really knew what midwestern is so they would Kentucky does NOT fix that discription.

IMHO, I think you're right that KY is clearly a southern state.

At the same time, I think people get wrapped up in regional boundaries and forget that within regions there are wide differences. I live in Minnesota. I think people here would find life in Ohio different, even though both are in the Midwest.

Beyond that, there's wide areas of overlap between regions--probably hundreds of miles.

I've noticed vaguely southern accents in southern Iowa, and distinctly southern accents in northern Missouri around Hannibal.

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IMHO, I think you're right that KY is clearly a southern state.

At the same time, I think people get wrapped up in regional boundaries and forget that within regions there are wide differences. I live in Minnesota. I think people here would find life in Ohio different, even though both are in the Midwest.

Beyond that, there's wide areas of overlap between regions--probably hundreds of miles.

I've noticed vaguely southern accents in southern Iowa, and distinctly southern accents in northern Missouri around Hannibal.

I mean like I said earlier it just bugs me when people just post on topic they know nothing about.

I mean if you're gonna say Louisville is midwestern say why you think that, don't just post it cause some other people are. I mean some people try to sound intelligant by using technicallites and all that stuff, But in the end most of them don't know squat about Louisville besides what other people who don't know squat about Louisville or Kentucky post.

And yes I know how Louisville is first I LIVED HERE FOR MOST OF MY LIFE and I lived in ATL for 4 years, And I really didn't find to much of a difference between the two cities considering they are in the same region. I mean the prodominant Southern influence goes as for as the Southern parts of midwestern states touching Kentucky and once agian this is a first hand experience.

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I've noticed vaguely southern accents in southern Iowa, and distinctly southern accents in northern Missouri around Hannibal.

Sleepy: The area along the Mississippi River just south of Hannibal in NE Missouri (centered around Louisiana, MO) is known as Little Dixie for its Southern folkways and architecture. I just traveled through this area a month ago and you are correct in this observation. I think when we are talking about Missouri and Kentucky, we are talking about border regions between North and South (in this case mid-South and Midwest). So, you will see some blending around the border (which splits MO in two and is mainly the Ohio River just north of KY). It is interesting to travel this area and try to pick out the regional differences. It really is the heartland of America. By the way, I recommend the fried chicken at the Mark Twain Diner in Hannibal, Missouri (the town is also the fictional hometown of Col. Potter from MASH). :D

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Sleepy: The area along the Mississippi River just south of Hannibal in NE Missouri (centered around Louisiana, MO) is known as Little Dixie for its Southern folkways and architecture. I just traveled through this area a month ago and you are correct in this observation. I think when we are talking about Missouri and Kentucky, we are talking about border regions between North and South (in this case mid-South and Midwest). So, you will see some blending around the border (which splits MO in two and is mainly the Ohio River just north of KY). It is interesting to travel this area and try to pick out the regional differences. It really is the heartland of America. By the way, I recommend the fried chicken at the Mark Twain Diner in Hannibal, Missouri (the town is also the fictional hometown of Col. Potter from MASH). :D

Now Missouri may be a chamillion state but Louisville and Kentucky is Southern point blank end of story.

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Now Missouri may be a chamillion state but Louisville and Kentucky is Southern point blank end of story.

What is the big deal with you trying to convince everyone on how southern Louisville is? We get your point. Why can't you just accept it for what it is? Louisville is a very unique city having been influenced by midwestern and southern states. Can not you just be proud to be from a distinct city in a unique area of the country? I have been to Louisville and IMO its more midwestern than southern from what I've seen. Nashville isn't even as southern as it used to be. Thats just the way it is. Whether its midwestern or southern, its still a very lovely town. Many have posted that it is "A" gateway city to the south, not "THE" gateway city to the south.

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What is the big deal with you trying to convince everyone on how southern Louisville is? We get your point. Why can't you just accept it for what it is? Louisville is a very unique city having been influenced by midwestern and southern states. Can not you just be proud to be from a distinct city in a unique area of the country? I have been to Louisville and IMO its more midwestern than southern from what I've seen. Nashville isn't even as southern as it used to be. Thats just the way it is. Whether its midwestern or southern, its still a very lovely town. Many have posted that it is "A" gateway city to the south, not "THE" gateway city to the south.

Well buddy ya know I lived in louisville almost my entire life and it's a Southern city that's THE WAY IT IS.

Secondly I get sick of these ignant people who know nothin about MY city trying to say it's midwestern.

I don't have any problem when people say it has midwestern influence, But when people who have only seen MY city from the 1-65 veiw say it's midwestern than I get upset. Then none of yall have even said what is so midwestern about MY city. I mean every characteric in Louisville has a prodomint Southern influence and I don't ned some pass byer of my city to say it isn't. I mean I think half of these people have never been to Louisville and know nothin about it.

I will say though yall have showed me that it ain't the Solitary Gateway to the South.

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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.

Now Mandrws I agree with this statement saying that Louisville is a Southern city with some midwestern influence, I have no problem with this at all because it's true. Like I said earlier I just hate when people just post on a subject they know nothing about for example, when people just say Louisville's midwestern b/c some other people are sayng it and then can't give any factual reasons why it is. Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with people having opinions it's just when people try to sound intelligant on subjects they don't know about it makes people sound ignant.

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Don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with people having opinions it's just when people try to sound intelligant on subjects they don't know about it makes people sound ignant.

People posting on topics they nothing about is kind of silly. I say that it is more midwestern because of the industrial feel to the town and the way the homes are built. Maybe it was just the area of town that I visited, but the styles of the homes reminded me of St. Louis. Yall talk just as silly as we we talk though. I guess that should count for something. :D

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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

rather than type it I think should just post this again

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