(03-06-2017 08:48 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote: Just for clarification's sake, when people say "Pittsburgh feels midwestern to me," what does that actually mean in practical terms?
I spent a summer (and many weekends) in Pittsburgh, FWIW. The majority of my life in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati and State College. I mention that to give you some of my background, why I believe what I believe.
Anyway, a few of the reasons I'd call Pittsburgh midwest:
(1) it is industrial based,
(2) more working-class vs. professional-class,
(3) people drive CONSIDERABLY more slowly vs. the East Coast (and much more like Ohio & Michigan folk).
(4) much much more friendly folk vs. East Coast folk. (again, fairly like Ohio & MI folk)
(5) fairly conservative political views, definitely not an abundance of northeast liberal types.
(6) growing up in Detroit and attending college at PSU --- I got to see both eastern PA and western PA classmates. Nearly 100% of my college friends wound up being Western PA folk. We just seemed to bond more easily and have more in common; they reminded me of my High School friends much more than eastern PA folk. As I figure, some of that had to have been because of the culture THEY grew up in.
(7) a fairly provincial feel among its citizens, and an over-tendency of its citizens to not leave their city/state after growing up there. This is a huge trait in particular of MI and OH citizens - those 2 states rank #2 and #3 in terms of percentage of their residents that were born in that state (LA is #1, FWIW). PA is #4 in this and a large part of that is due to Pittsburghers: if they are born there they tend to stay there.
(8) Pittsburgh's doppleganger American city is undoubtedly Cincinnati --- a city I lived in and one I would also classify as Midwest
(9) it's citizens properly call it pop and not soda!!!