The "black sheep" city of your State

[Northsider]

Originally Posted by Resident

Not just one city, but Lake County, Indiana. "the region"

Originally Posted by BorisMolotov

Chicago, if viewed from downstate. Or the rest of the state, if viewed from Chicago.

Hah, these both made me laugh

[stevensp]

Why EL paso?
Is it that bad?
Or just becuase its so deserted from the rest?

[cotownboy254]

Originally Posted by stevensp

Why EL paso?
Is it that bad?
Or just becuase its so deserted from the rest?

Too far and it's a border town. In other words; it's like Mexico.

[desertpunk]

El Paso really belongs to New Mexico. And we will get it soon.

[foadi]

Originally Posted by cotownboy254

Too far and it's a border town. In other words; it's like Mexico.

it's one of the safest cities in tx

[Ichiban]

I saw this thread earlier and thought long and hard about it.

At first I was tempted to answer San Francisco as it is the only other world city in California besides LA despite being so much different in every possible way. But San Francisco is just as much "California" as Los Angeles is despite their differences.

While pondering this question further it made me realize why I love California as much as I do...California more than any other state is a case of the sum being much greater than the parts (although the parts are pretty amazing in their own right). This state is too varied and diverse (in terms of ethnicity, topography, climate) that I can't really discredit any one major city or region as "not belonging".

There are other major cities in the US such as New York and Chicago which want nothing to do with their respective states. I couldn't imagine living in a region where the "hinterlands" is something to be ashamed of. Despite growing up in San Jose, in the SF Bay Area, my allegiance first and foremost is to California. Not the United States and not "NorCal"...I'm a Californian through and through.

I spent the Christmas weekend in Tahoe and I'm going to LA to visit some friends in a few weeks. I don't know (nor do I particularly care) how outsiders view our republic, but here is what I believe...Tahoe and LA are polar opposites in terms of what each locale has to offer. Fresh air, snow, trees as far as the eye can see versus massive interchanges, "artsy" neighborhoods, and lights as far as the eye can see. Yet neither location seems less of an authentic "Californian" experience than the other. That's the beauty of this place...city pride takes a back seat when the whole state is so awesome.

Somebody earlier posted that Fresno could "be in Nebraska" but even that is a disservice to our great republic. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most fertile regions in the world and the biggest agricultural export region in this country. I know we're on a website where people worship giant phallic objects and urban "grit" but you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The SJ Valley is as much of California as any city.

I've seen a decent amount of our fair republic and this is what I truly believe: going down the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, seeing old Western towns in Gold Country, getting a cabin in the Sierras, buying an overpriced sandwich in the Casto District, trekking to an old Danish village on the Central Coast, and getting high with the locals in Santa Cruz is all a California experience. It's a shame the majority of our country can't say the same.

Getting back to the original question: I feel Las Vegas is out of place with Nevada. If you go to Reno or Carson City you can still feel the old cowboy Western presence after all these years. You can still find that in Vegas on Fremont Street (to an extent) but that city became LA's younger cousin decades ago. LA's younger, hotter, sluttier cousin...God she is beautiful.

[Thundergod]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

fresno or bakersfield

Why? Is it that bad or boring or something?

[ThatDarnSacramentan]

Originally Posted by Ichiban

I saw this thread earlier and thought long and hard about it.

At first I was tempted to answer San Francisco as it is the only other world city in California besides LA despite being so much different in every possible way. But San Francisco is just as much "California" as Los Angeles is despite their differences.

While pondering this question further it made me realize why I love California as much as I do...California more than any other state is a case of the sum being much greater than the parts (although the parts are pretty amazing in their own right). This state is too varied and diverse (in terms of ethnicity, topography, climate) that I can't really discredit any one major city or region as "not belonging".

There are other major cities in the US such as New York and Chicago which want nothing to do with their respective states. I couldn't imagine living in a region where the "hinterlands" is something to be ashamed of. Despite growing up in San Jose, in the SF Bay Area, my allegiance first and foremost is to California. Not the United States and not "NorCal"...I'm a Californian through and through.

I spent the Christmas weekend in Tahoe and I'm going to LA to visit some friends in a few weeks. I don't know (nor do I particularly care) how outsiders view our republic, but here is what I believe...Tahoe and LA are polar opposites in terms of what each locale has to offer. Fresh air, snow, trees as far as the eye can see versus massive interchanges, "artsy" neighborhoods, and lights as far as the eye can see. Yet neither location seems less of an authentic "Californian" experience than the other. That's the beauty of this place...city pride takes a back seat when the whole state is so awesome.

Somebody earlier posted that Fresno could "be in Nebraska" but even that is a disservice to our great republic. The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most fertile regions in the world and the biggest agricultural export region in this country. I know we're on a website where people worship giant phallic objects and urban "grit" but you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The SJ Valley is as much of California as any city.

I've seen a decent amount of our fair republic and this is what I truly believe: going down the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, seeing old Western towns in Gold Country, getting a cabin in the Sierras, buying an overpriced sandwich in the Casto District, trekking to an old Danish village on the Central Coast, and getting high with the locals in Santa Cruz is all a California experience. It's a shame the majority of our country can't say the same.

Getting back to the original question: I feel Las Vegas is out of place with Nevada. If you go to Reno or Carson City you can still feel the old cowboy Western presence after all these years. You can still find that in Vegas on Fremont Street (to an extent) but that city became LA's younger cousin decades ago. LA's younger, hotter, sluttier cousin...God she is beautiful.

You, sir, have made an excellent point. Everyone I know, when they travel abroad, says they're from California, not San Francisco/Berkeley/San Diego. Still, I would say Fresno because even though it is quite possibly the richest farmland in the world and farming is a huge part of California as well, Fresno is too different from the other cities in California (except maybe Stockton, which might also be an answer).

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Ichiban

There are other major cities in the US such as New York and Chicago which want nothing to do with their respective states. I couldn't imagine living in a region where the "hinterlands" is something to be ashamed of.

it's not so much that the small towns and corn fields of illinois are something for chicagoans to feel ashamed of, it's more about a political disconnect between the people that inhabit the two WILDLY different realms within illinois. downstaters don't like chicagoans because we're too liberal and chicagoans don't like downstaters because they're too conservative. a classic urban/rural divide; it's a political thing. i would imagine it's similar in new york.

[Memphis]

Atlanta for Georgia...the rest of the state outside the metro area hates Atlanta....If South Georgia could carve Atlanta Metro out and throw it in the Atlantic...well lets just say Atlanta would be Atlantis...

Memphis for Tennessee...The state's first real city...and its the red-headed stepchild. Nashville is now dealing with real big city problems and well soon understand what Memphis has been through decades ago...

[Port_of_Bama]

For Alabama it would be Mobile.

[centralcali19]

Originally Posted by Thundergod

Why? Is it that bad or boring or something?

their mostly agriculture-based cities and not as cosmopolitan/urban as the bay area or socal. Farming is a big thing around here, not alot of places to visit like L.A. of S.F. , so thats why it doesnt get much respect, regarded as the armpit of California. but they keep forgetting most of their fruits and vegetables come from this area.

[hyrule-mpls]

Duluth with out a doubt. (for Minnesota)

[cwilson758]

GARY!

[Mudhen419]

Id say for Ohio it'd have to be my hometown of Toledo..... Too many comparisons to Detroit aka Lil D, Mini Detroit, or that place is worse than detroit!

[Resident]

Originally Posted by Resident

Not just one city, but Lake County, Indiana. "the region"

Actually, not just Lake co. but Floyd and Clark counties as well. Basically any suburban county that lies on a state border of a large city will most likely identify with that city rather than the rest of the state, not a bad thing it just is was it is.

[Sean in New Orleans]

Louisiana: Baton Rouge. It's bland and doesn't represent the culture of the state. After Hurricane Katrina, Baton Rouge embarrassed itself and the State of Louisiana by showing pathetic and sad support of the Saints and Hornets when they played there. On Saturday night, the LSU Tigers would have 92,000 in attendance and the next morning the Saints would have 50,000 and 40,000 of those in the stadium drove 70 miles from New Orleans to be in attendance. The Hornets had to cancel games in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge revealed itself during this period as a big college town and far from being a professional progressive city.

[Zach759]

Springfield for Missouri
might as well be Arkansas....

[nerd4life]

well for my state would have to be staten island. if that counts.

[Manitopiaaa]

Any college town in a reliably Red State is immediately a black sheep, so.....

Austin
Lawrence
Missoula

Peninsular Florida also comes to mind as being extremely Southern and New Orleans is a sore thumb to Louisiana's neocons.