Middle or Central?

[H]

Is the center part of your state called middle or central?

Of the ones I know:

Florida = Central Florida
Indiana = Central Indiana
Mississippi = Central Mississippi

Georgia = Middle Georgia
Tennessee = Middle Tennessee

 

[SGB]

Well, let's see.

There's Central New York, which is Syracuse. But, that's really upstate New York. Unless, of course, you ask someone in the North Country (Adirondacks & north), who will tell you that Syracuse is really downstate.

TSC, Downtown and other NY'ers (native or otherwise ): feel free to add to the confussion.

 

[biscuit]

Pennsylvania = Central Pennsylvania

South Carolina = the Midlands

 

[NHPlanner]

Central NH

 

[Chet]

Central WI

 

[Gedunker]

Central Jersey.

I wish I could find the logo of the Central Jersey Rail Road -- it's logo centered around the famous central Jersey Icon -- the Statue of Liberty.

No kidding.

 

[nerudite]

Central California, Central Alberta. I don't remember Washington... all we ever talk about is West or East (which side of the Cascades you are on, as it affects planning legislation under GMA.)

 

[Big Easy King]

It's generally referred to as Central Louisiana. Hmmm...It seems odd to refer to any part of a deep-south state as, "central" or "middle."

 

[H]

Huh. So far the only middles are Georgia and Tennessee, with SC being the Midlands. Could it be a southern Appalachian thing? Anyone know about NC?

 

[pandersen]

What aboout us poor bastards up here in Cunnuskerstan.

Sothern or Southwestern Ontario
Western Manitoba.

And for those who don't know how to interpret cumpass direction:

the Upper Peninsula or "UP" - Michigan

 

[Planderella]

It's generally referred to as Central Louisiana. Hmmm...It seems odd to refer to any part of a deep-south state as, "central" or "middle."

I just call it the bible-belt thumping B.F.E.

 

[Jeff]

Central Jersey.

What is this Central Jersey you speak of? I am only familiar with North and South Jersey.

 

[Mastiff]

What is this Central Jersey you speak of? I am only familiar with North and South Jersey.

Above the pine barrens and below the stench of the factories?

 

[BKM]

Well, its a little complicated. "Central California" is I suppose a general term. But, given the size of the state, its not a term that is widely used.

Instead we have Northern California, Southern California (with the dividing line debatably somewhere around Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo).

But, the more specific terms include The Bay Area, the North Coast, the Central Valley (Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys),. the Sierras, the Central Coast, the Inland Empire, etc. People use those terms more than "Central California."

 

[pete-rock]

There's mid-Michigan, the area roughly from Saginaw to Mt. Pleasant (the home of Central Michigan University).

It's the transition area between the fairly urban southern quarter of Michigan and the woodsy northern half of the state.

 

[giff57]

Central Iowa

 

[jordanb]

In Springfield, I lived in "Central Illinois," but up here, everything south of Joliet and west of Aurora is known as "Downstate."

 

[Rem]

In New South Wales we have the Central West, Central Coast and Mid North Coast.

None of these locations are geographically correct BTW.

 

[tsc]

Of course NY metro thinks they are the center of the universe.... but...that is another thread

People in NYC think about only 30 miles north of the city line is upstate... then the rest, (if they really think it realize it exists...) is western NY (everything on the Jersey-side of the Hudson)

Central NY, on the contrary, thinks 30 Miles out of NYC is "downstate" However, if you live within 30 miles of NYC... you think you are part of the greater NYC Metro. (in touch with the country but can feel the pulse of the city)

Everyone in NYS thinks Long Island is a state unto itself..... kinda like Rhode Island. ( In fact... is it bigger than Rhode Island??)

I live in downstate/upstate NY.... SGB thinks he is central ny... that is only a figment of his imagination ... because it doesn't really exist...

 

[Otis]

Central Oregon. Also the Central Coast. Highway 101 has a center lane.

 

[B'lieve]

central Maryland: the Baltimore metro area. The DC suburbs sometimes counted, but they're really more southwest MD, though with MD's funky shape there isn't really a clear southwest. Here mostly it's central MD/Baltimore area, DC suburbs, Eastern Shore (east of the Bay, nearly half the state), Western Maryland, and Southern Maryland.

 

[SGB]

Of course NY metro thinks they are the center of the universe.... but...that is another thread

People in NYC think about only 30 miles north of the city line is upstate... then the rest, (if they really think it realize it exists...) is western NY (everything on the Jersey-side of the Hudson)

Central NY, on the contrary, thinks 30 Miles out of NYC is "downstate" However, if you live within 30 miles of NYC... you think you are part of the greater NYC Metro. (in touch with the country but can feel the pulse of the city)

Everyone in NYS thinks Long Island is a state unto itself..... kinda like Rhode Island. ( In fact... is it bigger than Rhode Island??)

I live in downstate/upstate NY.... SGB thinks he is central ny... that is only a figment of his imagination ... because it doesn't really exist...

[OT]LOL! You did not disappoint, tsc! Very nice! [/OT]

 

[PlannerGirl]

Central Va

 

[donk]

Ours is based more on geographic features, especially rivers, then specific location.

We have Fundy, the Penisula, the Saint John Valley, The Miramichi, Restigouche. Then there is the ever important knowledge of upriver vs downriver

In the general sense we have have northern , and south eastern regions. If you look at the map, for central, there is pretty much nothing there.

 

[biscuit]

I don't know if any of the other PA Cyburbanites have ever heard of this but I have heard my future father-in-law sometimes refere to Central Pennsylvania as "Pennsyssippi."

 

[Gedunker]

Above the pine barrens and below the stench of the factories?

This from an Oregonian?

I would tend to agree, even acknowledging the "stench" part, sadly. If I could load a map, I would.

I grew up in Somerset County and I could walk to the Central Jersey RR, but many folks from South Jersey told me I lived in Northern Jersey. People in Bergen County would tell me I was South Jersey. I figured that was proof enough...

 

[Bangorian]

Central Maine, though we do have a Mid-Coast, so both?

 

[Suburb Repairman]

Central Texas

 

[mike gurnee]

Central KY, AKA the Bleu Graz
When I was in NC, associates called it the Peidmont (or was I just around planner and geography types?)
KS has no middle or central--there is the KC area (all the way to Topeka), Wichita, and west.

 

[biscuit]

When I was in NC, associates called it the Peidmont (or was I just around planner and geography types?)

No, it wasn't just your co-workers. If I remember correctly newscasters always refered to the area in middle NC where Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro are located as the Peidmont. The other two regions of the state being Western and Eastern, NC. I may be wrong however. Any natives, or even Planner Girl, care to set us straight on this one?

 

[Gedunker]

Down East

Central Maine, though we do have a Mid-Coast, so both?

I lived a while in Springvale, Maine, down east on 109.

Okay, so that covers "Down"
And we have "Outer" as in Banks (hello, Isabel, go away darling!)
We have "Upper" as in Peninsula, but does anybody know of an "Up"?

"Inner"?
"Over"?
"Under" (Obviously "Down Under" gets bonus points, fair dinkum.)
Others???

 

[ilikefish0]

I just call it the bible-belt thumping B.F.E.

I've never really noticed the presence of a central louisiana. There is just north louisiana and south louisiana.

Or, if you prefer the french view just as there is paris and then the rest of france, there is new orleans and then there is louisiana.

 

[donk]

Gedunker asked "but does anybody know of an "Up"?"

Here most places are referred to as either being either up or down river. It can get really confusing, in my area "up river" is south, by my parent's it is north. To get my parent's I go up river for apiece, cross the divide onto another river, down that river to another river, then down that river to my parent's.

Watch out for the icy stares and comments if you get the direction wrong in explaining anything.

 

[Bangorian]

Re: Down East

I lived a while in Springvale, Maine, down east on 109.

Springvale? Why that's over by New Hampshire, dear! Certainly NOT Downeast (unless Boston is your point of reference)!

But good point - anywhere east of, say, Ellsworth is known as "Downeast" - an old nautical term - eastward and downwind from pretty much everywhere else.

 

[Gedunker]

Re: Re: Down East

Springvale? Why that's over by New Hampshire, dear! Certainly NOT Downeast (unless Boston is your point of reference)!

But good point - anywhere east of, say, Ellsworth is known as "Downeast" - an old nautical term - eastward and downwind from pretty much everywhere else.

I stand, humbly, corrected. It's been 25 years and more than a few beers since I was at the now-defunct Nasson College.