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Away-Living5278 t1_iwxn6lo wrote

I've had someone from just west of Harrisburg tell me they're from western PA. I was so confused bc I'm from basically Ohio which is actual western PA.

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Little_Noodles t1_iwxnlba wrote

I haven’t had that much experience with this, but are they using the term as a less politically charged euphemism for the whole “Pennsultucky” deal?

The state is anchored by two left-leaning counties on either end, each fringed by somewhat less predictable townships making up blueish-to-purple counties on the border.

If “central” isn’t a geographic divide, but a cultural and demographic line between where the state’s population is most concentrated at either end, with the demographic and political trends associated with that concentration, and where that kind of density, demographic diversity, and political leanings shift … then, yeah, “central” is associated with the center of the state, even if it isn’t central geographically.

It’s the center counties’ demographic and political trends, radiating outward as far as they can go before hitting Pittsburgh and Philly’s competing demographic and political trends. Where that boundary becomes a battleground is the border of “central”.

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MWBartko t1_iwxnsx7 wrote

To some people it's Philly, Pittsburgh, or central. The people in Scranton and Erie don't look kindly at that view.

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C4bl3Fl4m3 t1_iwxnwmc wrote

I grew up in Cumberland County.

Lancaster is roughly considered the Eastern most point for South-Central PA. And I think it's lumped in because it forms the whole Harrisburg/Hershey/York/Lancaster area, because Harrisburg is definitely Central. The eastern part of Central, but still Central.

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Away-Living5278 t1_iwxq9th wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#574,830)

Yeah Cumberland county. I honestly have no clue. I know one set of their grandparents were from York so maybe that's why? I was thrown though. I'd say they were screwing with me if I didn't know they were serious.

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Sukkit74 t1_iwxqf5i wrote

Philly is East, Pittsburgh is West, Harrisburg is Central, it’s just how the state is generalized

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C4bl3Fl4m3 t1_iwxrwjo wrote

Replying to Away-Living5278 (#575,034)

York is further EAST, not further west.

I mean, during the 18th century, Carlisle was considered the beginnings of the west, the last settler town before the "frontier", but other than that...

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Away-Living5278 t1_iwxskmp wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#575,157)

Yeah sorry I meant maybe she thought of Cumberland as western bc her family was from more eastern PA. But she still stuck to it being western PA when I pushed back asking if she meant central.

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IamSauerKraut t1_iwxt02m wrote

If it's Mid-Penn, YIAAA or LL League, then it is south-central PA.

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Cogatanu7CC95 t1_iwxu027 wrote

good thing its that state that determines what is what. lanc is part of central pa so says the state

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msip313 t1_iwxuf7e wrote

I’m from Chester County. In my experience, people from Lancaster County don’t seem to identify with anything southeastern PA, be it Philly (and it’s sports teams), or going to the Jersey shore in the summer. It’s weird because the place is only 45 minutes west of me.

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diffitt OP t1_iwxvnn0 wrote

Replying to Cogatanu7CC95 (#575,333)

But for what reason? Local government? What would the purpose be to place Lancaster/York in Central PA? What does it effect that they don’t place them in their geographical area? There’s no benefit at all IMO

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Little_Noodles t1_iwxvrwy wrote

Replying to msip313 (#575,381)

Yeah, it’s meta or whatever. I’m locating my clauses and parentheticals centrally.

Either that, or I was killing time on my phone while also distracted by doing something else.

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Super_C_Complex t1_iwxx81d wrote

Anything with a 717 area code is, roughly, south central

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Ihaveaboot t1_iwxxs17 wrote

Replying to Wuz314159 (#575,318)

I grew up in Allentown in the 70s, I've lived in Philly, and attended college in Pittsburgh. Spent the first 25 years of my career in Harrisburg.

I find it insulting that you are shitting on most of the state.

Perhaps that's your intent to get upvotes here. But grow up. PA is an awesome state, it's not just Philly or Pittsburgh.

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mcvoid1 t1_iwxxur7 wrote

Back in the early days of Pennsylvania, PA effectively ended at the mountains. To the west was the frontier wilderness and didn't really get settled until centuries afterward. Even now it's basically Pittsburgh, Erie, State College, and a whole lot of nothing. So I'd argue central PA is east of Blue Mountain.

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ILikeMyGrassBlue t1_iwxyqea wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#574,848)

Yup, I remember hearing “Harrisburg, Lancaster, and York” so many times on the radio as a kid. They just get lumped together and since the others are central, Lancaster might as well be too lol.

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GraffitiTavern t1_iwy2n84 wrote

Replying to Little_Noodles (#574,831)

Well Dauphin(Harrisburg) is also considered South Central PA and its blue, in general what unites South Central more than anything is the PA Dutch culture and generally being in between SEPA and Western PA at least in my experience

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Yankiwi17273 t1_iwy3ed3 wrote

Being from Hershey, I made my friend from Clearfield more than a little confused when I claimed to be from Central PA lol. (And honestly, she did have a point in saying that my area is not Central PA, but rather South Central PA if that even)

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GraffitiTavern t1_iwy3kau wrote

Well since SEPA specifically refers to Philly metro and suburbs most of the time, anything west of that usually calls itself 'Central' even if its on the eastern side of the state. South Central PA is odd, The eastern part forms the core of Dutch Country, the western part you are more in the Appalachian foothills, and then in between you have the capital region.

There's even a regional planning org(http://www.southcentralassembly.org/)

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UnableAudience7332 t1_iwyeb9o wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#574,848)

I'm in Bucks County and my cousins Iin Hershey hate when people from my area say Hersehy is central PA. I guess when they think central they think of thr VERY CENTER LOL

Just going by mileage across the state I get it. Like you say, that's basically the cusp of where Central would begin so I guess they can claim either Central or SE.

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coysmate05 t1_iwz0t92 wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#574,848)

I think it’s also cultural and demographic. Chester county kinda gets lumped into the greater Philly metropolitan area whereas most people don’t really consider Lancaster to be in that.

So it’s easier to put it in the York Harrisburg etc category. Also Lancaster is just kind of it’s own thing lol. It’s a weird place.

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coysmate05 t1_iwz1243 wrote

Replying to msip313 (#575,366)

I agree with everything except the sports team aspect. There are a lot of Philly fans in Lancaster. I would say there is definitely more Philly than Pittsburgh fans here

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ux-smith t1_iwz3cvk wrote

My family lived in Chester and Delaware counties for generations, and my wife and I moved to Lancaster County about a decade ago. Lancaster county culture is VERY different from Chester/Delaware/Montgomery/Philly counties. You could have a whole thread dedicated to the differences. I honestly sometimes feel like I’m in a different country altogether.

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heck_it_all t1_iwznp8d wrote

When I relocated from Lancaster county to Pittsburgh, my new neighbor was very confused when I said we came from central PA. He thought I meant State College.

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CharlySB t1_iwzq3d8 wrote

Replying to ux-smith (#578,078)

You should start a thread. As a chester county native who hasn’t spent much time in Lancaster area (except to occasionally buy something) I would be interested in these cultural differences.

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worstatit t1_iwzxlge wrote

They are trying to disassociate themselves from Philadelphia. They're actually suburbs.

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RevolutionaryEar1789 t1_ix0h8t0 wrote

I think geographically Lancaster is more similar to Central PA than Southeastern PA. Not that any part of the state is super different from each other but yk what I mean

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Saveron t1_ix0r10r wrote

The real central portion of PA is where the Sheetz/Wawa divide is located.

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Aes_Should_Die t1_ix18zrl wrote

Replying to C4bl3Fl4m3 (#574,848)

People in the west do not think of Harrisburg as central. We think of State College as central PA. But, from the standpoint that it is between Pittsburgh and Philly, sure it’s central PA. 😂

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Aes_Should_Die t1_ix193u8 wrote

Harrisburg is about as central PA as Johnstown is and no one calls Johnstown central PA

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C4bl3Fl4m3 t1_ix1cyes wrote

Replying to Aes_Should_Die (#584,182)

There's Central, and then there's SOUTH Central. People in SC drop the word "South" for shortness; it's implied. Even we would admit that true "just Central" PA is, as you said, State College.

Plus, Harrisburg is the political capital of the state, so in that manner, it's central. With respect, there's nothing up in State College but a big ol' university in a tiny town, mountains and woods. (source: having visited a few times, and my partner is an ex-Nittany Lion.)

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Aes_Should_Die t1_ix1pl3d wrote

Replying to coysmate05 (#577,904)

Because Lancaster is in the east. They had better be Philly fans. The divide is usually what is generally east and west of State College. Though in the northeast of the state there are some Cleveland/Buffalo sports fans. I imagine the northeast has some NYC fan exclaves itself.

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Aes_Should_Die t1_ix1q9xa wrote

Replying to mcvoid1 (#575,595)

Pittsburgh was founded a generation before the American revolution. Sure, there were parts of the state that would not be founded for another 100 years because of the mountains. The railroads and a hunger for coal and steel mostly fixed that.

Also, I’d not quite say that it’s State College, Pittsburgh, Erie and nothin. It’s not as well settled as what is around Philly for sure. But millions of people live in the went side of the state, even if their coal and steel hubs took a hit in the past couple generations.

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marieknight t1_ix1vhwk wrote

Short answer. No one in that area wants to be labeled as a "big city." Calling themselves Central PA means that they do not have to be associated with "big city areas."

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RonDonVolante t1_ix237li wrote

I’d say anything west of SEPTA territory is fair to be called central PA.

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Synchro78 t1_ixajnmb wrote

It's South Central. It even says so on the county's website lol.

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