Washington DC: The South's True Gateway

Chances are when people list typical Southern cities they rarely, if ever think of our Nation's Capital. However, Washington D.C. has always been a Southern city at heart, and despite her awkward crowning as the Union Capital during the ill-fated War, the city itself and her people were Southern. Washington, now considered by most to be part of the Northeast corridor, has a pace of life that is slower than its sister cities to the North, and the layout and structure of Washington is very different than the densely populated Northeastern cities. Baltimore is often considered a Southern city as well- yet to me, that is where the North ends. As Baltimore much leans more towards Northern culture than Southern, Washington is the opposite. Washingtonians like to sometimes drawl, and they like their BBQ and the city is a sweltering mess during the summer time. While being hot in the summer doesn't make a place particularly "Southern" (New York can be hot as heck too), its just the way people in D.C. react. Washingtonians freak out at the very mention of the word "snow". They don't call her "Foggy Bottom" for nothing. Why do I include Washington D.C.- a city in Maryland in a blog about Virginia? Well, because at one time, Virginia was part of Washington D.C.- and let's face it- Northern Virginia pretty much is Washington D.C. for the most part. Arlington sits right across the river. Lee's beautiful mansion now surrounded by graves of Union Soldiers, was once the pinnacle of Southern hospitality and grace. In the old days, Northern Virginia often looked towards Richmond, not D.C. as its cultural reference point. However, D.C. related more to Richmond than to Baltimore. And Baltimore more to D.C. than to Philadelphia. This becomes the conundrum of border towns such as Washington.

During the 1950's- D.C. was also a mecca of Country and Western Music- at a time when Country Music (then known as "Hillbilly), was a strictly Southern art form, and the performers- most notably Patsy Cline- were from small southern towns. Patsy Cline came to Washington D.C. in the 1950s, and got her start on Jimmy Dean's "Town and Country Time"-which aired just in the D.C. area. D.C. had many honky tonks and bars which played Country. Later on, Mary Chapin Carpenter- a New Jersey Native, came down to D.C. to get her start here. The police force in D.C. was also Southern- people from neighboring states such as Virginia, Southern Maryland, West Virginia, and North Carolina came to D.C. to work and get jobs. Washington,D.C. also has a Southern accent. Its not as graceful or as elegant as Virginia Tidewater found in Richmond- yet it is still distinct. Radio show host Diane Rehm has a classic Washingtonian accent. As does John Warner- a Virginian who spent most of his boyhood in D.C.

When I see cherry blossoms, Greek Revival architecture, and the Potomac River, it certainly doesn't strike me as a "Northeast Corridor" city. I see the gateway to the South in Washington D.C. I suppose this has always long been a debate for many people. As D.C. sits well below the Mason-Dixon line, its also a very transient place with folks from all over the globe. Ex-President John F. Kennedy so famously said "Washington is a city of Southern Efficiency and Northern Charm". He meant that all the Northern politicians came down to Washington, and the city itself, under siege, could not keep up with the demand. Washington is a global city now. But if you watch old movies- you'll see a sleepy little Southern country town that just oozes a simpler, slower way of life.