When people ask where I’m from, my answer depends on where I am when the question is asked and how much the other person knows about the general area. When I’m in our small city, I’ll name the actual smaller city where I live. If I’m an hour away, I give the bigger city’s name. If I’m out of state, I name the state. When I’m abroad, I’ll often say “Chicago” even though it’s 4 hours away. At that point, people don’t know the area and don’t really even care. They’re being polite and making conversation.
I grew up an hour from St. Louis. I’d never claim it as “home” when I’m within a few hours, but will now say, “I grew up near STL” as it is where we spent a lot of time growing up…and no one knows (or cares) about the po-dunk town where I really grew up.
I do the same. We live in the western suburbs, about 30 minutes outside of Chicago. If someone local asks where we live, I tell them our actual city name. Outside of that, I mostly just say Chicago.
I have definitely also said Chicagoland on occasion, though, and it does amuse me, not having grown up here. I’m from Wisconsin originally.
Also, the use of “the city” kind of cracks me up. We say it. “DH works in the city”. “Come on kids. We’re going to the city today.”
I’ll just chime in as someone from small town IL, about halfway between STL and Chicago that north of 80 = Chicago, south of 70 = St Louis regardless if it is in IL, IN, WI, or MO. Also, there is is St Charles in IL (Chicago) and MO (St Louis).
Literally was about to chime in with the dual St. Charles references. And are apparently very similar in many ways, geographical and otherwise.
And amusingly I lived in both-grew up in Mo and then lived in the Il one as a grown up.
I got a lot of feedback from St. Charles type peeps about attending high school "on the other side of the river" to attend a single sex school (my choice, parents rule was Catholic and I liked my school) and shouldn't my parents be afraid that I am driving myself to see friends in North County (Ferguson, Florissant, Jennings area). Sigh. People are racist and stupid.
Some parents also didn't want their kids to look at my school as they thought it was a bad area. Me: we are a half mile from UMSL and I run cross country inthe neighborhood and never felt unsafe.
Well, I for one, am OFFENDED. I grew up in South County and South City. I've lived in St. Charles for 13 years, so 1/3 of my life, so I think until I'm past the 1/2 way mark, I can say I'm from St. Louis But what's hypocritical of me, is that I would get annoyed if someone from Jeff Co said they were from St. Louis.
Fun fact, there's only ONE road out of St. Louis (city/county) where you DON'T have to cross a river.
Well, I for one, am OFFENDED. I grew up in South County and South City. I've lived in St. Charles for 13 years, so 1/3 of my life, so I think until I'm past the 1/2 way mark, I can say I'm from St. Louis But what's hypocritical of me, is that I would get annoyed if someone from Jeff Co said they were from St. Louis.
Fun fact, there's only ONE road out of St. Louis (city/county) where you DON'T have to cross a river.
100?
And I'm meh on Jeffco if they want to say St. Louis. They're like right there man, and some of their towns are both counties. I have a town that splits between all 3 counties. But it's more rural so I don't think anyone there says they're from St. Louis
Well, I for one, am OFFENDED. I grew up in South County and South City. I've lived in St. Charles for 13 years, so 1/3 of my life, so I think until I'm past the 1/2 way mark, I can say I'm from St. Louis But what's hypocritical of me, is that I would get annoyed if someone from Jeff Co said they were from St. Louis.
Fun fact, there's only ONE road out of St. Louis (city/county) where you DON'T have to cross a river.
100?
And I'm meh on Jeffco if they want to say St. Louis. They're like right there man, and some of their towns are both counties. I have a town that splits between all 3 counties. But it's more rural so I don't think anyone there says they're from St. Louis
Ding Ding! My old boss told me that once, when I was like 24, and thought he was so clever because I didn't know. I was like, dude, I've barely crossed ANY of these rivers, ever, so why the hell would I know this? But apparently it was interesting enough for me to remember for nearly 20 years....
I only get annoyed about JeffCo b/c I grew up literally one exit away from Arnold. Back then, it was like night and day, and you did NOT want to be associated with anything further south, because, Klassy. But really, we were not any better, just acted like it.
And then I married someone from Scott County, which is like KKK headquarters, so I really shouldn't be saying a damn thing about any of this, lol.
And I'm meh on Jeffco if they want to say St. Louis. They're like right there man, and some of their towns are both counties. I have a town that splits between all 3 counties. But it's more rural so I don't think anyone there says they're from St. Louis
Ding Ding! My old boss told me that once, when I was like 24, and thought he was so clever because I didn't know. I was like, dude, I've barely crossed ANY of these rivers, ever, so why the hell would I know this? But apparently it was interesting enough for me to remember for nearly 20 years....
I only get annoyed about JeffCo b/c I grew up literally one exit away from Arnold. Back then, it was like night and day, and you did NOT want to be associated with anything further south, because, Klassy. But really, we were not any better, just acted like it.
And then I married someone from Scott County, which is like KKK headquarters, so I really shouldn't be saying a damn thing about any of this, lol.
I think anything south of 44 is KKK country unfortunately. There's some deep backwoods towns down there.
We have a weird state that splits between Midwestern and Southern. I identify with Midwestern but I had people not from this state argue that I'm southern.