OutKick Readers Settle Classic Debate: Is Pittsburgh A Midwest City?
Let me first apologize for the headline of this article, because it is misleading. OutKick readers did not settle the debate. It is, in fact, the writer of this article who settled the debate. The answer is yes, Pittsburgh is a Midwest American city.
Actually, the vast majority of people who voted on OutKick's social media poll said that it is not a Midwest city. Unfortunately, they are wrong.
Allow me to explain. I understand that, geographically-speaking, many people do not consider Pittsburgh to be part of the Midwest. The U.S. Census Bureau agrees, stating that the Midwest ends on Ohio's eastern border (it's worth noting that Pittsburgh is less than 25 miles from the Ohio border). However, to me, the Midwest encapsulates far more than simply geographical location.
The Midwest is a culture, an attitude, a vibe and a way-of-life. Land space cannot change that. As someone who grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania (Erie, PA to be exact), I can confidently state that Pittsburgh epitomizes the attitudes of the American Midwest.
It's a hard-working, blue-collar city and the people are down-to-earth. I say that as someone who has spent a great deal of his life traveling around this amazing country of ours. The Midwest is my favorite section, by far.
The best feature, in my humble opinion, is the amount of civic pride that emanates from true Midwest cities. The people love their cities, their states and their country. Pittsburgh is included in this group.
There's a classic debate about whether Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is considered a Midwest American city and OutKick readers gave their thoughts.
(Getty Images)
And while the South is often given the distinction as having the best service (after all, it's called "Southern Hospitality"), the Midwest is similar in that regard. The people are friendly, kind and generally look to help each other.
That has not been my experience in the past 13 years, the time I've spent living in Connecticut. For all the people who claim Pittsburgh is part of the Northeast, they could not be more wrong. The Northeast is a cold place, and I'm not talking about the weather.
On a recent trip back home to Erie, I stopped at a Starbucks to grab a coffee. Having frequented mostly Northeastern Starbucks locations the previous few years, I was shocked when I pulled up to the drive-thru window at an Erie, PA location.
"Good morning, welcome to Starbucks! I hope you're having a fantastic day and I would be delighted to take your order when you're ready!" came the enthusiastic voice from behind the speaker.
Wait, what? Don't you mean "What do you want?" Because that's more akin to what I'm used to hearing at a drive-thru window in Connecticut, New York or Massachusetts.
Yes, I understand this is very anecdotal, but I promise it signals a larger culture that makes western Pennsylvania vastly different from the Northeast. Sure, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are both in the same state. But, culturally, it's as if they are located in different countries. I know this well because I also attended Penn State University.
A large swath of the PSU students are from the Pittsburgh area and a large swath are from the Philadelphia area (and New Jersey, for that matter, and they are basically the same). It wouldn't take you very long to figure out who was who, whether they were wearing a Phillies cap or not.
I must mention that, growing up, I never considered myself a Midwesterner. It really wasn't until I got older, and began to travel, that I realized that to be the case. Really, moving to Connecticut cemented it for me. Everything about my upbringing, and the upbringing of those around me, screamed Midwest. I just didn't see it at the time. Wisdom is powerful and only obtained through experience.
That all being said, being the reasonable journalist that I am, I will allow for counterarguments. They might be wrong, but people are entitled to have them. So, here are a few of the responses that OutKick received on social media.
There you have it! The debate is settled. Pittsburgh is part of the American Midwest because I said so. There will be no more discussion on the topic henceforth.