# What are the misconceptions of your hometown? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086 "2010-07-09T12:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/121 "2010-07-12T17:36:26Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > I know, but OTOH it’s so hard to remember to pack a jacket when it’s 100 degrees outside and you’re only driving a few hours! (Yes, my sister did this last week, heh.) We are from Sacramento, and know enough to keep a sweater in the car on our trips to San Francisco, but this weekend completely forgot that the same applies to Oakland. Luckily it wasn’t bad at all, but if we stayed later in the night we would have been uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/122 "2010-07-12T18:00:59Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Yes, what is it’s reason for existance? I still can’t figure out why it is such a large, bustling city that doesn’t have a major body of water for shipping. Is it just because a country moving west needed a good resting point between St. Louis and Chicago? I’m serious, it has puzzled me for years. > > That said, I think Indianapolis is a lovely city with lots of amenities much nicer than IMS (which is technically in Speedway, isn’t it?). > > I do like IMS though. I miss the F1 races there.☹ Indianapolis is not called the “Crossroads of America” for nothing! The “Old National Road” (now US 40/Washington Street) runs right through town. Interstates 65, 70, and 74 converge around the city, and I-69 runs northeast to Detroit. It’s slated to be extended southwest to Evansville in the near future. We also have six US highways in and out of town. ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/123 "2010-07-12T18:17:52Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > There is the misconception that Austin is a funky weird little high-tech college town. It is not. Not anymore. So many non-funky, non-weird malcontents moved here that it is now just like the crappy places they all came from. > > “Keep Austin Weird” is not so much a motto anymore. It’s more like a distant fantasy. I lived in Austin from about '85 to '91 and have been back a few times since. Yep. it has changed a LOT (and not always for the better, imo…was already happening when we left and one of the reasons we did leave). Our first trip back, we were like, “OMG, Ben White’s a FREEWAY!” :eek: and were a bit saddened by the way so many chains and strip malls had popped up…in short, it was starting to look and FEEL like Houston or anywhere else. ☹ It’s still a lot “funkier” than a lot of places, but in little pockets. It still holds a special place in my heart, though. My current hometown of Portland, Or., the misconceptions seem to be 1. it rains all the time (it actually rains more in Houston, my actual hometown, and the drizzly, grey days are offset by many drop-dead incredible days) 2. people here are depressed and suicidal. (someone receny did a “study” and found we had the highest percentage of people on antidepressants or something…whatEVER! Most I know are thrilled to be living here and if they ARE depressed, it has nothing to do with location). But we like to perpetuate these misconceptions…keeps the traffic down. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/124 "2010-07-12T18:26:48Z")
P.S. (missed the damn edit window by a second or 2 :smack:), BTW, “Keep Austin Weird” was created by a record store owner in Austin who later gave a fellow record store owner in Portland the rights to print up his own “Keep Portland Weird” stuff. So even though a lot of places use that motto, technically only Austin and Portland are “legitimately weird”. 😃 I personally like the billboard near my home from the electrical workers union: “Keep Portland Wired”. (I thought the coffee took care of that. ;)) Also, that’s “recently” above…not “receny” (why I went back to edit in the first place) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/125 "2010-07-12T18:50:01Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Heh. I live in the Greater Heights area of Houston–another “unlikely” pocket of liberalism in our Red State. In fact, all the Texas cities tend to vote Democratic–even Dallas! But things get weird in the 'burbs & in the countryside. (And not the good kind of weird.) > > I visited Austin recently &, while it’s certainly changed, it’s still awfully cute. I believe you about all the problems, but it was a nice change from Big Houston. > > What’s the occupancy rate in [this monstrosity](http://www.theaustonian.com/)? True story - a colleague took me to dinner at the Headliner’s Club (in the Chase Bank building) and we had a great view of the Austonian. Apparently the 43rd floor has a garden and it’s open air. Why someone would move to Austin to live in a condo is beyond me, but… there you go. Love the Heights, btw! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/126 "2010-07-12T19:25:49Z")
Boston is supposedly the “hub of the universe”. True-it has some world-class universities and hospitals, but the city is rather rundown and dirty. The political leadership is corrupt, and the current mayor (Thomas Menino) appears to be mentally retarded. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/127 "2010-07-12T19:35:57Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > Indianapolis is not called the “Crossroads of America” for nothing! The “Old National Road” (now US 40/Washington Street) runs right through town. Interstates 65, 70, and 74 converge around the city, and I-69 runs northeast to Detroit. It’s slated to be extended southwest to Evansville in the near future. We also have six US highways in and out of town. First, “The Crossroads of America” is Indiana’s nickname, not Indianapolis’. (I’m a Hoosier born and bred, but not from Indy.) Second, your point about the freeways is silly. Take a look around Google Maps, and see how extensive our interstate system is. Just as a first guess, I looked at St. Louis. It seems that there are interstates 44,55,64,70, and various US highways. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/128 "2010-07-12T22:01:23Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Boston is supposedly the “hub of the universe”. True-it has some world-class universities and hospitals, but the city is rather rundown and dirty. The political leadership is corrupt, and the current mayor (Thomas Menino) appears to be mentally retarded. Sounds like New Haven! They just brought in a new Police Chief from Chicago to clean up the drugs and word on the street is he has two years to live! I so don’t miss that city… ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/129 "2010-07-12T22:18:09Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Boston is supposedly the “hub of the universe”. True-it has some world-class universities and hospitals, but the city is rather rundown and dirty. The political leadership is corrupt, and the current mayor (Thomas Menino) appears to be mentally retarded. Errr, parts of it are, but the majority of downtown is quite nice, as are the suburbs. I can’t argue with the politics, but in any case nobody from Boston ever uses that term anymore: Cite: [http://www.universalhub.com/glossary/hub.html](http://www.universalhub.com/glossary/hub.html) ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/130 "2010-07-12T22:51:50Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > Indianapolis is not called the “Crossroads of America” for nothing! The “Old National Road” (now US 40/Washington Street) runs right through town. Interstates 65, 70, and 74 converge around the city, and I-69 runs northeast to Detroit. It’s slated to be extended southwest to Evansville in the near future. We also have six US highways in and out of town. Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t know that nickname. It does kinda corrolate with my theory of the need for a decent size town between Chicago and St. Louis. I quite like Indianapolis; good people, good arts community and a lot of prairie sky. The city made a great comeback from the manufacturing bust that was the 1970s. I hope you’re hanging in there now. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/131 "2010-07-13T00:31:48Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > Mary Tyler Moore would no longer recognize her “hometown,” my neighbor. Locals have taken to calling it Murderopolis. I grew up in the Minneapolis area - that nickname is a couple decades old, and gets brought back out any time that there’s any uptick in murders. Considering that last year was abnormally low (with 19), it’s tough to not go back up. Then again, the only people I’ve heard use “Murderapolis” in a non-sarcastic manner were also too scared to go to Vikings or Twins games, as they were truly convinced they would be gunned down on the way. :rolleyes: The biggest misconception I’ve seen about Minneapolis is that it’s cold and snowy year round. Although the average January temp is 13 degrees, the average July temp is 73. The Twin Cities also get very little snow, relatively speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/132 "2010-07-13T00:36:13Z")
> [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](#): > > Then again, the only people I’ve heard use “Murderapolis” in a non-sarcastic manner were also too scared to go to Vikings or Twins games, as they were truly convinced they would be gunned down on the way. :rolleyes: Well, being bored to death is surely a serious risk at baseball games. 😉 I always pictured it being too cold in Minnesota for muggers and such to be hanging around on the streets. ETA: Who on earth called Boston “the hub of the universe”? If not for a couple of universities, Boston’s only claims to relevance would be the Celtics and House of Pain. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/133 "2010-07-13T00:50:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Who on earth called Boston “the hub of the universe”? [Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.](http://www.celebrateboston.com/culture/the-hub-origin.htm), apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/134 "2010-07-13T01:00:56Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > ETA: Who on earth called Boston “the hub of the universe”? If not for a couple of universities, Boston’s only claims to relevance would be the Celtics and House of Pain. Boston has a whole lot going for it both currently and historically and it is a lot more than just a “couple of universities” (more like 100+) and it is one of the best sports cities, biotech, high-tech, and historical cities in the U.S. but the “Hub of the Universe” thing sums up nicely what is wrong with it. It is used in the media here and not tongue in cheek or any sort of joke at all. It pops up all the time. I am not a big fan of Boston proper and even those people make fun of Cambridge snottiness so I don’t know what that says. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/135 "2010-07-13T01:22:31Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Boston has a whole lot going for it both currently and historically and it is a lot more than just a “couple of universities” (more like 100+) and it is one of the best sports cities, biotech, high-tech, and historical cities in the U.S. but the “Hub of the Universe” thing sums up nicely what is wrong with it. Still, it isn’t really a misconception about Boston, since no one outside of Boston thinks it’s that important. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/136 "2010-07-13T01:25:34Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Sounds like fun! Just observe the speed limit in Akron; the one and only speeding ticket I ever got was waiting for me at the north end. :mad: Was it really an Akron ticket, or Cuyahoga Falls–at our North End. They’re legendary. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/137 "2010-07-13T02:17:57Z")
I’d heard Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was one of the most expensive places to live, swarming with the ultra-rich and celebrities. But Mr. Sali’s cousin lives there, baking muffins and such for a coffee shop. She recently bought a cardboard condo, the kind they slap up to house the peons. She’s not one of the rich and famous by any means but to live in such a beautiful part of the country more than makes up for it. So I guess it’s possible to be live there without being able to afford your very own jet. Where I live, in Central NY, in the Northeast, you’d think: aging, rust-belt, depressed, filthy, poor struggling city with everyone under the age of 30 bugging out for greener pastures. Yeah, there’s plenty of that. Not to mention snow storms that literally bury cars. Yet there are housing developments being put up everywhere, in a vast rural former farmland. I’m ashamed to say I have no idea who is buying all those houses or where they get the jobs to afford them. Maybe they’re commuting 3 hours to bigger cities. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/138 "2010-07-13T03:20:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I always pictured it being too cold in Minnesota for muggers and such to be hanging around on the streets. One of MN’s northern cities used to have an edge of town sign that said “Welcome to \_\_\_, 40 below keeps the riff raff out.” The other nice thing about winter here is that when it is too cold to snow, the sun is blindingly bright. And no lake-effect snow! Well, except for Duluth. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/139 "2010-07-13T04:38:21Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t know that nickname. Please read post #127 Also, are you implying that Indianapolis is between St. Louis and Chicago? Because it’s not. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > Boston has a whole lot going for it both currently and historically and it is a lot more than just a “couple of universities” (more like 100+)… How about 52? [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_metropolitan_Boston) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086/140 "2010-07-13T05:06:58Z")
I have never been to New Jersey, but from watching The Sopranos, it doesn’t seem to be that bad of a place to live, if you have the money to live there and the right attitude. The southeastern part of the United States has gone through a lot of changes and is not the way it was in the 1960’s and 70’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-misconceptions-of-your-hometown/546086.md?page=8)