In state rivalries...

[jerusalemcar5]

I was thinking about this after going to the New York State Fair today (just for a concert, though, I'll be going for activities later).

Though some might think New Yorkers hate Southerners or Midwesterners, but really, at least in upstate, the greatest hatred is towards downstate.  You can't win upstate votes without basically pledging to defend us against the evils and corruption of NYC, and to get us money and projects.  When Gov. Pataki made downstate parks free during the heat wave and not upstate parks, there was mass outrage and he made all state parks free the next day.  Local radio and TV covered in throughout the day.  I don't know how downstate feels about us, though.

Why do we have such rivalries?  I don't think New York is alone.  What are other states like?  Why do upstaters hate other New Yorkers more than people in rival states?

[Jake]

I despise people from Philadelphia.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm sure we all know what part of Minnesota I hate...

[bgwah]

Western and Eastern Washington.

[Nym90]

Michigan has a definite East vs. West rivalry within the state. This is fueled by politics as well, given that the eastern side of the state is mostly Democratic and the western side Republican.

[riceowl]

Dallas v. Houston.

[afleitch]

Glasgow v Edinburgh

[MODU]

There's a huge Northern VA vs the rest of VA in-state rivalry.  It primarily deals with money, since NoVA provides a sizable portion of the state tax revenue, but we get less than 50% of it back.  In order for our region to continue to expand (and provide more taxes), we need the funds in order to develope the infrastructure up here.  However, Richmond legislation deems it important to have large road projects out in the middle of nowhere in counties no one ever visits (not that these roads would improve that to begin with). 

[MasterJedi]

No real rivalries in Wisconsin, except we all hate people from Illinois.

[Nation]

Maryland: Everyone hates Baltimore City.

[minionofmidas]

Frankfurt vs Offenbach.
There's no real North Hesse vs South Hesse rivalry simply because North Hesse seldom really concerns us down here...

[DownWithTheLeft]

There is a distinct air of strong dislike between north and south Jersey to put it lightly.  However there is a MUCH more hostile yet lesser known rivalry between urban and suburban counties in New Jersey.  The most severe split is Morris/Somerset counties vs. Essex/Union counties.  M/S have placed themselves on a pedestal of "suburban upper-middle-class" in sharp contrast to what they think of as their disgusting urban neighbors, E/U.  E/U have a high level of disdain for the wealth and pompous attitude of M/S.  Both areas are extremely vocal in their hatred of each other.  No one likes Trenton, either.

Your Essex/Union might be seen even greater between Essex and my county Bergen.  People in Bergen in the suburbs near Newark, despise the people from Newark coming into our towns and sometimes causing crime.  This rivalry is also w/Hudson county b/c those people are also moving into the towns.  This is causing Bergen County to a much different place and causing great hatred from Bergen to Essex and Hudson.

[Sam Spade]

Dallas v. Houston.

Correct, though the rivalry is rarely about politics (except maybe at the local level, where for example, Dallas has some of the strictest zoning laws in the country and Houston has none.)

Other than that, the rivalry is mainly about football teams and the alleged superiority of each city.  Houstonians allege that Dallasites are snobs and are not friendly.  Dallasites usually don't acknowledge Houston in the same breath, that Houston is an inferior city.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

From my experience -

In sport - U of Illinois v UMichigan

North side of Chicago vs The rest of Illinois.

[Colin]

I despise people from Philadelphia.

In PA its mostly a Philly vs. the rest of the state rivalry and even more pronounced is the East vs. West rivalry. That would seem to be a lot like your Upstate-Downstate rivalry. The reason why Rendell was hated out in the West about a year ago, before he started to pour all the money he couldn't into the West, was that he basically forgot about everything west of Harrisburg for three years, in our minds.

[riceowl]

Dallas v. Houston.

Houstonians allege that Dallasites are snobs and are not friendly. 

It's cause they ARE, dammit!

[Flying Dog]

Upper Peninsula vs Lower Peninisual

[Platypus]

In Victoria, only really Ballarat vs. Bendigo, and of course, Traralgon vs. Moe, Sale, Bairnsdale and especially Morwell. There's a song about the rivalry between the western and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, but it's not a very strong rivalry at all. Melbourne's rivalries are in football, and whilst very very strong and highly tribal, they are never violent. We're too civilised for that...although if you went to a Essendon/Hawthorn game, you might wonder about that...

Sydney has some pretty strong internal rivalries, sporting and otherwise.

Adelaide has the bi-annual 'showdown' between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power in the Australian Football League, probably the most intense sporting rivalry in Australia. Much stronger then Perth's Fremantle/West Coast game.

In Australia, WA/everyone, especially VIC and sort-of NSW, SA/VIC, TAS/VIC, VIC/NSW, NSW/QLD.

Biggest is of course Melbourne vs. Sydney in more or less everything, and QLD vs. NSW in, especially, rugby, is the biggest state rivalry.

Everyone vs. Sydney exists, but it's focussed most significantly in Melbourne and Perth, although rural NSW has a strong anti-Sydney sentiment in parts. Western Australians and Victorians don't really like the rest, especially the sandgropers. Victorians don't mind the Tasmanians or South Australians too much, but neither of them like us.

Then, of course, there are the kiwis....

[Virginian87]

Northern Virginia vs. the rest of the state.  People in Southside (south-central Virginia) and the Shenandoah Valley can't stand many of the people who come out of Fairfax and Arlington County, whom they often believe act condescending to them.  The fact that these areas, as well as Loudoun and Prince William counties, are trending towards liberalism doesn't help.  Meanwhile many Northern Virginians (mostly transplants from other states) can't stand the rural areas and the small towns and think that NoVa should secede from the rest of Virginia.

As for regional Virginia rivalries, you've got Lynchburg vs. Roanoke and metro Richmond vs. Chesterfield County (this one is mainly based on politics).

[nclib]

In NC some people from the Triangle look down upon people from Eastern NC.

[Sam Spade]

Dallas v. Houston.

Houstonians allege that Dallasites are snobs and are not friendly. 

It's cause they ARE, dammit!

No disagreement here, buddy.

[muon2]

No real rivalries in Wisconsin, except we all hate people from Illinois.

So says the cheesehead

The political rivalry in Illinois perhaps is best pictured in thirds. Roughly a third is Cook (incl. Chicago), a third is the suburban collar, and a third is the remainder of the state. Chicagoland has 2/3 of the population on about 1/15 of the state's land area. The Governor's refusal to live in the executive mansion downstate, but stay in Chicago causing al sorts of complaints, exemplifies the rivalry.

[??????????]

Northern Virginia vs. the rest of the state.  People in Southside (south-central Virginia) and the Shenandoah Valley can't stand many of the people who come out of Fairfax and Arlington County, whom they often believe act condescending to them.  The fact that these areas, as well as Loudoun and Prince William counties, are trending towards liberalism doesn't help.  Meanwhile many Northern Virginians (mostly transplants from other states) can't stand the rural areas and the small towns and think that NoVa should secede from the rest of Virginia.

As for regional Virginia rivalries, you've got Lynchburg vs. Roanoke and metro Richmond vs. Chesterfield County (this one is mainly based on politics).

The Tidewater vs the Piedmont. And everyone who has a sane mind hates Princess Anne.