Is Michigan a brand?

[Jason]

If you're talking to someone either from or familiar with metro Detroit, say the municipality you're from. They'll actually have a clue where you're talking about.


If you're talking to anyone else [[while visiting a different city or something), just say you're from Detroit. Making such a point of saying where in the metro you're from looks petty and provincial and dysfunctional to anyone you talk to. Everyone already understands that metros have suburbs, that a lot of people in a metro lives in them, and that large parts of the city proper [[in any city) are ghetto and that you don't live in the hood [[unless you look like you are actually from the hood). If they make some comment or ask questions you can be more specific.

[southen]

i think the wrong argument is being made here. it wasnt until recently that i lived in detroit proper, i used to live in royal oak. when traveling though i would always tell people im from detroit because it was recognizable, then i would tell them about the positives of the city. i think if people are saying they're from detroit, even if they arent, in a positive way whats the harm? that lady from waterford talking about how bad it is... people like that are the problem. we cant complain about our lack of regionalism then complain about someone from warren saying theyre from detroit when traveling. its just silly.

[Gistok]

i think the wrong argument is being made here. it wasnt until recently that i lived in detroit proper, i used to live in royal oak. when traveling though i would always tell people im from detroit because it was recognizable, then i would tell them about the positives of the city. i think if people are saying they're from detroit, even if they arent, in a positive way whats the harm? that lady from waterford talking about how bad it is... people like that are the problem. we cant complain about our lack of regionalism then complain about someone from warren saying theyre from detroit when traveling. its just silly.

Ryan... well stated! As long as you're not being a hypocrite and badmouthing the area you say your from... what's the harm?

[Don K]

When asked I always say I'm from the Detroit area. It's just easier, and accurate, and I'm not ashamed of Detroit.

I grew up not far from Philadelphia, and those of us from the east shore of the Delaware always said we were from South Jersey. I don't know what people from the Pennsylvania burbs would say, because I never knew any [[the Delaware River is a much deeper divide than the Woodward divide between eastside and westside Detroit). Now, having said that, we always rooted for the Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, and Iggles [[a little Philadelphia humor). We'd no sooner root for the Nets or Devils than we would the Yankees or Mets. The TV stations in Philly decided to create something called the Delaware Valley [[which is pretty funny, because at least on the Jersey side of the river it's as flat as most of the Detroit area is), but nobody ever calls it that.

Other than the yuppies moving into riverfront apartment towers in Jersey City, I don't think anyone from North Jersey would say they're from New York if asked by an outsider.

On the other hand, I think people from the entire eastern half of Massachusetts, out as far as Springfield, and probably well into New Hampshire, will say they're from Boston.

[canuck]

The mountain Lake PBS station in Burlington Vermont states that it serves Vermont and Upper NY state and Montreal as its area of coverage and the standard banner for the station uses a skyline picture of Montreal instead of Burlington. By law, it's kind of iffy, since the station is in the US but I find it cool that they feel we are a part of a shared culture.