Soouth Florida to become its own state?

[Dereich]

Orlando has more in common with North Florida than South Florida; that applies to pretty much everywhere in the state, to be fair. I'd just break apart everything in the Miami orbit, so everywhere that supports Miami over any other Florida team. That would mean West Palm Beach and down. No reason to stick Tampa and Orlando in a Miami-based state.

[Dereich]

Orlando has more in common with North Florida than South Florida; that applies to pretty much everywhere in the state, to be fair. I'd just break apart everything in the Miami orbit, so everywhere that supports Miami over any other Florida team. That would mean West Palm Beach and down. No reason to stick Tampa and Orlando in a Miami-based state.

Just Broward, Dade, PB and maybe Monroe? Nah... Orange/Osceola is definitely not part of N. Florida. Though the North Orlando metro definitely is. Even East Orlando even feels like S. Florida. Its a looong story how I got to know the area. You could probably take in Tampa without having to take in Pasco, I think. There's NPR, but that's the only metro feeling place in Pasco.

Orlando is my blind spot; I admit don't know that area very well.  However, I do know the Tampa suburbs, Clearwater and to a lesser degree St. Pete and they are MUCH more culturally similar to North Florida than South Florida. I know it doesn't make a very pretty map, but unless there's some measure I'm missing I don't see the justification for grouping Miami with pretty much anywhere else in the state but West Palm Beach.

[Dereich]

Orlando has more in common with North Florida than South Florida; that applies to pretty much everywhere in the state, to be fair. I'd just break apart everything in the Miami orbit, so everywhere that supports Miami over any other Florida team. That would mean West Palm Beach and down. No reason to stick Tampa and Orlando in a Miami-based state.

Just Broward, Dade, PB and maybe Monroe? Nah... Orange/Osceola is definitely not part of N. Florida. Though the North Orlando metro definitely is. Even East Orlando even feels like S. Florida. Its a looong story how I got to know the area. You could probably take in Tampa without having to take in Pasco, I think. There's NPR, but that's the only metro feeling place in Pasco.

Orlando is my blind spot; I admit don't know that area very well.  However, I do know the Tampa suburbs, Clearwater and to a lesser degree St. Pete and they are MUCH more culturally similar to North Florida than South Florida. I know it doesn't make a very pretty map, but unless there's some measure I'm missing I don't see the justification for grouping Miami with pretty much anywhere else in the state but West Palm Beach.

Orlando, at this point, certainly isn't the south. Maybe a few decades ago, but not now. As for the Bay area, we are home to the largest rebel flag in the world, admittedly, but the area is a better example of a melting pot of both cultures than probably any other in Florida. I'd be hard-pressed to call the area Southern, especially St. Pete.

Where exactly is NOT a melting pot in Florida? NOWHERE in Florida is like the South as people here seem to see it, at least not east of Leon. Tallahassee, Gainesville, Daytona, and Jacksonville are mostly bland middle class suburbs you'd find anywhere in the country, just with more blacks. If you were dropped in a Jacksonville suburb you'd find zero cultural differences from one in Tampa, Northern Orlando (the only part of the city I know) or St. Pete.

I agree that Central Florida does have its differences, but if you're only splitting the state into 2 parts I cannot see where anyone could possibly put them with the South over the North; from everything I've seen of it Miami is just a completely different creature from anything else in the state.