As someone born and raised in the Midwest (Ohio and Illinois) and is currently a resident on the West Coast (Oregon), the way I define it is as such: if there is corn, it’s the Midwest. If there are cowboys on horses, it’s the west or southwest. Does your state touch the Atlantic or Pacific? That’s what coast you are on (Hawaii and Alaska excepted).
As someone born and raised in the Midwest (Ohio and Illinois) and is currently a resident on the West Coast (Oregon), the way I define it is as such: if there is corn, it’s the Midwest. If there are cowboys on horses, it’s the west or southwest. Does your state touch the Atlantic or Pacific? That’s what coast you are on (Hawaii and Alaska excepted).
As someone who has spent most of their life in Ohio, but grew up in New Jersey … there is a lot of corn in New Jersey.
So PA is a weird one because it’s so wide.
Yes, Philly is undoubtedly on the east coast.
But Pittsburgh is on the other side of the mountains.
I wouldn’t call Pittsburgh the “east coast”.
Pittsburgh is the gateway to the Midwest. The city is WAY more like Cleveland than Philly.
Pittsburgh certainly isn’t easy coast or mid west. I consider Pittsburgh Appalachian.
Same with New York and Buffalo. Buffalo just doesn’t seem like an east coast city.