Geographical Pride

I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. I lived two blocks from the beach for the majority of my life. I have sat on a boardwalk banister and watched some of the most amazing storms roll in off the ocean. I feed seagulls and walk my dogs on the beach. I've watched fireworks exploding in a millions colors over the water....from my roof. I've walked to the "candy store" for sugar "cigarettes" with my best friend when I was 10. I've stolen ornamental cabbage from a yard around the block because it would make a wonderful "potion". I've fallen asleep on the deck of the USS Briscoe while it pulled out of the largest Naval Base in the world.

I can honestly say that I love my hometown. Lately, I've been more and more sensitive when I hear people say "I hate Norfolk, what a dump!" And I've heard it tons. I moved away, to what many people consider to be a much nicer place to live, Charleston, South Carolina. Obviously, it never felt like "home" to me. But beyond that, I never really liked the atmosphere. There was such a division of wealth and the entire "downtown" area felt like one big high school. The cliques were obvious. It wasn't comfortable. It was a beautiful place, no doubt about it. But I found the people to be pretentious and shallow. I missed home.
Now, back in my "dumpy" Norfolk, I feel a sense of pride and passion for a place I never thought I would care too much about. The history is rich and quirky, and in my neighborhood specifically, I find myself wishing I could go back in time to when it was a booming and respected destination.
I don't think I've ever been anywhere that I absolutley hated enough to tell someone who is from there how crappy I thought their town was. Maybe, it's a matter of class. Maybe some people just don't have an attachment to their own cities so they assume no one else does either. Whatever the motivation, I find it pretty offensive.

Am I the only one that feels defensive of their hometown/city? Maybe I'm just lucky enough to be from a place that so many people dislike -- more Norfolk for me then.