Somerset, Swansea and Seekonk Are the Same Place

"I'll admit it. Swansea, Seekonk and Somerset are all the same place in my head."

I made this simple, off-the-cuff comment a few days ago on my Facebook page, not thinking much about it. I was not prepared for the wave of agreement that swept over me for the next 48 hours.

This was, by far, the most engagement I've ever received on any of my personal social media accounts. Hundreds of shares and comments later, I'm still getting comments from all over the SouthCoast. Amazingly, in a world where we can't agree on anything, 99.9% of the responses couldn't have been in more agreement.

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Believe me, just in case there is anyone out there with the wrong idea, my comment was not meant to insult anyone in the Seekonk/Swansea/Somerset area. I'm just being honest. From a person who has lived in the eastern part of the SouthCoast for the past 25 years, the three "S" towns to the west of Fall River are foggy to most who live in and around New Bedford.

When I picture businesses and other locations in these towns, particularly Somerset and Swansea, I have no idea which is which.

In fact, a few commenters turned the tables, which I completely understand. They said that they kind of feel the same way about the Tri-town area. Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester get all fogged together for people who are on the other side of the Brage Bridge. I completely get that.

Nick Missile wrote that he also used to get confused by the three towns, but now associates them like this:

Somerset = Fall River
Seekonk = Providence
Swansea = In between

I'm sure that people from north of Boston must look at the SouthCoast as Fall Bedford.