In Tehran there is a widely held belief that
substantive differences exist between those who live in the north and south.
Many see this issue as a historical one. When Iran was modernizing in the early
to mid-20th century under Reza Shah Pahlavi, the aristocracy and the moneyed
classes largely moved to the northern parts of town, whereas the poor and
working classes (and many traditional ones) stayed put in south Tehran. Valiasr Street, the longest north-south
street in Tehran, serves as the most frequent point of reference when asking
where in Tehran a new acquaintance lives. A lot hangs on the answer, too, and
it can even have implications among friends and loved ones. Tehranis derive a
sense of respectability from being able to provide the right answer to this
question, to strangers at parties, whose smiles grow wider and wider depending
on how far north an address is located. Even at work, the question is not
uncommon, and people use it as a standard to judge others and rely on it as an
indicator of how they can expect to be treated.
