The DC to Baltimore Switch (live, restaurants, working)

[boreatwork]

I didnt move to Baltimore just went to school here and rented while i was there but I like Baltimore for the fact its not as hussle and bussle as D.C ....In D.C its more like you have to show a straight poker face bc of the madness and its a very opinionated city but in Baltimore you can almost let your hair down....But just as folks say they dont like when D.C folks compare and contrast ....Bmore folks dont like it when you mention anything outside of bmore for that matter even if you're not comparing anything....Even when I tell ppl Im from pg county they act as if there's a grudge and Im the enemy....or if you mention things going on in D.C they will turn a blind ear to it....I dont really think folks in D.C rarely think about Baltimore but sometimes it seems Baltimore has a grudge against anybody living 95 south from them

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by Summer_G

I can know people a year before I know what their occupation is. Try that in DC! ha.

I don't mean to nitpick from an otherwise very helpful post, but I just don't get this complaint about DC residents. I grew up in Columbus, and a frequent topic of conversation amongst people I would meet there is "what do you do?" In fact, that's been pretty much universally true in whatever city I've been in. It's hard for me to imagine knowing someone for an entire year and having no idea what their occupation was. Your job doesn't have to define you, but we spend so much time at them I can't imagine it not coming up in conversation, at least in passing.

Now, you could argue I suppose that such a question is a more loaded one in DC than it is elsewhere but, honestly, long before I ever lived in DC it was a topic of conversation--up there with "where do you live" and "where did you go to school."

[are you kidinme?]

"I can know people a year before I know what their occupation is. Try that in DC! ha. "

Not hard to believe since so many people in Baltimore don't have jobs.

[mrboltonman]

More spam!

Check out unemployment rates throughout the country.
Google - public data

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by are you kidinme?

"I can know people a year before I know what their occupation is. Try that in DC! ha. "

Not hard to believe since so many people in Baltimore don't have jobs.

I cannot believe this troll hasn't been booted off here yet, again!

[Summer_G]

Originally Posted by 14thandYou

I don't mean to nitpick from an otherwise very helpful post, but I just don't get this complaint about DC residents. I grew up in Columbus, and a frequent topic of conversation amongst people I would meet there is "what do you do?" In fact, that's been pretty much universally true in whatever city I've been in. It's hard for me to imagine knowing someone for an entire year and having no idea what their occupation was. Your job doesn't have to define you, but we spend so much time at them I can't imagine it not coming up in conversation, at least in passing.

Now, you could argue I suppose that such a question is a more loaded one in DC than it is elsewhere but, honestly, long before I ever lived in DC it was a topic of conversation--up there with "where do you live" and "where did you go to school."

Was only referring to my experience. It's such a relief to get to know people on a different level. I lived in the DC area for 6 years and "what do you do" was always the FIRST question out of people's mouths. How much can you really learn about someone from that? I mean, really? I work in IT. Ok, next question. How about "how did you meet your spouse?" "what do you do on the weekends?" "Have you been to the Greek Festival?" or "have you tried that new restaurant?" Maybe it's that the people I've met in Baltimore are just more personable?

but really, I find it to be quite a benefit that my occupation, which definitely does NOT define me, is not even in the top 10 questions when meeting someone new.

[Jtech]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/tr...timore&st=tcse

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by Summer_G

Was only referring to my experience. It's such a relief to get to know people on a different level. I lived in the DC area for 6 years and "what do you do" was always the FIRST question out of people's mouths. How much can you really learn about someone from that? I mean, really? I work in IT. Ok, next question. How about "how did you meet your spouse?" "what do you do on the weekends?" "Have you been to the Greek Festival?" or "have you tried that new restaurant?" Maybe it's that the people I've met in Baltimore are just more personable?

but really, I find it to be quite a benefit that my occupation, which definitely does NOT define me, is not even in the top 10 questions when meeting someone new.

Probably people would view a question such as "how did you meet your spouse?" a bit personal for someone you just met. As to the other questions--I've had those questions asked of me numerous times.

Again, I've lived in DC now for 5 1/2 years, and what you recount has simply not been my experience. And even if it was--so what? It's an icebreaker type of question, really no different to the questions about restaurants and weekend jaunts that you list. So someone is interested to learn what you do with 33% of your day? I simply cannot view that as a negative.

[dcsfanatic]

Originally Posted by matt345

I've noticed that DC people tend to do this a lot. I have a few friends from DC who I've traveled with to New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, and San Francisco with and in every single city we visit, they never shut up about how this or that compares to how things are back in DC, or "how much better the DC Metro is", or how "DC has stuff just like this, only better" - I just want to say, "Shut up! We're not in DC anymore!"

Please don't generalize.

If anything, its New Yorkers who do this the most.

[FlyDrive100b]

Originally Posted by dcsfanatic

Please don't generalize.

If anything, its New Yorkers who do this the most.

I found that folks in D.C. do the same thing, and some don't, it depends on the person, your comment is stereotypical, aka generalization, way to go.