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Yes, I associate DC with parts of Maryland and Virginia. Maryland and VA are very diverse and have other influences outside of DC. The Baltimore metro area is not really associated with DC at all. Baltimore City, proper, is more similar to Philly than DC in the fact that they are both old dirty blue collar Mid-Atlantic cities with much less gentrification than DC. Baltimore area folks look, think and act differently than DC Area people. You can spot a Black DC/PG native from a mile away from how they dress, act and move. Ghetto people in DC have a distinctive style that is both flamboyantly uniquely urban yet cosmopolitan. People from the hood in DC also mind their own business more than ghetto Baltimore which is always staring menacingly and in your face for no reason. Cohesively, popular local Black music is different in DC and Baltimore. DC has Go-Go and Baltimore has Club music. Similarly, Whites in DC and bordering Montgomery County are much more ostentatious and status obsessed than Whites in the Baltimore area who don't look and dress like the people from the Ralph Lauren catalog. White people in Montgomery County and NW DC wear Gucci loafers to shop at Safeway. What I am trying to say is that Whites in DC, Montgomery County and Northern Virginia are much more urbane and preppy (almost over-the-top stereotypically 80's preppy) than Baltimore area Whites who dress more plain like upper middle class Whites in Howard County or are more ghetto wearing Nike Foamposites and snapback caps like the ones who live in the rougher areas in South Baltimore or dress White trashy like the Eminem types in Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties. Southern Virginia has nothing in common with DC. Neither does the rural Maryland Eastern shore or the sticks of western or northern Maryland.
I associate Northeast and Southeast DC with inner beltway PG County and even outer beltway PG to an extent. Northeast and Southeast DC are majority Black just like bordering PG County. Crime-ridden inner beltway PG County is no different from bordering Southeast DC from the way it looks to the overall crime rates; although crime and poverty is being pushed more outward into immediately bordering PG in recent years. As soon as you hit as far north as Howard County, the DC influence recedes greatly. To me, Laurel is the northernmost Maryland town with a strong DC cultural influence. In Laurel, you will still see people wearing Redskins and Nationals apparel and playing Go-Go music out of their cars. That is because a huge chunk of Laurel is in northernmost PG County. The DC Area also has a huge Dallas Cowboys fanbase that almost rivals the Redskins (Cowboys vs. Indians, I guess) which does not exist in the diehard Ravens territory that is the Baltimore metro. Although many older folks in Baltimore city are still Colts fans. Columbia is definitely more of a suburb of Baltimore than DC. There are more folks from Baltimore than DC in Columbia, hands down. Many people in Columbia call Baltimore "in town".
The wealthier Whiter side of Northwest DC is indistinguishable from bordering wealthy mostly White Montgomery County. For example, Bethesda blends right into bordering NW DC. There is no difference demographically only politically with the DC/Maryland border. The only way you can tell that you've left DC driving north on Wisconsin Ave is the change in the look of the street signs once you've entered Maryland as well as the repeating of upscale boutique stores that you have already seen in Georgetown (i.e. Ralph Lauren). Montgomery County as a whole also culturally identifies with DC.
Last edited by goldenchild08; 07-23-2012 at 11:18 PM..
So what? Every city has commuters. We are talking about cultural influence. The only thing I can really see where MD creeps in to DC are crabs in the summer. People in DC love blue crabs. DC has everything else. Alot of people from MD and VA suburbs consider themselves Washingtonians. I have heard it so many times. Most people in PG/MC align themselves more with DC than Baltimore or anything else in MD.
Well, this is true. DC and Baltmore each have their own culture and vibe. However, it's also true that the connectivity between the two metro areas has strengthened over time. That's why I think it's become difficult to separate out the labor markets of the DC and Baltimore metro areas.
Well, this is true. DC and Baltmore each have their own culture and vibe. However, it's also true that the connectivity between the two metro areas has strengthened over time. That's why I think it's become difficult to separate out the labor markets of the DC and Baltimore metro areas.
But at the end of the day, the difference between the Baltimore and DC metro areas is very stark like day and night. Other closely situated big cities across the country have closer relationships than DC and Baltimore. Despite what outsiders think, Oakland and San Francisco have a very close relationship. Crime in Oakland is highlighted in the media to keep tourist dollars in San Francisco because SF is the number one tourist city in the Americas and ranks above even NYC and Rio. By the same token, SF's problems with crime are downplayed in the media to keep millions of tourists coming every year because SF's entire economy is solely based on tourism. Bay Area natives affectionately refer to San Francisco as "The City" and Oakland as "The Town". Albeit, San Francisco and Oakland are only separated by the Bay and a 3 mile long bridge and you can see the Oakland skyline from SF and likewise from Oakland. Baltimore and DC are separated by about 40 miles of contiguous suburbia, open space and highway.
Also, DC is much wealthier than Baltimore. Much of DC is wealthy, gentrified and pretentious. Even ghetto people in DC have an air of aloofness about them to send the unspoken message that "yeah, I'm so hoodrich, I have lots of money and I have all the clothes and shoes". Much of Baltimore is just an extremely ghetto, neglected and socially disorganized place where it feels like anything can happen anywhere with people drinking the cheapest foulest malt liquor of out black plastic bags in the middle of a weekday in the middle of downtown near Lexington Market. Cohesively, unlike my previous example of SF & Oakland, ghetto DC and Baltimore natives absolutely hate each other. DC natives label Baltimoreans as unsophisticated "bammas" because people from Baltimore, as a whole, care much less about their appearance and act "extra". In SF and Oakland, there is much more Bay Area solidarity between ghetto natives on both sides of the bridge. This is because many of the poorly publicized run-down remote ghetto locales in San Francisco have no cultural connection to the rest of the city despite their physical address. There are similar attitudes that SF ghetto residents are dirty and broke from Oakland ghetto natives, but the animosity between folks from both cities is much less prevalent than the DC-Baltimore rivalry. However, many wealthy White people from San Francisco do look down upon Oakland residents of all races and this is evident in the very incomplete media representation and inaccurate outsider perception of SF and Oakland's relationship.
Before I worked as a market researcher, I thought of all three separately, especially when I lived in Virginia. After working in market research, when I think of DC, I also think of MD and VA as being a part of the whole. But not all of VA is part of DC in my mind. Once you get past Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, it's Virginia and not DC. At least until the DC metro area engulfs the whole state.
But at the end of the day, the difference between the Baltimore and DC metro areas is very stark like day and night. Other closely situated big cities across the country have closer relationships than DC and Baltimore. Despite what outsiders think, Oakland and San Francisco have a very close relationship. Crime in Oakland is highlighted in the media to keep tourist dollars in San Francisco because SF is the number one tourist city in the Americas and ranks above even NYC and Rio. By the same token, SF's problems with crime are downplayed in the media to keep millions of tourists coming every year because SF's entire economy is solely based on tourism. Bay Area natives affectionately refer to San Francisco as "The City" and Oakland as "The Town". Albeit, San Francisco and Oakland are only separated by the Bay and a 3 mile long bridge and you can see the Oakland skyline from SF and likewise from Oakland. Baltimore and DC are separated by about 40 miles of contiguous suburbia, open space and highway.
Also, DC is much wealthier than Baltimore. Much of DC is wealthy, gentrified and pretentious. Even ghetto people in DC have an air of aloofness about them to send the unspoken message that "yeah, I'm so hoodrich, I have lots of money and I have all the clothes and shoes". Much of Baltimore is just an extremely ghetto, neglected and socially disorganized place where it feels like anything can happen anywhere with people drinking the cheapest foulest malt liquor of out black plastic bags in the middle of a weekday in the middle of downtown near Lexington Market. Cohesively, unlike my previous example of SF & Oakland, ghetto DC and Baltimore natives absolutely hate each other. DC natives label Baltimoreans as unsophisticated "bammas" because people from Baltimore, as a whole, care much less about their appearance and act "extra". In SF and Oakland, there is much more Bay Area solidarity between ghetto natives on both sides of the bridge. This is because many of the poorly publicized run-down remote ghetto locales in San Francisco have no cultural connection to the rest of the city despite their physical address. There are similar attitudes that SF ghetto residents are dirty and broke from Oakland ghetto natives, but the animosity between folks from both cities is much less prevalent than the DC-Baltimore rivalry. However, many wealthy White people from San Francisco do look down upon Oakland residents of all races and this is evident in the very incomplete media representation and inaccurate outsider perception of SF and Oakland's relationship.
this is so far from the truth, ghetto dc and ghetto baltimore respect eachother. its the wealthy DC that hates on Baltimore.
i agree with most your other points. we do think they 'bammas' lol they cool tho i got plenty of baltimore friends and my cousin from there. Ghetto DC definitely care about their appearance more, we got to be fresh at all times
this is so far from the truth, ghetto dc and ghetto baltimore respect eachother. its the wealthy DC that hates on Baltimore.
i agree with most your other points. we do think they 'bammas' lol they cool tho i got plenty of baltimore friends and my cousin from there. Ghetto DC definitely care about their appearance more, we got to be fresh at all times
DC is more about keeping up with the Joneses while Baltimore couldn't care less about the Joneses.
Most people know the phrase "Inside the Beltway" to refer to Washington, D.C. However, the majority of the area inside the beltway is actually in Maryland and Virginia.
I lived for 24 years inside the beltway, but never in D.C.
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