Do people in Maryland consider themselves North, Southern, or in Between? (Baltimore: house, elementary school)

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by sundaze

Well .. having lived here for 36 years I would have to say "mid-Atlantic" describes it best. Baltimore is a quirky city -- no place is quite like it. The DC suburbs are much like suburbia anywhere -- not so different from the suburbs of Atlanta or Boston. I think these days everyplace in the US is becoming more like everywhere else.

The DC suburbs are NOT the South. I live here. Parts of the suburbs feel like New Jersey and other parts like Los Angeles. If you drive through downtown Wheaton and parts of PG County it actually has that gritty, rough-and-tumble feel of portions of L.A. The architecture is definitely like LA or even Tijuana along with the Spanish everywhere.

Potomac and Bethesda have that snobby, elitist Long Island/Westchester feel and many residents came from there originally. The overall pace of life is VERY northern, not laid-back and friendly like southern cities.

I WILL say this, though, Maryland is as far north as you can go and still find large numbers of people who listen to country music. At school I worked a few people from Philly and they've pointed out that that's one of the biggest differences they've noticed. I don't know a single person from north of the Mason-Dixon Line whom I could have a good discussion about music with, especially since I listen almost exclusively to the country genre.

Politically and socially, Maryland is definitely northern, or at the parts that dominate politics. For example, we are unfortunately a Blue State where the governor supports illegals and wants to give them in-state tuition. At least in Montgomery County, there is little emphasis on religion or morals. Gaithersburg tried that "character counts" thing once, but at least in my opinion something like that is useless if it is not combined with faith, whether Christian, Jewish or whatever.

We do have a relatively large Jewish population compared to the rest of America but they are not very vocal about promoting their values, many of which are similar to Christian ones. George Bush wanted to promote "moral education" in Texas school when he was governor....we desperately need that here with all the teenage pregnancies, gangs, and drugs and violence, but the liberals will never sit for that. Also evangelical Christianity is not big here. The only ones I've run into are from Korean Baptist churches in the area. These people deserve respect for exercising their rights and speaking out about the problems in our society and promoting faith, regardless of whether we follow their religion.

Also, patriotism isn't that big in Montgomery. And I tend to see displays of patriotism as a more southern or midwestern thing than northern. Northerners are too busy being liberal and trying to "understand" our enemies whether they are terrorists, illegals, or school shotters, to stand behind our military. The country station in DC now plays the Dixie Chicks again because people request them. People are entitled to their opinions and I respect that but I refuse to listen to their music because they hate our country and disrespect our military. I doubt that in Houston or Charlotte people will listen to the traitors.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Aalbatr0ss

If I had to draw a new Mason-Dixon line on the map it would be the James River. I grew up around Richmond and NoVa always seemed like the North to me. I think you even see some cultural differences in old timers who grew up on either side of Richmond.

I've just spent the last 5 years in California and now I'm moving to Maryland, so I'm curious what it will be like. So many people in Mntgomery County are transplants from up north I suspect it will be more like New York than Richmond.

Unfortunately you're right. The parts of Maryland near DC are very much like New York, and not even NYC, but the snobby, utterly pleasant and rude suburbs of Westchester and Long Island. I wish we didn't have so many transplants from the north. They've destroyed the way of life here, bringing their aggressive driving and bad attitudes.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Lastly, I've yet to see a Sonic, Bojangles, or Waffle House in Maryland. I really feel deprived!!

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

The DC suburbs are NOT the South. I live here. Parts of the suburbs feel like New Jersey and other parts like Los Angeles. If you drive through downtown Wheaton and parts of PG County it actually has that gritty, rough-and-tumble feel of portions of L.A. The architecture is definitely like LA or even Tijuana along with the Spanish everywhere.

Potomac and Bethesda have that snobby, elitist Long Island/Westchester feel and many residents came from there originally. The overall pace of life is VERY northern, not laid-back and friendly like southern cities.

I WILL say this, though, Maryland is as far north as you can go and still find large numbers of people who listen to country music. At school I worked a few people from Philly and they've pointed out that that's one of the biggest differences they've noticed. I don't know a single person from north of the Mason-Dixon Line whom I could have a good discussion about music with, especially since I listen almost exclusively to the country genre.

Politically and socially, Maryland is definitely northern, or at the parts that dominate politics. For example, we are unfortunately a Blue State where the governor supports illegals and wants to give them in-state tuition. At least in Montgomery County, there is little emphasis on religion or morals. Gaithersburg tried that "character counts" thing once, but at least in my opinion something like that is useless if it is not combined with faith, whether Christian, Jewish or whatever.

We do have a relatively large Jewish population compared to the rest of America but they are not very vocal about promoting their values, many of which are similar to Christian ones. George Bush wanted to promote "moral education" in Texas school when he was governor....we desperately need that here with all the teenage pregnancies, gangs, and drugs and violence, but the liberals will never sit for that. Also evangelical Christianity is not big here. The only ones I've run into are from Korean Baptist churches in the area. These people deserve respect for exercising their rights and speaking out about the problems in our society and promoting faith, regardless of whether we follow their religion.

Also, patriotism isn't that big in Montgomery. And I tend to see displays of patriotism as a more southern or midwestern thing than northern. Northerners are too busy being liberal and trying to "understand" our enemies whether they are terrorists, illegals, or school shotters, to stand behind our military. The country station in DC now plays the Dixie Chicks again because people request them. People are entitled to their opinions and I respect that but I refuse to listen to their music because they hate our country and disrespect our military. I doubt that in Houston or Charlotte people will listen to the traitors.

I think Northern Virginia is still Southern-Lite, though. There are lots of old plantations in NOVA and people there are a bit different than across the river in Maryland.

There are pockets of Maryland that feel Southern to me. Upper Marlboro is one of those areas.

There was an article about 20 years ago about Maryland and Virginia area of DC and how they were in an identity chrisis. Both had roots in the Old South.

Maryland decided to join the Northeast, and Virginia decided to hold on to its Southern vibe. Of course much of that has been lost

Country Music really is international these days- I will agree that there is probably more listeners in the South and Midwest- but there are people all over the world who listen to it.

I prefer Classic Country Music- Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, etc.

[JaBradshaw]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

Lastly, I've yet to see a Sonic, Bojangles, or Waffle House in Maryland. I really feel deprived!!

There are no Sonic, but there are/have been Waffle Houses and Bojangles. There is a Bojangles in Upper Marlboro, a couple in Waldorf, maybe a few other places as well.

[missbrittbritt]

MD didn't seceede, but its below the Mason Dixie line so it can go either way. I say North, Mid-Atlantic

[JDinBalt]

I'm from the Baltimore suburbs. I grew up thinking I was Mid-Atlantic, but when I was little I got so confused by our social studies textbooks. They talked about different regions of the country. Our third grade text lumped Maryland with the North, and our fourth grade text lumped us with the South! Talk about an identity crisis! Compounding the confusion: the fact that the very first thing I remember learning in my first grade elementary school social studies was where the Mason-Dixon line was; the second thing was which side of it we were on. Note that this was in the late 1970's!

If given a choice, most Marylanders - native-born Marylanders, I mean, not folks fleeing from New York or North Carolina - will say "Mid-Atlantic". But if forced to choose between "North" or "South" it depends on the region. In Southern MD, the Eastern Shore, perhaps Annapolis, or right along the Mason-Dixon line (and going by what most people in this forum have said), most people would probably say they were Southerners. In Baltimore or the DC suburbs, many people would say they were Northerners. In Frederick or Western MD - which, incidentally, was where you found the most support for the Union during the Civil War - I have no idea; it'd probably be a mix.

As for me, I identify as a Southerner, and I'd probably get pretty defensive and irritated if someone called me a Yankee (We don't like the Yankees here in Bawlmer anyway.) But I take it all in stride - Maryland has quite an identity crisis! Our food is more Southern than Northern, and yet most of our favorite chain restaurants are Northern ones (no Sonics or Piggly Wigglys, and Dunkin' Donuts abound). I've heard and used "y'all" more than "youse" but I still hear both. And despite our fast-paced lifestyle around DC, things seem pretty laid back to me, even (to some extent) in Baltimore. And in some places I hear folks make fun of Southerners while down the street a person (who would probably smack 'em) flies a Confederate flag from his porch.

I don't know how much of this could be attributed to the influx of folks from above the Mason-Dixon line or below the Potomac. If pressed to put it all in a pie chart, I'd say Maryland was about 60% Southern, 40% Northern.

[westsideboy]

There is definitely a Sonic in Frederick and I think there is a Waffle House.

In Western Maryland it is a split. You see Confederate flags and find people that are staunch Unionists. I think most Western Marylanders would choose to self identify with Appalachia over either of the other regions if given a choice.

[MDgirlMovingSouth]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

Lastly, I've yet to see a Sonic, Bojangles, or Waffle House in Maryland. I really feel deprived!!

Not sure about Sonic or Bojangles (although I think southern MD has Bojangles), but the closest Waffle House to me is in Frederick. There's a couple throughout the state.

[mwestbro]

It seems like everybody wants generalize the whole state of Maryland as one thing or the other. I've lived in Maryland my whole life and one thing's for sure, this state has every type of place you can imagine. You can have beer, crabs and corn on a picnic table and talk about crops in a country accent and then drive a mile down the road to a starbucks and argue about politics with a man in a suit who sounds like a yankee. The old and the new are odds just like they are in most places. I always say, no matter who you are or where you're from, there's a place here where you can fit in. I like that about Maryland. Its a renaissance state.