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

[emsgoof]

For the time being yes. It's in NW Baltimore.
There's talk of it not being here much longer, slots and all that stuff.

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

LOL, speaking of the "real America" (I usually associate this term, in quotation, with the old cliches like Route 66, Norman Rockwell, etc etc), in College Park so many students from other parts of the state say Montgomery County isn't the "real Maryland". Like we're not that big on crab cakes or the Preakness. The area just feels very mellow and bland and so many people are from elsewhere. Montgomery is like a place of everywhere, yet nowhere. There's nothing unique or special about Montgomery County the way Baltimore has a unique flavor to it.

So I guess the flavor of Montgomery County isn't the "southern" part of Maryland that other parts of the state do have. Its mostly just malls, fast food, chain restaurants, big box stores, shopping centers and subdivisions, which I associate with the North but that's just my personal thing. Potomac and Bethesda are a replica of Long Island/Westchester. Gathersburg and Germantown's suburban sprawl feels just like the soulless expanse of northern New Jersey. Its not like the SOuth or the Midwest or even some parts of Maryland where every town is unique and special.

Someone here on this thread mentioned Dunkin Donuts as a very northern thing, and I guess Starbucks is too while things like Bojangles, Waffle House, and Wal-Mart are more southern. I've also heard Chick-fil-A mentioned as a very Southern thing. Actually somewhat concerned, is IHOP a very Yankee thing? I mean southerners go to Waffle House instead dont' they? I happen to love IHOP a lot.

I agree with the strip malls and such. But having been to the Deep South, Im afraid to say that is ubiquitous all over the nation.

Does Maryland have Krispy Kreme?

In Richmond we have one with a drive thru ! Its really neat. Of course I am trying to lose weight so I dont go there often.

I agree Dunkin' Donuts is yankee. They do have them in the South though.

The South has Starbucks too. I was in a little appalachain town out in Tennessee called Johnson City and they had 2 Starbucks there.

Thats the northern culture infiltrating Dixie...


Waffle House is Southern- but IHOP is all over too. In Virginia and North Carolina they have a much better pancake chain called Aunt Sarah's.

BTW- Is Terrapin the name of a football team in Maryland?

I saw a sticker today that said Maryland Terrapins.

[sundaze]

Starbucks started in Seattle. They are all over I have seen a lot of them in both London and Paris. Happily not in Italy, I hope never but who knows?

[vivo]

Border Town
A charming Southern burg or a bustling Northern metropolis? Baltimoreans aren't sure— and never have been.

by Michael Anft


STYLE magazine, feature articles

The city’s geographical status frequently lies in the eye of the beholder— and where they’ve come from. Immigrants from Europe and Central and South America have tended to see themselves as Northern, for example, as have Jews and expatriates of the old Confederacy. “Its manners, its food— the way it carries itself— Baltimore is definitely a Northern city,” says Elizabeth Large, restaurant critic at The Sun and a native of Knoxville, Tenn.
Those who come to Baltimore from the opposite direction tend to have an opposite reaction. Peggy Stewart, who moved from Portland, Ore., to Towson with her family last year, says she was taken aback when youngsters called her “Miss Peggy.” “It’s very polite, very Southern,” she says. Elsewhere around town, she has noticed “a formally informal way about people” that to her seems distinctly Southern, as well. People will chat in checkout lines at the grocery store, even though there’s an invisible social line both sides have learned not to cross. “I haven’t been able to figure out where that line is yet. It’s not something you see where I’m from,” says Stewart. “Then you go out on the parking lot and people almost run you over. It’s as if they used up their quota of politeness for the day when they were in line.”


Another Link


From the Hills: How Mid-Century Migrants from the Mountains Brought Bluegrass -- and More -- to Baltimore
Feature: How Mid-Century Migrants from the Mountains Brought Bluegrass--and More--to Baltimore | 1/12/2000 | Citypaper.com

[JDinBalt]

Originally Posted by m_r2z0

I would say mid atlantic, but I lean towards North, not south.

talk about identity crisis, I live in Frederick County! People don't even know weather to consider us western or central MD! let alone north or south. I consider us central because we don't have the culture of Washington CO. on. We consider ourselves Northern, but I think in some towns , they consider themselves southern. Its even worse with the identity of noth or south in fred co., but most here consider ourselves north

That's too funny. I read a website recently that sliced MD up into different regions, and it put Frederick County squarely in the DC area!

[JDinBalt]

Originally Posted by 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.

I actually hadn't thought of that. I don't know why; some of my ancestors are from Appalachian Maryland. I have to find that Sonic. Very greasy food but tasty anyway.

[JDinBalt]

Originally Posted by vasinger

Baltimore people seem to have a weird mix of nothern, southern and midwestern in their accents.

To me, their accents do sound more southern than northern but they do seem to have an ethnic influence similar to Philadelphia in their speech.

I totally dig that "Hi, hon!" waitress accent.

I have a friend from Cleveland who says Baltimore reminds them of Cleveland in look feel and attitude.

I've heard something similar to Bawlmerese everywhere from Philly to Richmond, believe it or not! On the Philly side, I heard comedienne Cheri Oteri, a native of Philadelphia, launch into a Philly accent and I was hard pressed to tell it apart from Balwmerese. On the other side, less strongly I admit, I was in California and met someone who pronounced a few words like we do in Maryland, especially "home" which he said a bit more like "haome." Turns out he was born and raised outside of Richmond! I'm sure the Richmond accent is not nearly as close to Baltimore's as is Philly's, but it seems to feather out pretty far.

[JDinBalt]

Originally Posted by vasinger

I agree with the strip malls and such. But having been to the Deep South, Im afraid to say that is ubiquitous all over the nation.

Does Maryland have Krispy Kreme?

In Richmond we have one with a drive thru ! Its really neat. Of course I am trying to lose weight so I dont go there often.

I agree Dunkin' Donuts is yankee. They do have them in the South though.

The South has Starbucks too. I was in a little appalachain town out in Tennessee called Johnson City and they had 2 Starbucks there.

Thats the northern culture infiltrating Dixie...


Waffle House is Southern- but IHOP is all over too. In Virginia and North Carolina they have a much better pancake chain called Aunt Sarah's.

BTW- Is Terrapin the name of a football team in Maryland?

I saw a sticker today that said Maryland Terrapins.

We do have Krispy Kremes in a few places. There's a drive thru in Glen Burnie and the Royal Farms (like 7-Elevens) sell them too. I also don't eat there or Dunkin' Donuts because it's too easy to pack on the pounds if I do go there.

Starbucks I'd consider more Northwest than North. But I'm just quibbling.

The Terrapins are the team of the University of Maryland - basketball, football, etc.

[emsgoof]

Yeah, there's a Krispy Kreme here in Pikesville too. And a lot of the Sheetz stores (and Giant I think) sell Krispy Kreme also.

[Billiam]

We have dunkin donuts here - one burned down when some guy held up a strip mall and than burned down the entire two story building! (he died, sadly)
But I havent seen a krispy Kreme in my area. We also have starbucks here and getting a new one, which everyone doesn't like because its going in downtown and people always try to push away from people who try to put chains there