Is it true Maryland has no identity or basically any culture? (Baltimore: live in, transportation)

[Deluusions]

So I got to into a debate with BajanYankee. Apparently Maryland has no identity or basically any culture at all? Do you believe this is true? I obviously disagreed and thought it was pretty absurd but I want other opinions from Marylanders themselves.

What BajanYankee said is in bold:

Most of the DC suburbs, as eschaton said, could be anywhere. They have no identity, particularly Montgomery County.

Southern Maryland has a Southern identity (though you still haven't acknowledged that).

Western Maryland is not particularly unique, and in many threads, people argue it's really an extension of Pennsylvania.

Baltimore claims to be a carbon copy of Philadelphia.

Basically, if you're always trying to use another place's identity as your own, then you don't really have one.

[beasley106]

Maryland definitely has a unique culture/identity although it won't really be as evident in places such as Montgomery County or Prince Georges County because that area is more tied in with DC than it is with the rest of the state. Also this is the first time I have heard someone mention that Baltimore is trying to become a "carbon copy of Philadelphia" since Baltimore itself does have a very unique identity that has been present ever since the city was founded in 1729. Not to mention the fact that the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the areas along the Chesapeake Bay which are pretty culturally distinct as well.

[CHIP72]

IMO, the DC area lacks authentic, local culture but the rest of Maryland has distinct, local cultures. Some of those areas are just similar to areas in adjacent states.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by beasley106

Also this is the first time I have heard someone mention that Baltimore is trying to become a "carbon copy of Philadelphia" since Baltimore itself does have a very unique identity that has been present ever since the city was founded in 1729.

You need to read the several threads comparing Baltimore to Philadelphia, asking whether Baltimore is a Southern city, asking whether Baltimore is a northern city, asking whether Maryland is a Southern state, asking whether Maryland is a Northern state, etc. These threads are always floating around this forum and will.not.die.

Originally Posted by MrRedd

It's reminds me of philly more than other city, including philly.

Originally Posted by Paiz

Philly is just a bigger Baltimore......

Originally Posted by Billiam

Interesting, but how do you explain Philadelphia? Many people see it as having a near identical culture as Baltimore, and metro of Philadelphia does dip into Maryland.

Originally Posted by nlst

Besides the Jim Crow factor, Baltimore and D.C. were culturally identical to Philadelphia.

Originally Posted by nifear

I kept hearing "baltimore is just a smaller version of philly" before I moved, and I still don't understand the comparison.

Originally Posted by KeyserSoze

Some people say that Baltimore is like Philadelphia. I see some similarities. But I think if Baltimore fancies itself as being like Philadelphia, then it comes off as a wannabe in comparison, and I say this as a Marylander.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by CHIP72

IMO, the DC area lacks authentic, local culture but the rest of Maryland has distinct, local cultures. Some of those areas are just similar to areas in adjacent states.

I agree with this (as well as with the poster above).

And for the record, my words were not "Maryland has no identity or basically any culture at all." That's what the OP is saying to be incendiary. I said, in a completely different thread, that some Maryland boosters in the City-vs-City forum were "riding on the coattails" of New Jersey, essentially trying to assume another state's identity as its own. Admittedly, I did say that DC has no identity at all (outside of its AA population).

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

We don't care if Maryland is on our radar and we don't care if we're on theirs. We don't care if we have a connection to Maryland. We're fine being New York and standing on our own identity instead of riding on coattails.

Originally Posted by Deluusions

"You guys". I'm a DC native and I live in NoVa. I myself would never live in Maryland, not my cup of tea lol.

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

DC is in the same boat. That city has no identity (not one that C-D posters like anyway).

Originally Posted by Deluusions

I grew up in DC when it did have an identity thank you very much. It wasn't in the same boat 20 years ago, this transient asset and lost of identity happened as of the early 2000s. Don't flatter yourself.

By the way Maryland has a strong identity. Go please say that in the Maryland forum or anyone with common sense and they will lol at you baffled.

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

DC doesn't have a non-Black identity. We all know the city has a Black identity. But that's not an identity *some* people are particularly happy with. If it were, there would not be a constant need for comparison to other places.

Originally Posted by Deluusions

And how does Maryland not have an identity? Must absurd thing I've heard you see in 5 mins LOL.

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

That depends on what part of Maryland you're talking about.

How does any of that translate into "Maryland basically has no culture or identity at all"?

[westsideboy]

Annapolis and Bay culture are uniquely MD. You could say we share it with VA, but we are the majority partner, I think.

As for the other regions in MD......pretty much all of them touch another state, out my way we border 3 PA counties along the Mason-Dixon, 3 WV counties along the winding Potomac, and share two small borders with other MD counties. No surprise our culture is very similar to SW PA and Northern WV.

That being said, the combination of historic infrastructure and transportation corridors meant that Western Maryland was always a bit different, more connected, had more people coming and going, than the even more rural areas around us. So we are different, and people around here know the difference, but it is not something an outsider is going to recognize at first glace.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I agree with this (as well as with the poster above).

And for the record, my words were not "Maryland has no identity or basically any culture at all." That's what the OP is saying to be incendiary. I said, in a completely different thread, that some Maryland boosters in the City-vs-City forum were "riding on the coattails" of New Jersey, essentially trying to assume another state's identity as its own. Admittedly, I did say that DC has no identity at all (outside of its AA population).















How does any of that translate into "Maryland basically has no culture or identity at all"?

Lol.

"Basically, if you're always trying to use another place's identity as your own, then you don't really have one."

[seanlax]

I enjoy how everyone has forgotten about us over here on the shore! Typical.

But seriously I feel that the eastern shore, as well as western maryland, are just as much a part of this state as the central areas. Perhaps Maryland could be a collection of unique places. I think that's the best part about this state.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by seanlax

I enjoy how everyone has forgotten about us over here on the shore! Typical.

But seriously I feel that the eastern shore, as well as western maryland, are just as much a part of this state as the central areas. Perhaps Maryland could be a collection of unique places. I think that's the best part about this state.

Hey now!

Annapolis and Bay culture are uniquely MD

I may not have said "Eastern Shore" but I meant you guys and the places left on the Western Shore where the water culture still exists.

Pretty much every other area "feels" like somewhere else. Your part of Maryland feels iconic and unique.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Hey now!



I may not have said "Eastern Shore" but I meant you guys and the places left on the Western Shore where the water culture still exists.

Pretty much every other area "feels" like somewhere else. Your part of Maryland feels iconic and unique.

I think PG county is very unique.