Wonderful Maryland (Baltimore, Columbia, Potomac: living in, mall, nice areas)

[Tom Lennox 70]

Its also a good thing that a recent AOL political show showed Barack Obama leading over Hillary Clinton. This puts us more in line with the Midwest and the South and the western states. Above all it shows that we can still have our own voice despite the transplants here. While I'm a Republican, I can live with an Obama presidency (I actually liek him more than Ron Paul, Fred Thompson, and Mike Huckabee). Our country is definitely screwed that that sniverling liberal b___ Hillary moves back into the White House.

[Ironman311]

I live in Terra Alta WV, was raised in Red House (south of Oakland). I agree with most of your comments on Western Maryland, however; their are some complaits that we do have. Local people for the most part here tolerate people at the lake. Their is nothing like getting behind someone from Virginia, PA, or eastern Md that for some reason do not know how to drive the damn speed limit. It says 55, and they think 45 is awsome. These people are usally refered to as "Damn Lakers!" or "Out of towners" Just a hint of advice for anybody coming up here, do the speed limit and if you want to gawk at the scenery, pull over. Intresting side note, did you know that around half the county has never actually been boating on deep creek lake in the summer, and do not ski the slopes in the winter. But this area is definetly a great place to live. Here is a really good example in the differances in maryland, you have more WVU fans in Western MD then you do UMD. I personally love both colleges. Anybody have any other questions about western MD, Garrett Co, or Allegehany Co (wifes from their) ask away.
mike

[ptsum]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

Yeah I think Western Maryland plus Montgomery and PG Counties aren't often considered the "real Maryland". Western Maryland....just read westsideboy's post. Montgomery is filled with transplants from up north so the feel si different and there is nothing uniquely Maryland about it, unlike Annapolis, Baltimore and the places all around the Chesapeake Bay. Montgomery County has basically been destroyed by northerners and illegal aliens so its not the right barometer to judge the state by.

Mt. Airy still seems like a nice town, but that's relative to Rockville and Gaithersburg. Parts of Carroll County are being developed too much too like around Westminster. I expected it to be a small, Norman Rockwell type place but all the business seems to be in strip malls along 97 and 32 its sad what happened there, same with Waldorf which is now very suburban with new stores and malls being built along with housing developments.

Anyone see that movie "Runaway Bride" with Julia ROberts and Richard Gere? It was filmed on the Eastern Shore near Ocean City in some lovely little towns with a Main Street and local businesses. That's the kind of place I hope our state will always be and its tragic that we're losing that with so much development.

The movie was filmed in the little town of Berlin, Maryland, just before you get to Ocean City.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Ironman311

I live in Terra Alta WV, was raised in Red House (south of Oakland). I agree with most of your comments on Western Maryland, however; their are some complaits that we do have. Local people for the most part here tolerate people at the lake. Their is nothing like getting behind someone from Virginia, PA, or eastern Md that for some reason do not know how to drive the damn speed limit. It says 55, and they think 45 is awsome. These people are usally refered to as "Damn Lakers!" or "Out of towners" Just a hint of advice for anybody coming up here, do the speed limit and if you want to gawk at the scenery, pull over. Intresting side note, did you know that around half the county has never actually been boating on deep creek lake in the summer, and do not ski the slopes in the winter. But this area is definetly a great place to live. Here is a really good example in the differances in maryland, you have more WVU fans in Western MD then you do UMD. I personally love both colleges. Anybody have any other questions about western MD, Garrett Co, or Allegehany Co (wifes from their) ask away.
mike

I guess you just mean Garrett County cause I have quite a few friends from Cumberland. For their hometown the most common college is Frostburg, followed closely by College Park and UMBC. I understand Western Maryland may be culturally and economically more similar to West Virginia and Pennsylvania, but I think school wise, its a lot easier for someone from Oakland or McHenry or Accident to get acceptable as a Terp than as a Mountaineer because WV is still out of state status One of our basketball players, WIll Bowers I believe, came from Hancock, whether that's legimitately western MD I'm not sure.

About the driving, myself and my cousin and my mom have all been guilty of that and its not limited to going to Garrett County or the Lake. I remember driving on one of the roads around there (I believe it was Germany Road or something like that) and I was like how the hell can the speed limit be 50 mph because in Montgomery County or Baltimore County a narrow-winding road like that is always like 40 mph. I honestly felt nervous driving past 40 mph on some of those turns, especially since the road went through some rather high hills and bends. Ya'll must be very skilled drivers to do 55 mph on a winding two-lane road without crashing. And actually I coudln't really enjoy the scenery because the road winded so much I was afraid if I took my eyes off I would crash.

There was time once when I had the impression that small town folks all drove the speed limit because that's the way I saw it many years ago in Idaho and Utah. But western Maryland drivers can be quite aggressive too.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Ironman, I do have one question.....is how do people there feel about the development in all those counties, including the suburban sprawl in Hagerstown (perhaps Prime Outlets taking business away from downtown Hagerstown which I haven't been to yet) or about all the hotels and chains and fast food going around the lake. I've always idealized the small-town life. I listen to country music all the time and watch CMT and GAC as an escape from my reality in Montgomery County. I've always been fascinated by small-town Middle America and considered it sad when chain stores and restaurants and subdivions replace Main Street, the drive in movie theater and the old diners. I long for that NOrman Rockwell America before I was born.

I've met a lot of people from Hagerstown and Frederick who hate the changes and really enjoy the small town life. (I've heard Walkersville described as the perfect place to live). But I've also met others from small towns over the state who like the new development because it gives them more options in terms of food, shopping, nightlife, etc. There are those who don't miss the old independence businesses and say they were actually inferior to the franchises. So from your perspective, do most western Marylanders look back on the good ol' days or do ya'll think development is a good thing?

Also, from your part of the state, do you consider Maryland a northern or a southern state? I personally like to think of Maryland as southern because at least IMHO southern is cooler and more pleasant things come to mind when I think South vs. North, esp. Northeast.

[mom2boys37]

Originally Posted by Ironman311

I live in Terra Alta WV, was raised in Red House (south of Oakland). I agree with most of your comments on Western Maryland, however; their are some complaits that we do have. Local people for the most part here tolerate people at the lake. Their is nothing like getting behind someone from Virginia, PA, or eastern Md that for some reason do not know how to drive the damn speed limit. It says 55, and they think 45 is awsome. These people are usally refered to as "Damn Lakers!" or "Out of towners" Just a hint of advice for anybody coming up here, do the speed limit and if you want to gawk at the scenery, pull over. Intresting side note, did you know that around half the county has never actually been boating on deep creek lake in the summer, and do not ski the slopes in the winter. But this area is definetly a great place to live. Here is a really good example in the differances in maryland, you have more WVU fans in Western MD then you do UMD. I personally love both colleges. Anybody have any other questions about western MD, Garrett Co, or Allegehany Co (wifes from their) ask away.
mike

I agree with you 100%. My brother calls them tourons or lakies. You can spot the lakies when they come into Walmart or Englanders with their over abundant of perfume and their faux fur coats....its very very funny.

[mom2boys37]

Originally Posted by Terrapin2212

Ironman, I do have one question.....is how do people there feel about the development in all those counties, including the suburban sprawl in Hagerstown (perhaps Prime Outlets taking business away from downtown Hagerstown which I haven't been to yet) or about all the hotels and chains and fast food going around the lake. I've always idealized the small-town life. I listen to country music all the time and watch CMT and GAC as an escape from my reality in Montgomery County. I've always been fascinated by small-town Middle America and considered it sad when chain stores and restaurants and subdivions replace Main Street, the drive in movie theater and the old diners. I long for that NOrman Rockwell America before I was born.

I've met a lot of people from Hagerstown and Frederick who hate the changes and really enjoy the small town life. (I've heard Walkersville described as the perfect place to live). But I've also met others from small towns over the state who like the new development because it gives them more options in terms of food, shopping, nightlife, etc. There are those who don't miss the old independence businesses and say they were actually inferior to the franchises. So from your perspective, do most western Marylanders look back on the good ol' days or do ya'll think development is a good thing?

Also, from your part of the state, do you consider Maryland a northern or a southern state? I personally like to think of Maryland as southern because at least IMHO southern is cooler and more pleasant things come to mind when I think South vs. North, esp. Northeast.

Terp, most people that live outside the lake don't even go to the lake and could care less about what happens down there. It's funny, most people that go to the lake to vacation in their big homes don't even know Oakland or any point south from there exists. It's like life stops there. I try to go the speed limit while I'm up there, and since I go every weekend (looking at places to live) I'm getting more used to the roads. The only road I hate is the one that goes down Backbone Mountain (yes I'm still learning names) ....its scary to me jst because my brother has instilled in me the fear of GOD...lol...Of course there really isn't really a reason I need to visit Bloomington or Luke so I think I'm good not having to be on it.

[dhelfoioracle]

Are their any other places in Maryland that are good areas to visit?

[westsideboy]

Please note the correct spelling for ALLEGANY county, not Allegheny, Alleghany, or Allegehany.

[westsideboy]

I believe Will Bowers is from Hampstead, not Hancock.