Proof that Maryland is NORTHERN??? (Baltimore: restaurants, food, retired)

[ialmostforgot]

OK Maryland forum, this has been bothering me lately. Many people on city-data have said that Maryland is northern, but I would like some more clear support to this argument. I've tried to see how it's a northern state, but I just can't. Please explain why Maryland of northern if you think it is.

I am NOT trying to start another North-South argument thread, we have enough of those. This thread is only for posting proof of the state's "northern-ness." Contrasting MD with the deep south is not enough, AL and GA are far away, of course they are different.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by ialmostforgot

Many people on city-data have said that Maryland is northern, but I would like some more clear support to this argument.

I'll argue that the Baltimore area is the most northern because of the industrialization. Approaching from I-95 north, it looks just like Wilmington Delaware and New Jersey. The industries also brought in many immigrant workers from Italy, Poland, Ireland and Germany, so there is an ethnic flavor like other northern cities.

I will grant you that southern Maryland looks like the South, and western Maryland looks like Appalachia. There does not have to be an either Southern or Northern distinction.

[ialmostforgot]

Thanks for your response!!! I really wanted some honest proof instead of someone just "wanting" Baltimore to be northern.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by ialmostforgot

Thanks for your response!!! I really wanted some honest proof instead of someone just "wanting" Baltimore to be northern.

Baltimore's rust belt identity is a good indicator. As is the state's wealth, education level, political/social leanings, racial and religious breakdown, etc. MD much more closely resembles Penn/NY/NJ compared to VA/NC/SC in every quantitative measure I can think of off the top of my head.

[goldenage1]

Bufflove pointed out a few things I should have mentioned besides the ethnic composition.

Maryland has more Democrat voters and its voting pattern resembles Northern states more than the Republican voting Southern states.

Maryland has a high percentage of Jewish and Catholic residents, like the North. Southern states have a majority of Protestant residents. The local food choices resembles Philadelphia more than they do a Southern city.

BTW, I spent most of my working life in Montgomery or Baltimore Counties, and I have retired to the South. I miss many things I found in Maryland: good soft-shell crabs being one. I also miss good libraries and cultural amenities. I miss the diversity of good ethnic restaurants like the ones in the Wheaton Triangle.

[MidValleyDad]

It all depends on what part of MD you consider 'representative' of the state. You can argue as much about what part of MD is 'typical' of the state.

In the end I don't think there is a 'correct' answer

[BigCityDreamer]

Well, there have already been a million other threads all over C-D about this.

So, I highly doubt there is anything to add to the topic which has not been said elsewhere. :-)

[snatale1]

It's doesn't take "proof". Anybody that looks at a map can clearly see that it's not the south. But MD does have some southern influence but going by straight North or South MD is definitely the North. The country is basically cut in half at the middle and MD is on the top (so is VA for that). Most of VA isn't even really Southern unless you in the country, basically same as MD. But I think Mid Atlantic fits best, mix of both. but more Northern than Southern any day.

[personone]

Originally Posted by snatale1

It's doesn't take "proof". Anybody that looks at a map can clearly see that it's not the south. But MD does have some southern influence but going by straight North or South MD is definitely the North. The country is basically cut in half at the middle and MD is on the top (so is VA for that). Most of VA isn't even really Southern unless you in the country, basically same as MD. But I think Mid Atlantic fits best, mix of both. but more Northern than Southern any day.

If it's that obvious, then why is MD still classified as Southern? Why do many people from NY/NJ and other parts of the NE consider MD southern? It's obviously not rural Mississippi Southern, but the eastern shore, southern MD, and western MD are collectively a huge part of the state and nobody would consider them characteristically "Northern." You won't find a county like PG country anywhere in the northeast. I love MD's uniqueness and I think Mid-Atlantic is probably the best term to describe it. It's definitely not more Northern than it is Southern. If anything, it probably has equal influences.

[U146]

Originally Posted by personone

If it's that obvious, then why is MD still classified as Southern? Why do many people from NY/NJ and other parts of the NE consider MD southern? It's obviously not rural Mississippi Southern, but the eastern shore, southern MD, and western MD are collectively a huge part of the state and nobody would consider them characteristically "Northern." You won't find a county like PG country anywhere in the northeast. I love MD's uniqueness and I think Mid-Atlantic is probably the best term to describe it. It's definitely not more Northern than it is Southern. If anything, it probably has equal influences.

Western Maryland isn't Southern. Only Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are Southern. Together those two parts make up less than half the state. The majority of Maryland leans Northeastern. Also I'm not sure that many people from NY/NJ consider all of Maryland Southern. Maryland is classified as Southern by the Census Bureau because of an outdated Mason-Dixon Line.