Why I left Maryland (Baltimore, Potomac: apartments, condos, new home)

[7th generation]

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7th

[bradm90]

South Carolina is much better than Maryland. The beautiful weather is just one reason. The thing I like most about SC is their state pride. My best friend lives in Charleston, SC and whenever I go down there, there's always people flaunting the classic palmetto on EVERYTHING; belts, shirts, koozies, everything. They take great pride in their state.

[somnambulist]

Originally Posted by bradm90

They take great pride in their state.

They also take great pride in being one of the most segregated states in the country, in addition to flaunting their racially-divisive, anachronistic tributes to the Civil War by using the Confederate flag as a state symbol. Yeah, my kind of place...

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by sarcastic_but_lovable

Fyi, I'm Not Sure If That Was Sarcasm Or If You Were Actually Being Serious I Hope Not Because I Don't Know Of Anyone Outside Of Baltimore Who Gets Baltimore Stations. I'm Not A Football Fan So I Don't Root For Anybody And As Much As I Love Basketball I Was Rooting For Cleveland To Knock The Breaks Off Of The Wizards. I Mean The Things You Speak Of, Imo Aren't Of Importance. Clearly The Small Time Papers Various Counties In Md Produce Don't Hold A Candle To The Post, That Goes Without Saying. Dc/md/va Is The Greater Washington Metro Area. We're Basically All One But Can Stand Alone. When I Speak Of Moving Away From This Area I Mean The Metro Area As A Whole. All Three Are To Expensive For Me To Make A Comfortable Stay And Thats My Primary Reason. Who Gives Cares If I Live In Md And Root For Georgetown Over Umdcp. Thats Called Prference, Forming An Opinion Based On What I Deem Proper. Jmo

Can I ask you why you changed my quoted post to capitalize every word in it? That's just weird.

[dcsfanatic]

Originally Posted by LauraC

May I add more:

If you live the MD area surrounding Washington, DC, your town/county has no identity of its own as it is overwhelmed by the larger DC events, DC TV news, DC sports and DC newspapers. Your identity is usually lumped in with Northern Virginia and DC.

Because DC is headquarters for many government agencies, people come to live in the Maryland commuting areas not because they want to live in the area but for a promoton/bigger paycheck than they were making in field offices. Many lof those long-time feds leave during the holidays to "go home" (use or lose) and few stay in the area after they retire. It's a very transient area.

You who live in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County, how many of you root for the Washington Redskins over the Ravens? Do you get both the DC and Baltimore versions of ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS with your cable company? How many who live in Maryland actually watch the Maryland channels, especially for news? What radio station do you listen to, a DC station or a Maryland station? Do you read a DC newspaper or a Maryland newspaper?

Pointless.

You can say the exact same thing about any town/city that is a suburb to a major city.

Its identity is tied in with that major city.


As for MD vs DC football teams, TV stations, or newspapers, I don't get your point. If you're arguing all of MD should be behind the Ravens, or read MD newspapers or watch MD TV stations, its silly.

People in south Jersey typically follow all things Philadelphia. Its northern NJ, its all things NY. In northern Indiana, people often align themselves with Chicago.

[somnambulist]

Originally Posted by dcsfanatic

Pointless.

You can say the exact same thing about any town/city that is a suburb to a major city.

Not really...Long Island and New Jersey's identity is not inexorably tied in to New York City's, for instance, and their populations are certainly far less transient than D.C.'s. Very, very few government employees who work/are sent here end up retiring here as opposed to going back home or somewhere that at least provides a much better quality of life.

[DavidSKi]

let the redneck work in a factory and watch his college football. if he "had a brain" he'd know Maryland is south of the Mason/Dixon line, so MD isn't part of the union.

Sorry bro, you've been in the south all along.

[*CountryGirl*]

Originally Posted by Judge Terror

1. High Cost of Living

2. Maryland has one of the highest population density in the United States with 542 people per square mile.

3. Rude People.

4. Congested Roads which fuels Road Rage.

5. There's no great in-state rivalry for College Football. (We're missing out from such matchups other states have like Texas vs. Texas A & M, Alabama vs. Auburn, South Carolina vs. Clemson, and many more.)

6. Too many D.C. Elites lives in Maryland. They are disconnected from reality.

7. High Taxes

8. High rate of Crime in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, enough said.

9. The Tyranny of Montgomery County where they regulate everything to death. (No smoking in any of restaurants, bars, despite it is a private establishment and should be free from government intrusion)

10. One Party Machine in the State where they control virtually everything in the State.

If you live in the State of Maryland and you have a brain. Get out! Now I'm living in the American South, in the Great State of South Carolina.

How can you judge the whole state based on one specific region? I have lived in MD all my life I can assure you not all MD folks are rude, not all areas are over populated. Comparing the VA/DC/Baltimore corridor to the eastern shore or western Maryland is like comparing apples to oranges. Each region has its own culture/way of life. If the hustle and bustle of urban living is not your cup of tea then there are more rural areas that have maintained small town family values, where life goes a bit slower.

You move to the area that suits you families needs with a way of life you enjoy. I currently live in Harford County, Bel Air. It used to have the small town appeal, many, many, years ago. It has become too pricy and over populated for my taste. But I am not going to trash the whole town simply because I no longer enjoy it here. I am just going to move to an area that appeals to me.

[The_Fairfaxian]

Originally Posted by dcsfanatic

Pointless.

You can say the exact same thing about any town/city that is a suburb to a major city.

Its identity is tied in with that major city.


As for MD vs DC football teams, TV stations, or newspapers, I don't get your point. If you're arguing all of MD should be behind the Ravens, or read MD newspapers or watch MD TV stations, its silly.

People in south Jersey typically follow all things Philadelphia. Its northern NJ, its all things NY. In northern Indiana, people often align themselves with Chicago.

I can concur with this statement. Ever since I live in DC Suburban Maryland, I have never really paid attention to a Maryland-based team or media more than I have Washington based team or news outlet. Besides, their teams and news coverage usually caters out to Baltimore/Annapolis/everywhere except Montgomerey and PG County anyway. Even though I was raised a substantial amount of time in Maryland, I'd always felt a lot more connected with DC and Northern Virginia.

And for those who think the rest of Maryland is under the Baltimore sphere of influence, if you took particular attention to Garrett County, you'd realize that it's culturally (media, sports, etc) more connected to Pittsburgh, PA.

[childofaaco]

We're referred to as "America in miniature" for a reason, and it's more than just geography. Just as the entire country does not have a single, unified culture, neither does Maryland.

1. High Cost of Living - high paying jobs

2. Maryland has one of the highest population density in the United States with 542 people per square mile. - some people like density, some don't. There are rural areas for those who don't.

3. Rude People. - some, most just don't like others in their business

4. Congested Roads which fuels Road Rage. - yes, it's a downside.

5. There's no great in-state rivalry for College Football. (We're missing out from such matchups other states have like Texas vs. Texas A & M, Alabama vs. Auburn, South Carolina vs. Clemson, and many more.) - we appreciate much more than college football here. Sailing races, soccer games, and battle of the beltway pro sports games.

6. Too many D.C. Elites lives in Maryland. They are disconnected from reality. - too many D.C. Elites in montgomery, most of the rest of the state has kept them in check.

7. High Taxes - some, yes, but we don't pay vehicle taxes yearly either. Our high taxes fund our good schools.

8. High rate of Crime in Baltimore City and Prince George's County, enough said. - we have 21 other counties, pick one.

9. The Tyranny of Montgomery County where they regulate everything to death. (No smoking in any of restaurants, bars, despite it is a private establishment and should be free from government intrusion) - smoking now regulated by the state, it's been coming. But yes, montgomery overregulates beyond that. again 22 other counties....

10. One Party Machine in the State where they control virtually everything in the State. - The republican party is alive, well, and in control in most counties in maryland.

If you live in the State of Maryland and you [don't care to get to know us you are more than welcome to] Get out [if you'd like to.] Now [the OP is] living in the American South, in the Great State of South Carolina. [That I personally did not enjoy living in, but didn't spend my time stewing myself into a pot of hatred. I just moved back to my home...]