Why is there no name for the Maryland side of DC? (Baltimore: college, living)

[michgc]

On the Virginia side, of course, it's called Northern Virginia. How come there's no nickname for the Maryland side? Even here on C-D, the subsection is called Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland. That's quite a mouthful.

When I lived in the Maryland burbs of DC and I told someone out of town I lived in Maryland, they automatically assumed near Baltimore. If you could name the Maryland side of the DC burbs, what would you call it?

[rsh56]

Well Maryland is too small of a state compared to Virginia so unless someone asked you to specify where in MD you're coming from, it would be hard to tell, especially since there is no "Central Maryland" used. It's not so hard though if you say you're from Western Maryland or Eastern Shore.

[TestEngr]

I left long ago, but for 37 years I lived in MD suburbs. Now I tell people I lived in MD suburbs they all think Baltimore and tell me what a nice city Baltimore was on last visit, when all the time I lived in Bethesda or similar and never Baltimore. At the same time if I had said N. VA people would know what I meant. So you are 100% right......

Easier for me to just to say Bethesda or Rockville or whatever I guess.

[justtitans]

I think it has more to do with the fact that the maryland side is not easily defined. There are some parts of MD that can be considered suburbs of both Baltimore and DC. It is difficult to separate the area out like NoVA. NoVA has geographic location and distinct culture, MD suburbs does not.

[selhars]

The DC suburbs in MD?
The MD suburbs of DC?

When asked, I say: "in MD near DC." That seems to suffice.
===========================
DEPENDING on who I'm talking to and how the conversation arose I MIGHT say Bowie -- but with no frame of reference the person won't know where I'm talking about. So MD suburbs near DC at least gives them a quick mental idea of where I'm talking about.

Then I have to add...it's right in the bottom of the triangle between DC, Annapolis and Baltimore....

Otherwise you say Greenbelt or Beltsville or Kensington Aspen Hill, or Four Corners or White Oak.....on a trip with people from California, Kansas, or Maine -- they'll have no idea what you're talking about so just saying MD suburbs works.

You evenr meet someone on a trip they say they're from the DC-area...then you find out theyr'e from Gaithersburg, Colomia or Annapolis...And I'm like...yeah, I GUESS that's the DC area.

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by selhars

The DC suburbs in MD?
The MD suburbs of DC?

When asked, I say: "in MD near DC." That seems to suffice.
===========================
DEPENDING on who I'm talking to and how the conversation arose I MIGHT say Bowie -- but with no frame of reference the person won't know where I'm talking about. So MD suburbs near DC at least gives them a quick mental idea of where I'm talking about.

Then I have to add...it's right in the bottom of the triangle between DC, Annapolis and Baltimore....

Otherwise you say Greenbelt or Beltsville or Kensington Aspen Hill, or Four Corners or White Oak.....on a trip with people from California, Kansas, or Maine -- they'll have no idea what you're talking about so just saying MD suburbs works.

You evenr meet someone on a trip they say they're from the DC-area...then you find out theyr'e from Gaithersburg, Colomia or Annapolis...And I'm like...yeah, I GUESS that's the DC area.

Imagine trying to tell people you live in Adelphi. So, since we live so close to D.C., I say near D.C. Then when they still have that puzzled look, I have to say between Silver Spring and College Park. They get the College Park name, but sometimes even Silver Spring is lost on them.

[btsilver]

Originally Posted by michgc

On the Virginia side, of course, it's called Northern Virginia. How come there's no nickname for the Maryland side? Even here on C-D, the subsection is called Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland. That's quite a mouthful.

When I lived in the Maryland burbs of DC and I told someone out of town I lived in Maryland, they automatically assumed near Baltimore. If you could name the Maryland side of the DC burbs, what would you call it?

The main reason why Northern Virginia is called Northern Virginia is because the culture there is more aligned with the culture of DC and what not. There is Northern Virginia and then Regular Virginia. To completely different places. Maryland is like that but it is partition into Central Maryland (basically the area surround Baltimore to DC but doesnt really have a name) then Western Maryland and Eastern Shore.

[UrbanScholar]

I can tell my friends and family that I live in Maryland until I am blue in the face and they will still say I live in DC since I work in DC. I was speaking to a customer service rep on the phone last night and when they stated my city they consistently called in Ft Washington DC.

[brooklynborndad]

because the MD suburbs of DC overlap historical md regions.

PG is really southern Maryland, along with Charles, St marys, and Calvert. Frederick and west is western md, Howard and the counties around baltimore are central Md. Im not sure if MoCo was western or central, but it was NOT the same region as PG, Im pretty sure. Different histories, different agricultural economies, etc.

They only got grouped together because of their relationship to DC.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by rsh56

Well Maryland is too small of a state compared to Virginia so unless someone asked you to specify where in MD you're coming from, it would be hard to tell, especially since there is no "Central Maryland" used. It's not so hard though if you say you're from Western Maryland or Eastern Shore.

whats with all the people saying there is no central maryaldn used - when I lived in Baltimore I recall that WAS the name for the region - Haford cty, Baltimore city and baltimore county, carroll, howard and Anne arundel counties.

The Land of Pleasant Living.