Similarities and differences between the Baltimore Metropolitan Area and the Washington DC Metropolitan Area (Frederick: DMV, restaurant)

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by igbonation

Just wondering what are the cultural, political, and economic difference between Maryland's largest Metropolitan areas
Comparing and Contrasting the:
1. Local Government
2. Economy
3. Businesses in the areas
4. Demographics
5. Black population
6. Culture
7. Crime
8. Cost of living
and everything else....

You generally can't compare these two cities on any remote level it's like asking someone what is the difference between a 1993 Ford Escort with 150K miles and a 2016 Bugatti Veyron.


1. DC gov is the federal gov which is in control of the entire United States. Every piece of legislation that affects every man/woman and child within the US comes from DC. DC is the home of the President of the United States and the US Senate and House.


2. DC has a richer economy, higher income producing residents and higher human capital. Example, 94% of NoMA (Northern Massachusetts Ave) residents have a BS degree or higher.


3. Depends, most of your retail businesses are your high end shops and clothing stores, high end retail. Saks 5th Ave, Kate Spade, Enzo Custom, Brooks Brothers etc..


4. Very interesting here, many feel DC has became all white. In general certain bad areas have turned around quick and in a few years. I worked in SE DC 5 years ago. They were advertising studios for 150K to 200K, the area was seedy. They within 5 years destroyed several vacant buildings, built several high rises and now those studios are gone. DC is not resistant to gentrification and developers come in and built nice and fast. There are more "blacker" areas (Rhode Island Ave) but remain professional and very Blue, then there are white areas (Capitol Hill).


5. See num 4.


6. I would say the culture tends to be somewhat pretentious, but it comes with living in a good environment. I find many here seem to be very "city like"...


7. Baltimore def has more crime.


8. No way to compare, most Baltimore people couldn't afford to live in DC. To get something comparable in DC for the price in Baltimore, you'd have to downgrade in DC!!!

[Calvert Hall '62]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

2. DC has a richer economy, higher income producing residents and higher human capital. Example, 94% of NoMA (Northern Massachusetts Ave) residents have a BS degree or higher.

Yeah, but working for the Fed. Govt., they don't produce isht much less create wealth.


(Retired Fed. bureaucrat)

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by pwduvall

Actually, the 2015 population figures are now out.
DC is now 40.0% White and 47.4% Black
Baltimore in now 31.0% White and 61.6% Black

I read an article, and posted it in another thread, that shows that Metro Baltimore's job growth as at a higher percentage than the DC metro. That's probably hard for the Baltimore naysayers to fathom.

[whogoesthere]

Originally Posted by stealthfox94

1. Both are extremely liberal
2. Baltimore is heavily blue collar in the city and mostly white collar in the suburbs. D.C is to some degree the opposite although as a whole Baltimore is the more blue collar city. D.C is also more heavily invested in tech jobs
3. I'll admit I'm not too familiar with specific businesses that most people will know so I won't answer this one.
4. Baltimore is over 60% black in it's city but it's suburbs are around 70% white. It also has some very wealthy suburbs. The cities poorest end is it's west end richest is it's north end. D.C's black population is below 50% for the first time since the 60's however the metro area as a whole still has a larger non-white population then Baltimore's. D.C metro is 47% white, Baltimore is 58% white last I checked. D.C has a good mixture of lower middle class suburbs and EXTREMELY wealthy suburbs. The D.C area also has PG county a haven for upper middle class black families.
5. I already went over this
6. D.C is about the government, museums, black history and chili, Baltimore is about the harbor and crabs.
7. All I know is Baltimore has a worse crime rate, avoid west Baltimore. D.C's bad areas are getting better.
8. D.C is by far more expensive. Because it's D.C

Not a bad summary...DC is about crabs and seafood in general too though (maybe not to the same extent as Bmore)...DC is not a chili town (and yes, I am aware of Ben's)

[choccity]

Originally Posted by whogoesthere

Not a bad summary...DC is about crabs and seafood in general too though (maybe not to the same extent as Bmore)...DC is not a chili town (and yes, I am aware of Ben's)

Ben's is not that great, lol. DC is chicken and mambo sauce and crabs from the wharf. But that's a long gone tradition. But we still have the chicken and mambo sauce.

[Bert_from_back_East]

One thing about Baltimore relative to DC is that, while Baltimore City itself might be poorer and more dangerous than DC with a less robust economy and educated / skilled workforce, Baltimore is significantly less transient than DC.

Almost no one who lives in DC - aside from the poorer / blacker areas of town, mind you - was born and raised in DC or surrounding counties. Baltimore, OTOH, is a much more homegrown, "dyed-in-the-wool" type of place where people tend to live their entire lives for generations over.

Also, I found locals / service people to be friendlier and easier-going in Baltimore relative to DC. It's hard to shake that snooty, pretentious attitude that is very prevalent in the DC area. To my understanding, people are very calculating in DC, but I don't have much experience with people there aside from superficial interactions.

[redd1skng]

Originally Posted by choccity

Ben's is not that great, lol. DC is chicken and mambo sauce and crabs from the wharf. But that's a long gone tradition. But we still have the chicken and mambo sauce.

Baltimore still has what alot of cities are losing, culture and traditions.

Yes, very sad to see how that's being wiped out in the District.

[choccity]

Originally Posted by redd1skng

Baltimore still has what alot of cities are losing, culture and traditions.
t
Yes, very sad to see how that's being wiped out in the District.

Baltimore does still have a lot of original, local flavor and traditions. That's what makes it such a unique city. I hope they can hold on it for a long time.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by Calvert Hall '62

Yeah, but working for the Fed. Govt., they don't produce isht much less create wealth.


(Retired Fed. bureaucrat)

You should speak for yourself. I have two Fed friends w/one working as a scientist at NIH and the other working as an engineer at the NRC. Sure, testing vaccines and overseeing 800 billion kilowatts of energy creation doesn't "produce" something tangible like plastic Chinese crap, but he and she certainly contribute to the creation of wealth in this country. Hating on the entire federal government is soooooooo 2011.

[JamesInDC]

Originally Posted by bufflove

You should speak for yourself. I have two Fed friends w/one working as a scientist at NIH and the other working as an engineer at the NRC. Sure, testing vaccines and overseeing 800 billion kilowatts of energy creation doesn't "produce" something tangible like plastic Chinese crap, but he and she certainly contribute to the creation of wealth in this country. Hating on the entire federal government is soooooooo 2011.

No, I work for the Federal government now in 2016 and can assure you very little actually gets produced with the incompetence, waste and bureaucracy.