What Is Considered Metro Baltimore? (Columbia, Frederick: townhomes, live in, shop)

[bluecountry]

1) I'm curious...what cities/counties are considered part of metro Baltimore?

Obviously you have
Baltimore/AA/Howard/Harford/Caroll County
Baltimore City


However..what about
York/Hanover/Adams/Lancaster County, PA
York/Hanover/Gettysburg city, PA
Lower AA/Frederick/Cecil County/Washington, County MD
Annapolis/Columbia/Frederick/Elkton/Hagerstown, city MD?

2) On a similar note, how far does Baltimore's sphere of influence go?
-How far into PA is Baltimore considered the local big city with their sports teams followed?
-How far North/South/East/West into MD is Baltimore considered the local big city with their sports team followed?

Thanks!

[KeyserSoze]

I know that Howard County is a mix of influence from both DC and Baltimore metros. That's generally where the two areas mix. As for the Baltimore influence, I think it only expands to the areas around it. Howard(eastern half), Anne Arundel(the upper half), Cecil, Harford, Baltimore, and Carroll(southeastern part), with Queen Anne, and Kent to a small extent is generally where the Baltimore influence is the strongest.

(I don't like using Wikipedia as the be-all end-all, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimo...ropolitan_area)

[Outlook]

South East PA = Eagles, Phillies,
South Central PA = Eagles/Ravens Phillies/ Orioles
Baltimore Metro = Ravens Orioles
Annapolis/ South AA = Redskins (Nationals - too early to tell)
West MD = Flip a coin

Philadelphia is 100 miles Northeast of Baltimore - lots of rural land in between
Washington DC/ Northern VA has the Redskins and Nationals - you cant get Redskins tickets. All of their seats are season tickets and the waiting list is 15 years +. I'm not kidding - call the Redskins ticket office and ask.

Cheers
Out

[firefightermom]

Originally Posted by bluecountry

1) I'm curious...what cities/counties are considered part of metro Baltimore?

Obviously you have
Baltimore/AA/Howard/Harford/Caroll County
Baltimore City


However..what about
York/Hanover/Adams/Lancaster County, PA
York/Hanover/Gettysburg city, PA
Lower AA/Frederick/Cecil County/Washington, County MD
Annapolis/Columbia/Frederick/Elkton/Hagerstown, city MD?

2) On a similar note, how far does Baltimore's sphere of influence go?
-How far into PA is Baltimore considered the local big city with their sports teams followed?
-How far North/South/East/West into MD is Baltimore considered the local big city with their sports team followed?

Thanks!

I live in Franklin County, PA, which is about 20 minutes north of Hagerstown on 81. Everyone here is an Eagles fan, unless they are from elsewhere. All the stores carry majority Eagles/Phillies stuff, and some Steelers/Pirates stuff. I never see Baltimore stuff, and rarely see Redskins stuff, unless it's a specialty sports shop. My neighbor is a Ravens fan since he is from Baltimore. We actually see more Penn State stuff than anything else!

It seems we have an equal mix of people who commute to Baltimore or DC, but I don't think this area is considered part of either. My neighbor moved here when he worked in Baltimore and now he works in Winchester. Lots of county jail cops from MoCo live here too.

[CHIP72]

Sports fan affiliation and commuting lines:

*The southern two-thirds of York County is primarily a Baltimore sports fan area, though it is that way much moreso for the Orioles than for the Ravens. There are a decent number of Philadelphia sports fans (and in football, Steelers fans) in this area too, though the closer to the state line you get, the less the influence becomes. Commuting-wise, from York south the area does have a lot of commuters to Baltimore, though many people work in the York area or in the Harrisburg area.

*Lancaster County is mostly a Philadelphia sports fan area, though there are some Baltimore sports fans there. In many ways, it is the inverse of York County. Commuting-wise, this area is not strongly associated with either city (though for people who do commute Philly is the more common destination); Lancaster has mostly people who work locally or work in the Harrisburg area.

*Cecil County is a split between Baltimore and Philadelphia (generally more Balmer than Philly), though the Philly influence is stronger with the Eagles/football than it is with the Phillies/baseball. Fans become more Baltimore-flavored the further west you go in the county (i.e. away from Elkton). Much of Cecil County, especially the Elkton area, is more oriented towards Philadelphia area for commuting purposes, though Perryville along the Susquehanna River has MARC train service to Baltimore (and Washington) and doesn't have service to Philadelphia.

*There are some differences between metro area influences and sports fan allegiances in the areas between and/or near both Baltimore and Washington. Generally speaking, places like Annapolis and Frederick (and to some degree even significant chunks of Howard County) are most oriented towards Washington for job/commuting purposes but tend to be more evenly split or lean towards Baltimore when it comes sports rooting interests.

[pinetreecity]

From what I've observed, Baltimore/Washington influence extends to I-81 in western MD and VA. Many people in Frederick commute to DC or to I-270. I consider some exurbs to be Hagerstown, Charles Town, and Winchester. A few years ago, I noticed townhomes being built along 340 and close to I-81. Of course, I don't know where all of these people work. I assume they work in Frederick, along I-270, or in DC.

[bluecountry]

Originally Posted by firefightermom

I live in Franklin County, PA, which is about 20 minutes north of Hagerstown on 81. Everyone here is an Eagles fan, unless they are from elsewhere. All the stores carry majority Eagles/Phillies stuff, and some Steelers/Pirates stuff. I never see Baltimore stuff, and rarely see Redskins stuff, unless it's a specialty sports shop. My neighbor is a Ravens fan since he is from Baltimore. We actually see more Penn State stuff than anything else!

It seems we have an equal mix of people who commute to Baltimore or DC, but I don't think this area is considered part of either. My neighbor moved here when he worked in Baltimore and now he works in Winchester. Lots of county jail cops from MoCo live here too.

I'm really surprised.
I would have thought if any PA team was followed in Franklin County, it would be the Steelers/Pirates.
After all, it was my impression that in PA...most people outside SEPA feel more cultural/blue collar ties to Pittsburgh than cosmopolitan Philly?


Also...do you consider Franklin County, PA to be rural/suburban?
I would think given it is so far away from any major metro city this would be a nice, green rural community.

[bluecountry]

*The southern two-thirds of York County is primarily a Baltimore sports fan area, though it is that way much moreso for the Orioles than for the Ravens. There are a decent number of Philadelphia sports fans (and in football, Steelers fans) in this area too, though the closer to the state line you get, the less the influence becomes. Commuting-wise, from York south the area does have a lot of commuters to Baltimore, though many people work in the York area or in the Harrisburg area.

Why is this the case?
How come York County has way more of an O's than Ravens influence?
Is this an indication that Balmer is more of a baseball town and has a stronger baseball fanbase OR is it a reflection on the Colts leaving?
Pre-Colts move...was the fanbase for Baltimore football MUCH bigger in SCPA?

Cecil County is a split between Baltimore and Philadelphia (generally more Balmer than Philly), though the Philly influence is stronger with the Eagles/football than it is with the Phillies/baseball. Fans become more Baltimore-flavored the further west you go in the county (i.e. away from Elkton). Much of Cecil County, especially the Elkton area, is more oriented towards Philadelphia area for commuting purposes, though Perryville along the Susquehanna River has MARC train service to Baltimore (and Washington) and doesn't have service to Philadelphia.

Same question....why do the O's carry the fanbase further?

[firefightermom]

Originally Posted by bluecountry

I'm really surprised.
I would have thought if any PA team was followed in Franklin County, it would be the Steelers/Pirates.
After all, it was my impression that in PA...most people outside SEPA feel more cultural/blue collar ties to Pittsburgh than cosmopolitan Philly?


Also...do you consider Franklin County, PA to be rural/suburban?
I would think given it is so far away from any major metro city this would be a nice, green rural community.

I was surprised also...I guess since we are pretty much in the middle of the state, it could go both ways. I agree that this area would identify more with Pittsburgh too.

It's definitely rural with some suburbanism moving in. Tons of farms. Cornfields and cow pastures everywhere. I live right next door to a small active farm. Tons of barns, farmhouses, Mennonite farmers and the best farm stands I've ever visited. There are a lot of blue collar workers here too...tons of factories and distribution centers.

I thought I came from a small town in Ohio, but this is certainly smaller! It seems everywhere I go, everyone knows everyone, especially if they are of the older generations. It's a nice place with a great sense of community. It takes some getting used to--the quietness at night, the fact that you can see the stars at night, the lack of sirens all the time. People move at a slower pace. It's great!

[CHIP72]

Bluecountry - I'd say the Orioles affiliation carries further primarily because the Orioles have been in Baltimore since 1954 while the Ravens have only been in Baltimore since 1996. It takes a long, long time for "new" teams to establish an extended fanbase, especially in an area that has long-established teams nearby.