Political Climate of Frederick (Silver Spring, Walkersville: first time home buyer, neighborhood, buyers)

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Hard for me to believe uppity Middletown can be that racist. Ignorance perhaps, but it is a pretty well off community. That said, everyone's experience is unique and I wasn't there.

Thurmont? Um........no, I would not recommend that community to an interracial couple, unless they didn't mind being on the vanguard of demographic and social change. I doubt you would have problems visiting, dining out etc., but it is a community where the school teachers as recently as 9 years ago still had conversations like "Oh, XXXX is in your class? She is the grand wizard's granddaughter," and it wasn't a joke.

Are you serious. I grew up in Middletown as a minority of middle eastern descent. In terms of uppity Middletown, I can tell you many of the alumni that grad from MHS stayed very typical and didn't really move up in society. So I'm not sure where all the "uppity" comes from....

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

Are you serious. I grew up in Middletown as a minority of middle eastern descent. In terms of uppity Middletown, I can tell you many of the alumni that grad from MHS stayed very typical and didn't really move up in society. So I'm not sure where all the "uppity" comes from....

I'm almost always serious. I am not sure if you are or not since your primary focus when you joined this board was insulting other posters and all of the parts of the state you lived in until you made it to your magical 'burb of choice.

Middletown is a wealthy exurb with a poverty rate of like 3% or so. No, it isn't Potomac, Great Falls, or Gibson Island, but compared to most of Maryland and most of the country it is a wealthy community with highly ranked schools, high median incomes, and very low poverty. You don't have to like it, I won't discount your negative experience there. I would propose your experience is the exception, since I have never spoken to anyone else who had a bad thing to say about the place.

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

I'm almost always serious. I am not sure if you are or not since your primary focus when you joined this board was insulting other posters and all of the parts of the state you lived in until you made it to your magical 'burb of choice.

Middletown is a wealthy exurb with a poverty rate of like 3% or so. No, it isn't Potomac, Great Falls, or Gibson Island, but compared to most of Maryland and most of the country it is a wealthy community with highly ranked schools, high median incomes, and very low poverty. You don't have to like it, I won't discount your negative experience there. I would propose your experience is the exception, since I have never spoken to anyone else who had a bad thing to say about the place.

The purpose of my response was in response to tw71 post regarding this person being in an interracial marriage and the dynamics of such within Middletown/Frederick area. Not income/wealth, as you conveniently diverted it too. Of your entire statement, the only thing relevant was "I would propose your experience is the exception, since I have never spoken to anyone else who had a bad thing to say about the place".

So to stay relevant to the topic. Middletown has a population of around 91 - 96% white. US Census 2000 placed it around 96 and 2010 was around 91%. Therefore there it is highly unlikely you will hear about racism from Middletown, since many (91 - 96) wont' report such. But I was that 1-2% group that will report high racism in that area. Especially the more west you drive. So if you want to "propose my experience as an exception" simply because that statistics will fulfil your statement, then that's fine....

[seanlax]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

So to stay relevant to the topic. Middletown has a population of around 91 - 96% white. US Census 2000 placed it around 96 and 2010 was around 91%. Therefore there it is highly unlikely you will hear about racism from Middletown, since many (91 - 96) wont' report such. But I was that 1-2% group that will report high racism in that area. Especially the more west you drive. So if you want to "propose my experience as an exception" simply because that statistics will fulfil your statement, then that's fine....

You might be interested in this fancy term known as 'anecdotal evidence' We were so close!

Anecdotal evidence - RationalWiki

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

The purpose of my response was in response to tw71 post regarding this person being in an interracial marriage and the dynamics of such within Middletown/Frederick area. Not income/wealth, as you conveniently diverted it too. Of your entire statement, the only thing relevant was "I would propose your experience is the exception, since I have never spoken to anyone else who had a bad thing to say about the place".

So to stay relevant to the topic. Middletown has a population of around 91 - 96% white. US Census 2000 placed it around 96 and 2010 was around 91%. Therefore there it is highly unlikely you will hear about racism from Middletown, since many (91 - 96) wont' report such. But I was that 1-2% group that will report high racism in that area. Especially the more west you drive. So if you want to "propose my experience as an exception" simply because that statistics will fulfil your statement, then that's fine....

No, I propose your experience in Middletown was an exception because the majority of your interactions on CD end with insults and nasty words being thrown about too. I also know from your posts here that you find fault in EVERY place in Maryland you lived, except possibly where you live now....or have you turned on that place too?

Maybe your avatar is different than the real man, and I don't excuse racial animus as a retaliatory tactic (although it would be how kids would likely try to tear you down, low hanging fruit as it were.) Still, if everywhere you have lived has been a negative personal experience, maybe it is you and not the towns, just a thought.

As for Middletown, I lived in Frederick, my wife lived there for her teen years and taught in Thurmont for about 5 years. You are literally the first person that has ever said anything to me about Middletown being a racist town....and it isn't like the topic of racism in Frederick County doesn't come up. Thurmont/Rocky Ridge is nationally known for KKK stuff. I have never heard Middletown described that way. You are the exception to my experience and so far what everyone else has said about the town on this forum.

[tw71]

I certainly wouldn't declare the whole town of Middletown "racist" .... but my wife does have an African-American friend who was really surprised when she tried to go out to eat at a couple of different diners in Middletown and the whole place just got suddenly quiet when she stepped through the doors with her husband.

It was off-putting enough that she doesn't like to go out to eat in Middletown anymore, except at a couple of places where she knows they're welcome.

I found it hard to believe too, because it was my experience that there are a lot of ex-military people (often fairly high ranking) who live there -- and they tend not to be the racist type, given their background.

But it must just be a randomly scattered problem out there.

Originally Posted by westsideboy

As for Middletown, I lived in Frederick, my wife lived there for her teen years and taught in Thurmont for about 5 years. You are literally the first person that has ever said anything to me about Middletown being a racist town....and it isn't like the topic of racism in Frederick County doesn't come up. Thurmont/Rocky Ridge is nationally known for KKK stuff. I have never heard Middletown described that way. You are the exception to my experience and so far what everyone else has said about the town on this forum.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by tw71

I certainly wouldn't declare the whole town of Middletown "racist" .... but my wife does have an African-American friend who was really surprised when she tried to go out to eat at a couple of different diners in Middletown and the whole place just got suddenly quiet when she stepped through the doors with her husband.

It was off-putting enough that she doesn't like to go out to eat in Middletown anymore, except at a couple of places where she knows they're welcome.

I found it hard to believe too, because it was my experience that there are a lot of ex-military people (often fairly high ranking) who live there -- and they tend not to be the racist type, given their background.

But it must just be a randomly scattered problem out there.

Interesting. Without naming names, were the issues with businesses in Middletown proper? Or issues with businesses in the general Middletown area? (like Myersville, Knoxville, etc. etc.)

[MidValleyDad]

Originally Posted by tw71

I certainly wouldn't declare the whole town of Middletown "racist" .... but my wife does have an African-American friend who was really surprised when she tried to go out to eat at a couple of different diners in Middletown and the whole place just got suddenly quiet when she stepped through the doors with her husband.

It was off-putting enough that she doesn't like to go out to eat in Middletown anymore, except at a couple of places where she knows they're welcome.

I found it hard to believe too, because it was my experience that there are a lot of ex-military people (often fairly high ranking) who live there -- and they tend not to be the racist type, given their background.

But it must just be a randomly scattered problem out there.

Living in the area I only know of 5 places to eat in Middletown. The Golf Course (changed ownership last year) The Chinese restaurant that only opened about 3 years ago, The old storefront diner that has been on Main Street forever, Main Cup, the middle to upscale restaurant on Main Street and the pizza/sub place in the shopping center. That is the one complaint I have with the town very little choice in eaterys without going 'over the mountain'. I bring this up because I'm wondering if the places she is thinking about are in town or somewhere else in the area

[tw71]

Yeah, you may be right that they were actually in places outside Middletown "proper" when they had the bad experiences. I don't know the details of exactly where they ate. (I do know that they mentioned liking Main Cup and it was NOT one of the problem areas for them.)

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

Living in the area I only know of 5 places to eat in Middletown. The Golf Course (changed ownership last year) The Chinese restaurant that only opened about 3 years ago, The old storefront diner that has been on Main Street forever, Main Cup, the middle to upscale restaurant on Main Street and the pizza/sub place in the shopping center. That is the one complaint I have with the town very little choice in eaterys without going 'over the mountain'. I bring this up because I'm wondering if the places she is thinking about are in town or somewhere else in the area

[eastcoastergal]

I'm planning on moving to Walkersvilles and I am also curious about this. I'm transgender, in a lesbian marriage and Jewish... Should I rethink moving into this area because of these factors?