Which are more seamlessly integrated with DC? The Maryland Sububs or the Virginia Suburbs (house, neighborhoods)
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On the one hand, Alexandria and Arlington were literally once part of DC. They are very urban (almost the same density as DC), and you could argue DC's economic poles are increasingly in Virginia (Dulles Tech Corridor, Tysons Corner, National Landing, Rosslyn).
On the other, the Potomac is a pretty strong barrier separating Virginia and DC. There's no quick pedestrian route to DC and the two biggest pedestrian bridges (Georgetown/Rosslyn and National Cemetery/Lincoln Memorial) are generally low traffic (and don't connect directly to central DC). Further, it seems far easier to encounter Virginians who generally avoid DC and spend their entire leisure in Virginia (given Tysons, Mosaic, Reston, Old Town, Clarendon all have good entertainment/food/shopping options).
Conversely, Maryland's suburbs are immediately adjacent to DC. Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and the hodgepodge of small towns that ring Northeast DC means it's quite possible to cross the State Line without even knowing. As a result, you have bi-jurisdictional communities like Takoma, Friendship Heights, Chevy Chase, Capitol Heights, etc. Marylanders are also ideologically and culturally an extension of Washingtonians. You don't have a 10% increase in the Republican vote share when you go from DC to Bethesda or Silver Spring.
That said, Maryland borders the DC periphery. The heart of DC is surprisingly distant (a long red or green line commute to the Golden Triangle or Gallery Place/Downtown. DC is growing nearer to Maryland (Noma, Deanwood, Kingman Park, Atlas, Fort Totten), but there's still a big gap between the two jurisdictions (how many would brave walking to Maryland from central DC?). It's not like Virginia where 1 metro stop separates Arlington (Rosslyn) from the White House (Farragut West).
So which is more "integrated" with DC: Maryland or Virginia?
Virginia Side is much more connected to the DC CBD. Orange/Silver lines are much more useful to get to downtown and Navy Yard than Red line. Arlington/Georgetown is very well connected to Georgetown with WMATA, DC Circulator and Georgetown University buses. Lots of people walking/biking across on Key Bridge especially as it gets warmer out.
The time from the Rosslyn Metro to the corner of M and Wisconsin is a 10 minute bike ride. The entirety of the Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor really feels like an extension of the city itself. The 2 mile continuous urban long corridor has much more residential density and street vibrancy than the Red line corridor going through Bethesda and points north.
I'd still go with Maryland, since it borders DC on about two-thirds of its border. That's a lot of suburbs/border neighborhoods surrounding its perimeter, with a total of six Metrorail routes crossing the DC/MD border, along with three MARC commuter rail borders. Meanwhile, there's only two Metrorail routes that enter VA, plus a single VRE commuter rail line. The street address numbers of Montgomery and Prince George's counties are extensions of DC's, whereas Northern Virginia uses their own street address systems. There are even streets in inner PG that are continuations/restarts of DC's, along with numbered avenues that are basically just restarts of DC's numbered streets in the NE quadrant. Wisconsin, Georgia, and Rhode Island Avenues (or Baltimore Ave. in PG) are nearly continuously commercial or dense residential from the core of DC out to the Beltway and beyond, with most of the ITB suburbs not much different in density from the outer DC neighborhoods.
Even though much of Arlington County is closer to downtown DC, I find that Northern Virginia's office environment is much less dependent on DC than Maryland is, especially since it has the lion's share of the growth.
Hmmm...I would say that the most integrated would be Arlington County, VA. After that PG County, MD and Fairfax, VA.
Overall, Id say its relatively similar. I would say however, that NOVA is much more able to operate independently of DC and has its own economy. The burbs in Maryland, not so much.
I've lived in both MD and VA suburbs of DC (Rockville and Silver Spring, MD and Alexandria, VA). Honestly, this is pretty tough, but being pretty centrally connected to the metro is a big part of the integration IMO, even if you're within quick driving distance from the district. Still, even then it's been more or less a wash in my experience.
I do think what someone wrote about walkability at the border of MD and DC also takes on some meaning. When I was in Silver Spring, one part of my block (16TH ST) was in DC and the other part was in MD.
That said, where have I enjoyed living more? That's also tough. Part of me wants to say VA if only because it was simpler to buy booze there But overall, I enjoy the Asian culture in Rockville tremendously, so this probably takes the cake for me.
To me, the inner Maryland burbs seem like an extension of DC culturally whereas Virginia generally feels more suburban and distinct. I'd go with Maryland here.
Maryland is obviously more physically connected to DC. The only connections between DC and Virginia are a handful of bridges and a tunnel. But, I think Northern Virginia is more culturally connected to DC. When ever I travel through the Maryland suburbs it's quite surprising how big a role Baltimore plays in some of them, especially the further north you go. People talk about visiting Baltimore or eating at restaurants there. A lot of people have hats, shirts, and flags for Baltimore's sports teams. This is not the case with Virginia. The Northern Virginia suburbs just seem to be more solidly identified with DC. Some, but not all, of the Maryland suburbs have more divided loyalties and connections.
Maryland is obviously more physically connected to DC. The only connections between DC and Virginia are a handful of bridges and a tunnel. But, I think Northern Virginia is more culturally connected to DC. When ever I travel through the Maryland suburbs it's quite surprising how big a role Baltimore plays in some of them, especially the further north you go. People talk about visiting Baltimore or eating at restaurants there. A lot of people have hats, shirts, and flags for Baltimore's sports teams. This is not the case with Virginia. The Northern Virginia suburbs just seem to be more solidly identified with DC. Some, but not all, of the Maryland suburbs have more divided loyalties and connections.
This definitely not the case in Montgomery, Prince George's, or Charles counties which are the main DC Maryland Suburbs. It is very common for residents of those counties to never go to Baltimore.
No Baltimore sports team is popular in the Maryland suburbs of DC except for the Ravens, and they of course are the minority and that has a lot to due with the "Commanders' being a terrible team.
Maryland. I can't stand going to NoVa in part because its so "far" from DC
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But overall, I enjoy the Asian culture in Rockville tremendously, so this probably takes the cake for me.
