Is Laurel more of a DC suburb or Baltimore suburb? (Columbia: job market, contractor)

[texx]

I recently moved to Laurel and I was wondering if Laurel was DC suburb or Baltimore suburb. My mom asked yesterday and I was very confused. I live in northern Prince George's county right across the street from Anne Arundel and Howard county(197 and 198). I see Ravens stickers it seems in most people cars and in bars in the area but I get DC news. How do the locals look at Laurel. B-More suburb, DC suburb, or not a suburb at all?

[boreatwork]

DC suburbs but it extends to howard and anne arundel....but it should be all redskin terriroty whats wrong with them out there?

[Bigbluelandrover]

texx--whispering.....people that live beyond the 495 beltway do not route for the Deadskins...lol

This area is weird though I see more Dallas, Steelers and Ravens fans than I see Redskins fans.

[selhars]

Mapquest has Laurel listed as:
-- 21.6 miles from Baltimore, and 29 minutes travel time
-- 21.1 miles from DC and 36 minutes travel time

Now that I think about it, I've always thought of Laurel as definitely more DC oriented. But I also live in PG and work in DC. So I'm usually on the south side of Laurel.

Also, the 'orientation' of the people in Laurel may depend on whether they're on the north or south side, east or west. Are they right in Laurel proper or up toward Savage or Jessup. If they work in Baltimore then they'd be more likely to "orient" that direction.

I've been going to Columbia recently and saw both Ravens and Redskins stuff. Same for Annapolis.

Maybe it's me but I find when talking about issues like this it helps to nail down exactly what's meant by "Laurel" (or the Laurel AREA) which has parts in three counties.

It's like Silver Spring. There's a post comparing Silver Spring to Reston....well WHERE in Silver Spring? downtown or Aspen Hill? Layhill or Wheaton?

I'd say same for Laurel. Where exactly in Laurel? OR, are we trying to get a feel for the larger Laurel area -- which -- in the end may just have a "split" or "dual" identity.

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by texx

I recently moved to Laurel and I was wondering if Laurel was DC suburb or Baltimore suburb. My mom asked yesterday and I was very confused. I live in northern Prince George's county right across the street from Anne Arundel and Howard county(197 and 198). I see Ravens stickers it seems in most people cars and in bars in the area but I get DC news. How do the locals look at Laurel. B-More suburb, DC suburb, or not a suburb at all?

It would seem that Laurel is more suburban DC. Job centers have been in the suburbs as well for a few decades now. I would assert that even parts of Howard County are part of metro DC. Suburban DC and suburban Baltimore pretty much overlap. But in the morning, do you think traffic is heavier on I-95 in Laurel going toward DC or Baltimore?

The Ravens fan base is very localized. This is not unusual for a city in megalopolis. Only the Redskins have a regional fan base in megalopolis as most people in the Southeast rooted for them. Sorry Falcons and Panthers, but your fan bases are a non-entity. Along the I-81 corridor and westward in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia it seems that most of Appalachia roots for the Steelers.

I am definitely surprised how limited the Baltimore fan base is. The Patriots, Giants and Jets, and Eagles all have geographically small (relatively) markets but very large overall fan bases. I was shocked when I went to Carroll County on a Sunday and EVERY person wearing a jersey had a Redskins jersey on. I mean, you would think that right up the road from the Ravens training facility there would be more fans but I guess not. The largest regional fanbases that I've seen outside of megalopolis are the Redskins, Steelers, Cowboys, Bears, Broncos, and Raiders. Sorry this went off on a football tanget but the other posters are right. This is kind of the best indicator of how truncated metro Baltimore has become over the past 40 years or so in comparison to suburban DC.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Steelers10

I am definitely surprised how limited the Baltimore fan base is. The Patriots, Giants and Jets, and Eagles all have geographically small (relatively) markets but very large overall fan bases. I was shocked when I went to Carroll County on a Sunday and EVERY person wearing a jersey had a Redskins jersey on. I mean, you would think that right up the road from the Ravens training facility there would be more fans but I guess not. The largest regional fanbases that I've seen outside of megalopolis are the Redskins, Steelers, Cowboys, Bears, Broncos, and Raiders. Sorry this went off on a football tanget but the other posters are right. This is kind of the best indicator of how truncated metro Baltimore has become over the past 40 years or so in comparison to suburban DC.

The Jets and Giants have a georgraphically immense market. The whole states of NY, NJ, CT?

As for the Ravens: Remember, we didn't have football from 1985-1995. A lot of Colts fans found other teams in that time and are still not Ravens fans(including my father). And also consider that the city of Baltimore isn't as big as any other city you mentioned. Also, the Ravens' grinding defensive game isn't exactly "sexy."

I guess it would be nice if we had tons of government and contractor buildings being constructed in our Metro area like DC - perhaps we would be less "truncated" then.

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

The Jets and Giants have a georgraphically immense market. The whole states of NY, NJ, CT?

As for the Ravens: Remember, we didn't have football from 1985-1995. A lot of Colts fans found other teams in that time and are still not Ravens fans(including my father). And also consider that the city of Baltimore isn't as big as any other city you mentioned. Also, the Ravens' grinding defensive game isn't exactly "sexy."

I guess it would be nice if we had tons of government and contractor buildings being constructed in our Metro area like DC - perhaps we would be less "truncated" then.

Actually each state that you mentioned is shared by other teams with the Jets and Giants. South Jersey is Eggles country, geographically (not demographically) most of New York state is part of the Buffalo market (a by product of their run in the early 90s) and geographically most of Connecticut is part of the Patriots market. They actually contemplated building the replacement to old Foxboro Stadium in CT before deciding to build the new Gillette Stadium back in MA.

I'm not sure what you are asserting about Baltimore. I agree with everything you said in your paragraphs. But I am assuming from your tone you somehow take umbrage with my description of the Baltimore fan base and its job market. The Steelers don't have cheerleaders. I don't watch football for "sexy" and I could care less about their defensive style as long as they're stopping offenses (certainly didn't do enough of that last season when Polamalu got hurt). Also Baltimore is currently one of the top job markets in the country and a significant portion of those jobs are in the public sector. Is there something wrong with working for the government or in education? Once again, I don't know where you are going with that.

[dkf747]

Isn't Baltimore a suburb of DC? Okay just kidding. At the time I lived in the Laurel area, most worked towards DC. It always felt more oriented towards DC. Just look at the morning traffic southbound compared to northbound. I doubt that that has changed much.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Steelers10

most of New York state is part of the Buffalo market (a by product of their run in the early 90s)

Going to have to disagree with you here as a guy who grew up mostly in NY. Sparsely populated (by comparison) Western NY likes the bills. Everyone else likes the Giants or Jets. Furthermore, most of the population of CT likes the NY teams as well. That population is in the heavily populated corridor west of the Connecticut river. East of it, where nobody lives, is Pats.

Originally Posted by Steelers10

I'm not sure what you are asserting about Baltimore. ... Also Baltimore is currently one of the top job markets in the country and a significant portion of those jobs are in the public sector. Is there something wrong with working for the government or in education? Once again, I don't know where you are going with that.

From your previous post:

Originally Posted by Steelers10

This is kind of the best indicator of how truncated metro Baltimore has become over the past 40 years or so in comparison to suburban DC

It just seemed a bit condescending the way you expressed your surprise that a Ravens fanbase does not envelop large swaths of the east coast and then tied that into a comparison against a city whose major employers have an endless pot of money. There's nothing wrong with working for the government or in education - it's just hard to keep our metro area "untruncated" when the nearest neighbor has it's hands in bottomless pockets. Perhaps I've just got the old Baltimore chip on my shoulder, but it felt like a potshot.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

And, to answer the OP's question, I think Laurel to be in the Washington commuting area. It's rents are Washington rate. If one works in Baltimore they can live much closer for much cheaper.