Is Maryland part of the northeastern or southeastern U.S. culturally? (Baltimore: homes, college)

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by InchingWest

"Is Maryland part of the northeastern or southeastern U.S. culturally?"

BOTH!!!

Why don't people consider 3rd options these days? No wonder this country is in such a mess. What, there are only two choices, forever and ever? Left and Right? Pure socialism or pure capitalism? No thanks to either. New England or the Deep South are my only choices? Might as well move to Canada then.

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Anne Arundel, Howard and Calvert counties are probably the most Maryland-ish. Maybe I'm biased since I'm local to the Annapolis area, but given that the state capitol is here it has it's own pull.

The Eastern Shore from Kent down to Dorchester has a lot in common with Delaware.

The counties most like Virginia would be St. Mary's (western shore) and Wicomico, Worcester, and Salisbury (eastern shore). It's easy to forget sometimes just how southern these are in terms of way of life and weather.

Baltimore is it's own animal, the good parts and the bad parts.

Garret, Allegeny, Washington & Frederick which border West Virginia draw some influence from that state, but also from Southwestern PA which is hilly and rural as well.

The northern counties from Carroll over to Cecil are a bit like south-central PA rolling farmlands and horse country.

Montgomery, PG & Charles might as well be annexed to DC. Only their outer fringes (from DC perspective) retain strong Marylander cultures in line with the first three listed above.

Garrett and Allegany

Frederick County does not border WV, although it comes pretty close.

[North Beach Person]

[GiGi603]

We are a mid atlantic state.

[NW4me]

Well, I lived in MD for five years (DC 'burbs, then Baltimore area) and I say it's part of the NORTHeast.... predominantly urban in population, politically as blue as any other northeastern state (though even MA elected a GOP governor, remember him?). Baltimore resembles Philly, NY or Boston: an old city founded on manufacturing and trade, with distinct ethnic neighborhoods (Greek, Italian, Jewish, etc.). I also visited the Eastern Shore quite a bit in those days (best friend was born & raised there), and I wouldn't describe it as "southern" in feel either -- "rural northeast" is how I'd describe it.

[Infinite_heights77]

Thank You!

Originally Posted by NW4me

Well, I lived in MD for five years (DC 'burbs, then Baltimore area) and I say it's part of the NORTHeast.... predominantly urban in population, politically as blue as any other northeastern state (though even MA elected a GOP governor, remember him?). Baltimore resembles Philly, NY or Boston: an old city founded on manufacturing and trade, with distinct ethnic neighborhoods (Greek, Italian, Jewish, etc.). I also visited the Eastern Shore quite a bit in those days (best friend was born & raised there), and I wouldn't describe it as "southern" in feel either -- "rural northeast" is how I'd describe it.

[Infinite_heights77]

Baltimore is Camden, New Jersey on steroids!!! I have family and friends in southern New Jersey and they are country as hell compared to the rest of the state.

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Northerners see MD as Southern, Southerners see MD as Northern.

It varies on the area. The DC suburbs and Baltimore are more like the Northeast. Really, it's Mid-Atlantic. It's got a lot in common with NJ, really, especially southern NJ.

[KeyserSoze]

Not this again, right? I guess it's something that being a Marylander or part of the Maryland Forum here is about, lol.

I'd say that it's most likely a bit of both. The parts of the state that strike me as Northeastern culturally would arguably be Baltimore and parts of Western Maryland, but those are debatable. The more I think about it the more I think that Baltimore is truly it's own Maryland-style thing, considering that it has both Northeastern and Southeastern cultural traits. You could say the same about Western Maryland, since I've seen some consider it Northern and/or Southern Appalachia. Northern Maryland draws influence from South Central PA, but even then South Central PA has cultural traits that Northern Maryland doesn't have, and I don't know if South Central PA itself is considered Northeastern culturally.

Central Maryland is dubious. In the Baltimore area, the suburbanized areas don't necessarily strike me as either North or South, and the rural/exurban areas feel the same way. Historically Southern, yes, but in modern times they feel more "Maryland" than anything else (which is perhaps a slight influence of both without feeling like either). But I've always gotten a light Southern feel in the DC area (and in the areas south of Annapolis in AA County) -- even in its close-in suburbs.

I'm interested in hearing how the Eastern Shore would be part of the rural Northeast, considering that myself and many others would most likely place it in the rural Tidewater South for a number of reasons.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Northerners see MD as Southern, Southerners see MD as Northern.

It varies on the area. The DC suburbs and Baltimore are more like the Northeast. Really, it's Mid-Atlantic. It's got a lot in common with NJ, really, especially southern NJ.

As a Midwesterner, I always associated Maryland with the north, particularly because of Baltimore.

[KodeBlue]

My GF, who's a Georgia native says Maryland is nothing like the south. I personally think that there is a big difference between Maryland and anything from Richmond south.

[North Beach Person]

If y'all look the poll numbers are as screwy as the ad infinitum "North or South?" threads.

22 voters.

14 North 63.64%

11 South 50.00%