Baltimore vs Bethesda: Which is the true main city of the state? (Columbia: theater, school)

[HurricaneDC]

Originally Posted by santafe400

I can't seem to find a flight that goes from LAX-Bethesda, but I can find one that goes to Baltimore. I think that answers the original question.

Random, but the other day in my transportation class I learned that the government subsidizes several air routes that serve small towns. One of these is a flight from freakin' Hagerstown to Baltimore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_Air_Service

[DaveinMtAiry]

I grew up and stil work in Bethesda. I'm voting Baltimore and it's not even close. Baltimore is a city, Bethesda is a burb.

[InvaderBryce]

Is this a trick question?

[Mr Beco]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

Bethesda isn't a city and neither is Columbia. The second largest city in Maryland is Frederick, and it is an order of magnitude smaller than Baltimore so there is no competition as to what the main city in Maryland is

According to his website, they're calling them cities

and this--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Largest_cities_of_Maryland

and this....http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_t...es_in_Maryland

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by Barry Rock

According to his website, they're calling them cities


and this--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Largest_cities_of_Maryland

and this....What are the five largest cities in Maryland

No city limits. No mayors. Not cities in the way Maryland defines them. We don't have very many incorporated areas. Many large population centers in Maryland are like Bethesda, non-incorporated geographic concepts deliniated by opinion, postal zip codes, or not really defined at all. This is another reason why it is better to think county level when considering which communities are most powerful in the state.

[KodeBlue]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

No city limits. No mayors. Not cities in the way Maryland defines them. We don't have very many incorporated areas. Many large population centers in Maryland are like Bethesda, non-incorporated geographic concepts deliniated by opinion, postal zip codes, or not really defined at all. This is another reason why it is better to think county level when considering which communities are most powerful in the state.

Baltimore and Howard counties are the only ones with no incorporated municipalities.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by KodeBlue

Baltimore and Howard counties are the only ones with no incorporated municipalities.

Yup, over 1,000,000 people living in a mostly dense urban/surburban area without a single incorporated area.

Here are all of Maryland's incorporated municipalities.

Maryland Towns & Cities - Municipalities (by name)

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Yup, over 1,000,000 people living in a mostly dense urban/surburban area without a single incorporated area.

I have always thought that was bizarre. It seems to work for them though.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

I have always thought that was bizarre. It seems to work for them though.

Remember Maryland is a Southern (no one start) state and was organized along County lines with small incorporated towns (if any, most "towns" in MD aren't incorporated) and developed a plantation style of government with each level deferring to the one above it.

Counties in MD absolutely hate municipalities. They dilute the power of the County government and, more importantly, take tax revenue away from the Counties through the Tax Differential. As a result it's incredibly difficult to incorporate a municipality in the State. Even annexation (something else Counties hate) was made more difficult a few years ago.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Remember Maryland is a Southern (no one start) state and was organized along County lines with small incorporated towns (if any, most "towns" in MD aren't incorporated) and developed a plantation style of government with each level deferring to the one above it.

What does Southern have to do with it? I live in NC and we have incorporated towns all over the place. It seems like if you get 2 houses next to one another, you have a town. The smallest incorporated town we have here only has a few hundred people in it. They have taxes and have 1 police officer. There are no tax differentials here. You pay full county rate regardless of where you live.