MD residents say MD is one of the worst states to live (Baltimore: 2014, schools)

[alfoa]

You can argue all day long, most states have bigger and better of all those things (btw, the farmer's markets absolutely suck/are a complete joke--other than Baltimore's which is passable). Everything you named is done better anywhere other than MD: hiking, universities, theater, public transportation, um-24 hour diners are not unique to MD, history, and "mountain" are you talking about? Again, bigger and better in other states.

You have your opinion, I have mine. But odds are I've lived in more and visited more places than you. Hence a different perspective.

[EricS39]

Originally Posted by alfoa

You can argue all day long, most states have bigger and better of all those things (btw, the farmer's markets absolutely suck/are a complete joke--other than Baltimore's which is passable). Everything you named is done better anywhere other than MD: hiking, universities, theater, public transportation, um-24 hour diners are not unique to MD, history, and "mountain" are you talking about? Again, bigger and better in other states.

You have your opinion, I have mine. But odds are I've lived in more and visited more places than you. Hence a different perspective.

No I've traveled in 46 of the 50 states

Maryland has a historic footprint that distinguishes the state

The West Virginia mountains share a border with western Maryland. Near this is shanendoah natl park which is gorgeous...

Maryland topography "meadows and rolling fields" contrast Virginia's colonial houses and wooded trees and pebble rocks, and West Virginia mountain ridges contrast MD and VA

But near the meeting point of all 3 is Harper's Ferry and it is a hybrid of the topographies of all 3 of the states in one spot

For a really good Maryland hike all you need to do is ride up route 15 towards Gettysburg. It's a nice hike ...really nice actually. Closer to DC is the billygoat trail

It is definitely a more eclectic a state than any state in the Great Plains and certainly more colonial history than you get out west. Less driving distances than the south, more affordable than the northeast, and more diverse than the Midwest.

Also it's easy to drive to the beach in ocean city in summer, or take the kids down to Williamsburg, VA.

Hop a bus for $17.50 each way to New York City

Drive 2 hours to hike in dolly sods, West Virginia if you want more elevation....there's 4,800 feet you can climb. Beyond that you would have to live in Colorado but there you would have no nearby equivalent of DC and NYC.

And west coast you are foregoing the 4 seasons that are picture perfect in Maryland

[slowlane3]

Eric- the piedmont of Virginia has just as many or more, meadows and rolling fields as Maryland - ever been to Middleburg or Charlottesville?- and Virginia I think has more miles of the Appalachian Trail than any other state. Monterey VA is known as "Little Switzerland." You mentioned Maryland's Civil War history -- but Virginia has even more of it.

The VRE commuter rail, with its 2 separate lines, can be compared to the MARC system. Great Falls also has a beautiful public park on the Virginia side. Virginia also has an eastern shore, a maritime museum in Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg (probably the leading restored town in the whole world - many times larger than St. Mary's City) and Busch Gardens (which was voted the prettiest theme park in the USA).

Virginia's universities especially VPI and Liberty U -- but also JMU, MWU, W&M U, attract many students from Maryland. Can't say I've ever heard of a Virginian attending a university in Maryland. Virginia's reservoirs attract many retirees such as Smith Mountain Lake, Lane Anna, Buggs Island/ Lake Gaston which have milder winters than Deep Creek, Maryland.

[EricS39]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

Eric- the piedmont of Virginia has just as many or more, meadows and rolling fields as Maryland - ever been to Middleburg or Charlottesville?- and Virginia I think has more miles of the Appalachian Trail than any other state. Monterey VA is known as "Little Switzerland." You mentioned Maryland's Civil War history -- but Virginia has even more of it.

The VRE commuter rail, with its 2 separate lines, can be compared to the MARC system. Great Falls also has a beautiful public park on the Virginia side. Virginia also has an eastern shore, a maritime museum in Yorktown, Colonial Williamsburg (probably the world's leading restored town) and Busch Gardens (which was voted the prettiest theme park in the USA).

Virginia's universities especially VPI and Liberty U -- but also JMU, MWU, W&M U, attract many students from Maryland. Can't say I've ever heard of a Virginian attending a university in Maryland. Virginia's reservoirs attract many retirees such as Smith Mountain Lake, Lane Anna, Buggs Island/ Lake Gaston.

UMD I'm pretty sure has Virginia transplants out in College Park

The Navy college is in Annapolis as well

Maryland is by far more environmentally friendly a state

Maryland roads are in better shape than Virginia's DC burbs. Maryland wages are more fair to lower income workers.

Maryland doesn't have signs everywhere saying "radar detectors illegal, speed tracked by aircraft in the sky"

Virginia demographic differs considerably from Maryland's. Maryland is more racially diverse than Virginia. Virginia has more tobacco consumption and alcohol consumption than Maryland and hence more drunk driving incidents, and more rightwing politics than Maryland (see National Vanguard in Charlottesville.)

Virginia food isn't as high quality as Maryland. Virginia I feel like a good ham sandwich or a bad one are equally "ham sandwiches".

A Burger King burger or a home grown burger are both adequately called "fine good burgers"

Ice cream made the cheapest possible way is "ice cream"

Virginia chain restaurants outnumber mam and paps way more in Virginia than Maryland. Tyson's corner is just one example. Lots of Pizza Hut expresses, lots of fast food chains, lots of Quiznos and subway, lots of Olive Garden and Apple bees. Also Virginia public transportation shuts down after 5pm most days beyond the DC metro line.

Virginia is part of the south which defines good as price low cost, and Maryland is not this way. The south is price competitive, Maryland sells on organic/ness of a product and appeals to those with money who are environmentally conscious, some lower income who are frugal and don't know they could get more stuff per dollar in Virginia, and more northeast transplants

Virginia is the edge of the south with a freakish city called DC not too far away. Sometimes the locals would rather hang out in Rosslyn which is city enough for their taste. Unless they are gonna walk on the mall or pay tribute on the 4th of July.

Maryland sees DC as one of many megalopolis cities along a path to Baltimore then Phillie then NYC then Boston

And...Maryland is more public transportation friendly. You can take MARC to BWI and can Metro into Reagan Airport....but for Dulles Airport you are at the mercy of a bus that takes well over an hour from Lefante Plaza

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by EricS39

Maryland doesn't have signs everywhere saying "radar detectors illegal, speed tracked by aircraft in the sky"

No, but they do have speed and red light cameras in Maryland.

[Noble Savage]

Wow Somebody drunk MOM's Koolaid. Granted, Md would be better if more of the progressives would move further north.

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

The VRE commuter rail, with its 2 separate lines, can be compared to the MARC system.

Not really since the MARC Penn Line connecting Baltimore to DC also runs on the weekends and other times. Last time I checked the VRE only runs during peak commuter hours.

Originally Posted by alfoa

You can argue all day long, most states have bigger and better of all those things (btw, the farmer's markets absolutely suck/are a complete joke--other than Baltimore's which is passable). Everything you named is done better anywhere other than MD: hiking, universities, theater, public transportation, um-24 hour diners are not unique to MD, history, and "mountain" are you talking about? Again, bigger and better in other states.

You have your opinion, I have mine. But odds are I've lived in more and visited more places than you. Hence a different perspective.

Funny because I have lived in a few places other than Maryland and I have to say that there are very few states that have better public transit than Maryland. Not only is part of the second most used subway system in the nation located in Maryland (the DC Metro) but there are also light rail lines in Baltimore and a commuter rail system that also runs on weekends. If you were to go to cities in the South or the Midwest you would be lucky if your city even had a functioning bus system let alone a decent rail system.

[Noble Savage]

Necessity being the mother of invention. There are jobs in DC, but who actually wants to live nearby?

[e30is]

No surprise.

[CoolZombie]

Every single right winger never shuts their yap about how horrible it is to live in Maryland while sucking at liberal Montgomery County's teat for their largesse, never understood that. Cost of living is high but if Maryland were such a terrible place to live, it wouldnt be growing so much. The survey you posted had Maryland at about average for dissatisfaction too so I think youre trying to promote an agenda.