Is it true Maryland has no identity or basically any culture? (Baltimore: live, eat)

[ktaadin]

I would agree with those who say Maryland has a pretty weak state-level identity. Certainly compared with Texas, Colorado, Vermont, Maine, and Virginia for some counterexamples. This isn't to say those states don't have regional variation as well, but there is a pretty distinct sense of state unity and pride.

Maryland has distinct regional identities: the eastern shore (which includes most of Delaware--the state line is pretty irrelevant), southern Maryland, the Baltimore area, the DC area, western Maryland (which I agree is pretty similar to W.VA and western PA--it's part of the broader appalachia region.) Does Maryland have much of a unifying identity or culture? No, not really. But the individual areas I mentioned do.

[marlinfshr]

How does MD not have an identity? A culture? True, the suburbs in central MD could be anywhere USA but every state has that around it's major cities. How about that little estuary that cuts the state in half. The Chesapeake is a big part of the states identity and it covers the eastern shore, southern MD, Annapolis and even Baltimore. Speaking of Baltimore, it has an identity all it's own as a MD city. And how about our way of cooking/eating crabs? That's pure MD though it bleeds over into our direct coastal neighbors.

[tcave360]

Originally Posted by marlinfshr

How does MD not have an identity? A culture? True, the suburbs in central MD could be anywhere USA but every state has that around it's major cities. How about that little estuary that cuts the state in half. The Chesapeake is a big part of the states identity and it covers the eastern shore, southern MD, Annapolis and even Baltimore. Speaking of Baltimore, it has an identity all it's own as a MD city. And how about our way of cooking/eating crabs? That's pure MD though it bleeds over into our direct coastal neighbors.

Okay, I'm getting real sick and tired of people claiming that much of Central Maryland could be "Anywhere USA". I could do a lengthy rebuttal but I (along with several others) have practically posted several times on this exact thread on how that's not necessarily the case.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by tcave360

Okay, I'm getting real sick and tired of people claiming that much of Central Maryland could be "Anywhere USA". I could do a lengthy rebuttal but I (along with several others) have practically posted several times on this exact thread on how that's not necessarily the case.

It seems that many people on this forum have yet to learn how to use google. Either that or they don't care to find out the truth about places which they already have preconceived notions about.

They'd rather have other people do their homework for them, and then they will go on to ignore everything those other people have to say. lol. Oh well, I guess that's life.

[tcave360]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

It seems that many people on this forum have yet to learn how to use google. Either that or they don't care to find out the truth about places which they already have preconceived notions about.

They'd rather have other people do their homework for them, and then they will go on to ignore everything those other people have to say. lol. Oh well, I guess that's life.

Rep. Tell me about it lol. It wouldn't kill them to do at least that and actually make an effort to check out some of the more distinct and multi-faceted cities/towns/incorporated places/census-designated places that can be found in Howard County, Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County, and Prince George's County. Simply driving through them does not mean you have "visited".

Oh look!! The Eastern Shore looks oh so similar to South Jersey, Delaware, northeastern/coastal North Carolina, and its counterpart in Virginia.....Guess that means the Eastern Shore doesn't have an identity after all

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by marlinfshr

True, the suburbs in central MD could be anywhere USA but every state has that around it's major cities.

That's not really true.

What distinguishes, say, Boston's suburbs from much of Central MD is that (1) many of the Whites living in its suburbs are native to the central city and transplanted the city's culture to the suburbs and (2) many of the towns surrounding the central city are nearly as old as the city itself and naturally share many of the cultural attributes of the city. Therefore, the identity of the city and the region are practically one in the same. By contrast, most of the whites in DC's Maryland suburbs come from some place outside of the region and have little to no connection to the central city aside from a job and entertainment.

This does exist with Prince George's (many of the Blacks there grew up in DC and have parents, grandparents, uncles, etc. in the city). However, the Black identity in the area is wholly separate and apart from the region as a whole as even many Whites in the area really don't know much about it.

[AeroGuyDC]

My takeaway from this thread? That there are a heck of a lot of small-world, narrow view Marylander's that need to get the hell out of the State to see what Maryland is actually missing in the way of culture! Sure, there's culture in MD...but that's not saying much when compared to other states and cities within states that blow MD out of the water when it comes to an established cultural vibe. Yeah, you can get a crab cake in MD. Whoopee Doo! You can get one up and down the entire east coast, west coast, Alaska, and beyond! Sure, you can hang out on the beach, or in the "mountains," but there are an abundance of States that offer that too...east or west coast! So what's special about the culture in those places? Nothing...because it barely exists as a cohesive culture in the first place!

Personally, I believe the growth of big government in DC has effectively gutted this state of any meaningful culture or identity it once had. Mindless liberal drones driving around in their BMW's and sipping latte's and paying for private school for their kids. Whoopee Doo! So what? That's nothing to be impressed with!

Can anyone say for sure when's the last time they ate a crab cake that actually came from MD crab?! I bet none of you can....just as most of you probably don't know that MD doesn't supply much crab these days relative to the past! So right there.....fishing and crabbing...is one such example of a culture effectively decimated!

So what's left? Baltimore? LOL OK, Baltimore does have a gritty, working class culture. Nothing wrong with that. Most of it a holdover of days gone by because industry has all but disappeared. Those steel mills promoted a culture.....and they're gone. Those shipyards promoted a culture.....but they're gone. But by golly....there's an aquarium and a Hooters!

But outside of Baltimore, what else is there to really be so rabidly defensive of when it comes to MD culture? Nothing that I can see....unless the scope and scale of your definition of "culture" is miserably narrow!

[hobbesdj]

Lol, I thought I had seen it all. BajanYankee what exactly is it that led you develop such a deep-seated inferiority complex vis-à-vis Maryland? I've never seen you make a comment about Maryland that didn't strongly reek of envy.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

My takeaway from this thread? That there are a heck of a lot of small-world, narrow view Marylander's that need to get the hell out of the State to see what Maryland is actually missing in the way of culture! Sure, there's culture in MD...but that's not saying much when compared to other states and cities within states that blow MD out of the water when it comes to an established cultural vibe. Yeah, you can get a crab cake in MD. Whoopee Doo! You can get one up and down the entire east coast, west coast, Alaska, and beyond! Sure, you can hang out on the beach, or in the "mountains," but there are an abundance of States that offer that too...east or west coast! So what's special about the culture in those places? Nothing...because it barely exists as a cohesive culture in the first place!

Personally, I believe the growth of big government in DC has effectively gutted this state of any meaningful culture or identity it once had. Mindless liberal drones driving around in their BMW's and sipping latte's and paying for private school for their kids. Whoopee Doo! So what? That's nothing to be impressed with!

Can anyone say for sure when's the last time they ate a crab cake that actually came from MD crab?! I bet none of you can....just as most of you probably don't know that MD doesn't supply much crab these days relative to the past! So right there.....fishing and crabbing...is one such example of a culture effectively decimated!

So what's left? Baltimore? LOL OK, Baltimore does have a gritty, working class culture. Nothing wrong with that. Most of it a holdover of days gone by because industry has all but disappeared. Those steel mills promoted a culture.....and they're gone. Those shipyards promoted a culture.....but they're gone. But by golly....there's an aquarium and a Hooters!

But outside of Baltimore, what else is there to really be so rabidly defensive of when it comes to MD culture? Nothing that I can see....unless the scope and scale of your definition of "culture" is miserably narrow!

Incredible.

[Deluusions]

Originally Posted by hobbesdj

Lol, I thought I had seen it all. BajanYankee what exactly is it that led you develop such a deep-seated inferiority complex vis-à-vis Maryland? I've never seen you make a comment about Maryland that didn't strongly reek of envy.

He made a thread in the city vs. City forum because of this thread. That epically failed, he literally got bashed by almost every poster. Even posters from outside the DMV were like "so is this the typical "BJ". I guess he has a nickname now, he has definitely made a negative name for himself on city-data.