Any Midwesterners who moved to Maryland agree the people have a "rough edge"? (Baltimore: home, neighborhoods)

[oncesir]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

oncesir, how's the quality of medical care on the eastern shore? Are the hospitals good, or must one cross the Bay to obtain specialized advice/care?

IMHO its hit or miss. Ive had family members require med attention(fractured wrist) and the local hospital x-rayed the incorrect arm. Then, on the flipside, I've had decent treatment myself. I will say though, overall I dont trust the local workforce here. If they are anything like the local ppl I work with(no pride, self absorbed, no motivation and lacking courtesy) I'm just waiting for it to be my turn to be someones mistake.

[federline]

Originally Posted by Dingler

When I moved out to the DC area the first place I lived was Germantown MD. At the time it was a quiet suburban town that was mostly white. Now it is rapidly growing and mostly immigrants. I go over to Maryland all the time and have one major observation--- most of the people I meet in Maryland are "rough around the edges" They just seem to have an edge to them. A bit like the people in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.

It is hard to put in words, but there is a sharpness, abruptness, coldness and impatience that seems quite common among many of the people in Maryland. I wonder if anyone else who has moved to Maryland from the Midwest have noticed this also.

I know that many people who live in suburban Maryland are transplants but I believe many are from the urban Northeastern United States and bring their "edge" with them just like they did in Southern Florida. Others who are from more gentle places in the country adapt to the Maryland culture.

Wow, who dredged up this two year old thread? Sure got people going again. But what the hey, I have a perspective someone might find useful out there. This is purely my personal empirical take on it.

I was born in Bethesda (inside beltway), had other family there (inside beltway) and in Germantown (northwest toward Frederick), and grew up in Calvert County (south). In adolescence, I was moved to rural Minnesota, then went to college and lived in Minneapolis, and then moved to rural area and commute to the Twin Cities metro. I've been back to visit all of these parts of Maryland four times in the past decade.

Does a midwesterner detect a "rough edge" in Maryland? I would hazard a guess: Overall, an absolute "yes".

It wasn't until the past 5 years or so that I finally accepted that I was a Marylander marooned in the great white north. I always thought folks in the upper midwest needed to talk about things more - say anything! And therein is the diff - right-coasters of the middle Atlantic persuasion and northerly talk about whats on their mind all the time, and don't mince words. Whether you are in the E.S. and "moving slow" with the "good ol boy network", people are talking about what they think. Same goes for Southern MD bemoaning the Route 4 traffic and transformation of southern resort areas into DC's bedroom. Same goes for Montgomery County and how they are going to entice more fast-wheeling corporations to land there and add more police officers. Everywhere, people talk what they think and hash it out, and do it out loud. Most MD'ers don't have to think "should I get engaged with this?", they assume they already are and go from there.

The Midwest is much more repressive in nature, and hearing everyone talking about everything and how they see it can be shocking if you aren't used to it. It's a lot of views to reconcile - and a midwesterner has to reconcile everything they hear! ;-) It is not like this everywhere in MN, but in the rural parts, exaggerating to make a point: - 'We don't talk about what's bad or good, really, because that would be unfair to the other side and just cause trouble. Nod and smile and go on your way and get back to work and family. Select a couple real close friends that share your views and confide in them, and move on until the status quo magically changes, then call those friends up again to see if they still think like you.' In the Twin Cities metro, it comes out as poor driving when it comes to real-time traffic negotiation, non-communicative corporate headquarters, and black-and-white politics. Having to talk and size-up and negotiate up here is BAD! ;-) Midwesterners tend to assume they are NOT engaged in a dialogue until they agree that they are.

Put another way: Culture here in MN tends to believe that "life is naturally good enough if you just work hard and believe it to be good - and ignore the bad parts." (Like the frigid winters!) Culture in MD, at least southern MD, tends to assume that "life is good enough because I make sure it is good, go ahead and try and get me to do it different, I'll listen, but my way is working already. Go ahead, tell me."

Having split my life between the two, what would I choose? Probably MD. The midwest culture of silence and bottled-up so-called "tolerance" until personally necessary to do otherwise, frustrates me on a daily basis. People up-here are visibly whip-lashed when I cut to the chase, even tho they will acknowledge that it was the right conversation to have when we're done. They usually just didn't want to be dragged into reconciliation, rationalization and negotiation of something better than they have today ("because what we have is fine", see above). They want it all proven and wrapped up in a successful little package before they will consider discussing it. In MD, you ask about what you want to know, and you respond to queries with how you want the other to feel about it - and then you go from there, but at least you know where you stand from the get-go. I find that relaxing, and I find the midwest way rather stressful.

[motoreater]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

It has a lot to do with the Yankees coming here. And FYI Germantown is much more pleasant compared to Potomac and Bethesda.

I've noticed a ghetto mentality in Germantown, especially among the illegals and recent people from inner city DC but that's not the snobbiness and arrogance of lower Montgomery County. Some of the immigrants there are better than the Yankees and easier to deal with.

Can anyone point me to a true "ghetto" in this state? I don't mean a neighborhood that isn't brand new and full of McMansions, God knows there are several of those around, but a real "ghetto".
If you've never been to one you don't know what "ghetto" means.

[InvaderBryce]

Originally Posted by motoreater

Can anyone point me to a true "ghetto" in this state? I don't mean a neighborhood that isn't brand new and full of McMansions, God knows there are several of those around, but a real "ghetto".
If you've never been to one you don't know what "ghetto" means.

You know damn well, Tom has NEVER been to a real ghetto. I mean if he thinks Germantown is the ghetto, then he's really as clueless as I think he is.

If Tom were to ever step foot in either the Lower Ninth Ward, SE DC/Anacostia, West Baltimore, East St. Louis, South Philly or Compton, he wouldn't last 5 seconds.

[sbyman]

come to Salisbury, we're very nice down here

[andrew_s]

Maryland is a precarious place. I felt at home in many places, but moved 20mins away to Columbia and am now stuck in a HUGE culture shock. Lots of transplants here to "rub you the wrong way", just as Im sure I rub them the wrong way.

[Richard Martin]

The "edge" that you detect is a get it done attitude. I live in NC now and the slower pace here in NC can be very irritating. When I sold my first house here, my real estate agent said I got things done the fastest she had ever seen it. She was referring to the fact that I had to get a structural problem fixed in the house. She was going to recommend someone and when she called me to tell me when he'd be at the house to give me a price, I told her the job would be done by then. That freaked her out.

[oncesir]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

The "edge" that you detect is a get it done attitude. I live in NC now and the slower pace here in NC can be very irritating. When I sold my first house here, my real estate agent said I got things done the fastest she had ever seen it. She was referring to the fact that I had to get a structural problem fixed in the house. She was going to recommend someone and when she called me to tell me when he'd be at the house to give me a price, I told her the job would be done by then. That freaked her out.

Its funny reading this thread. I was raised in the midwest (St. Louis) and the "edge" there was just how Richard describes it. Things got done, problems were dealt with and the general public had a good amount of integrity to abide by rules that were set. Here on the shore (Delmarva/Salisbury area) its THE EXACT OPPOSITE. Most of the population that were raised here have no work ethic and are more interested in gossiping than doing work. The same problems happen daily, no discussion, no teamwork, just rebuttal that you are negative and a miserable individual when you bring these subjects up. I think the worst part is that most of the issues are easily solved problems but most people here just dont care. If you want nearly anything done here be ready to be inconvenienced or frustrated. Nearly everyone is on their own time and most just don't seem to care. Nearly 8 years of living here and the area as a whole is very overrated.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Yeah I have to admit the burbs area, such as Montgomery County, is a whole lot different than the midwest, or up here in Mt. Airy. Having grown up in Bethesda I never really noticed it until we moved out to the semi-country. A few weeks ago I was in Rockville helping a friend move. I had 2 dogs in my truck and a neighbor was walking a golden retriever. I made eye contact with him several times and he blew me off, not at all interested in conversing despite us both being dog owners. That just would not happen up here.

[molukai]

Midwesterners are not repressive. I also don't think they are reserved, which is the word I think is what you originally meant to say, federline.

Personally, my feelings about Marylanders in the DC capital region is about the same as anyone else in the DC capital region, and it isn't a very positive one. The 'rough' edge comes from the stresses of living in this environment, which makes people want to rush to get things done even if it is not done right. But mostimportantly, I find people in this area as generally rude, which I also attribute to the environment.