Things I've come to learn about Maryland

[georgiaredskin]

Having been back for 3 years after being away since 1991 (college, then living in Georgia for over 8 years), there are some interesting things I've come to learn and appreciate (and some not to appreciate) about my home state, that I didn't as a driven, school & swimming-obsessed youngin'. I'll add some more if I think of them, and feel free to add some yourselves.

1. You can find a darn good cheesesteak at pretty much any sub/pizza place around here, and even at the mall.

2. Greek people who own diners/restaurants make delicious food.

3. The Baltimore Tunnel goes underwater. As a fearless kid I knew this but just thought it was "cool".....it didn't freak me out like it does now, when I see the picture on the GPS as you are actually driving underwater. The fear includes "How often do they keep up this tunnel?" or "Could it collapse like the Minneapolis Bridge?" "If it collapses, I could drown or be crushed?" But even more-so, "If it collapses, I'd be around sharks!!"

4. The prevalent potholes in Baltimore (and the outskirts) are deleterious to any vehicle. I guess every big city has them, but this one is unbelievable.

5. Seafood is everywhere. Crab houses. Even in Owings Mills, Frederick, where it isn't close to water. That's cool. I don't eat seafood, but would love it if I did. Just wish I didn't hear that they have had to import crabs from outside the Bay these days. That's just sad.

6. There is an accent here. I used to think that Philly, New York, real yankees like that only had them. But Balt'mer's accent is one of a kind.

7. NFL football rules the area. In the South, college football is the king. They don't have any good NFL team around, so their gods are colleges-sporting them on their cars, playing games on the radios in grocery stores with decorations there, etc. Here it's big time, only, baby. Big city-big team. :helmet: You rarely see people running around in college attire, mostly NFL.

[.Guy.]

8. Maryland drivers are terrible.

[Teller]

8. There is no greater delicacy in the world than the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

Nice thread, Karla. MD is a pretty good place to be, all told.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

8. Maryland drivers are terrible.

[georgiaredskin]

8. Maryland drivers are terrible.

Amen to that! I pray every day I get on the highway to go to work. Another reason I miss the slow South.

8. There is no greater delicacy in the world than the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

Nice thread, Karla. MD is a pretty good place to be, all told.

I can't attest to the first one, but I love looking at the little critters. I just love the Chesapeake Bay, period.

Thanks, Jason. The first 2 on the list had been on my mind a long time, especially #1. I thought, dang, these cheesesteaks are so good. Why do they say Philly has the best ones?!!

[Teller]

Thanks, Jason. The first 2 on the list had been on my mind a long time, especially #1. I thought, dang, these cheesesteaks are so good. Why do they say Philly has the best ones?!!

Y'know it's funny. There's a greek-owned cheesesteak shop that just opened about a year ago, a few miles from my house.

I work with a guy from Philly, and one afternoon, I brought him one for lunch. He told me it was the best he'd ever had.

So yeah, I agree on the greek and the local cheesesteak thing (albeit this one in WV) completely.

Dang.

Now I'm hungry.

[georgiaredskin]

Y'know it's funny. There's a greek-owned cheesesteak shop that just opened about a year ago, a few miles from my house.

I work with a guy from Philly, and one afternoon, I brought him one for lunch. He told me it was the best he'd ever had.

So yeah, I agree on the greek and the local cheesesteak thing (albeit this one in WV) completely.

Dang.

Now I'm hungry.

Awesome. We just got back from that diner "The Broadway Diner" in Baltimore that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network, and man it was deelicious. Greek-owned. Actually I'm going to amend #2 to diners/restaurants b/c 2 weeks ago we went to a restaurant (found out it was greek-owned) and it was absolutely fantastic, not too far from us.

[Bang]

There is more waterfront in Maryland than in any other state. The Chesapeake Bay alone is over 11,000 miles of coastline, of course it dips into Virginia, too.

~Bang

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Really Bang? What defines "waterfront"? Wouldn't a state like CA have more of it?

[georgiaredskin]

There is more waterfront in Maryland than in any other state. The Chesapeake Bay alone is over 11,000 miles of coastline, of course it dips into Virginia, too.

~Bang

That's beautiful.

11. It's centrally located to so many places and things to do: DC, Annapolis, Baltimore, and only about an hour from Virginia-and not much farther to the Redskins!! :helmet: :point2sky

12. Annapolis is one of the most enchanting places to be: the water, the ships/sailboats/yachts, the shops, the restaurants, the history. What a wonderful day we spent there on my birthday.

[dcnativenerd]

13.) Silver Spring rules!

14.) Bal'mer sucks!

...J/K

[TheDoyler23]

MD is the birthplace of Babe Ruth and is the state where The Star Spangled Banner was penned.

[DeanCollins]

Really Bang? What defines "waterfront"? Wouldn't a state like CA have more of it?

exactly! what a ****hole the C-bay is. In a few more years everything in it will be dead including you if you fall in. :laugh:

[bschurm]

Having been back for 3 years after being away since 1991 (college, then living in Georgia for over 8 years), there are some interesting things I've come to learn and appreciate (and some not to appreciate) about my home state,

6. There is an accent here. I used to think that Philly, New York, real yankees like that only had them. But Balt'mer's accent is one of a kind.

7. NFL football rules the area. In the South, college football is the king. They don't have any good NFL team around, so their gods are colleges-sporting them on their cars, playing games on the radios in grocery stores with decorations there, etc. Here it's big time, only, baby. Big city-big team. :helmet: You rarely see people running around in college attire, mostly NFL.

I soon will find myself in a similar situation since I will be returning to MD in 6 months after a 12 year absence perhaps working and going to Grad School in Bal'mer.

8. There is no greater delicacy in the world than the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

If I were placed on Death Row this would be my last meal request!!!

11. It's centrally located to so many places and things to do: DC, Annapolis, Baltimore, and only about an hour from Virginia-and not much farther to the Redskins!! :helmet: :point2sky

12. Annapolis is one of the most enchanting places to be: the water, the ships/sailboats/yachts, the shops, the restaurants, the history. What a wonderful day we spent there on my birthday.

I am soooooo looking forward to having so much near. It will take me the same time to get to NYC as it does to get anywhere from Tallahasse within this state or Atlanta.

There is only one problem and a friend who just moved there for work a few weeks back reminded me about it, it is a blue state. :doh: :laugh:

He referred to it as the People's Republic of Maryland. I thought that was pretty funny.

[MintHillSkinsFan]

Really Bang? What defines "waterfront"? Wouldn't a state like CA have more of it?

Between the Ocean, the Potomac, the Patuxent, the Chesapeake, and all it's other tributaries, that's a helluva lot of waterfront. I would think Florida is close but California has the oceanfront and that's pretty much it.

BTW, I won't even dignify Dean's remark. Especially coming from the cesspoool that is Fla.

[mjah]

I've been trying to find a definitive source for the "most coastline" claim for a long time, and as it turns out, there are as many states claiming "most coastline" as there are ways to measure it.

Some states that claim it:

- Maryland - the Bay with all its crazy contours

- Minnesota - thousands of lakes

- Alaska - thousands of miles of shoreline, plus all those fjords, bays, inlets, the Aleutians, etc.

Obviously Alaska would be first on your list for "most coastline" if you just looked at a map. And in fact, there are sources that claim Alaska has more coastline than the other 49 states combined. I tend to believe that. If you have ever seen the shoreline of Alaska, you'll probably have noticed that it's incredibly convoluted, just like the Bay.

For perspective:

But with that said, it's all about how you measure.

Here's a quick-and-dirty overview of just how difficult a task it is to come up with the "perfect" shoreline measurement. This happens to be a layman's introduction to fractal geometry, but it lays the problem out and describes why it's harder than you would initially think.

[georgiaredskin]

I soon will find myself in a similar situation since I will be returning to MD in 6 months after a 12 year absence perhaps working and going to Grad School in Bal'mer.

I am soooooo looking forward to having so much near. It will take me the same time to get to NYC as it does to get anywhere from Tallahasse within this state or Atlanta.

I TOTALLY know what you mean. Returning to your roots, near the Redskins, is like breathing fresh air all of the time, and something just feels right within. And I don't miss driving 40 minutes on 2 lane roads when there is absolutely NOTHING in between towns or cities. There wasn't even a mall where I lived in South Georgia.

There is only one problem and a friend who just moved there for work a few weeks back reminded me about it, it is a blue state. :doh: :laugh:

He referred to it as the People's Republic of Maryland. I thought that was pretty funny.

I like you. I like you very much. :cool: I wholeheartedly agree!!! And LMAO!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Burgold]

What a nice positive thread. What happened?

14. Marylanders are completely spooked by a forecast of 3 mm of snow.

If there were a local futures market, you could make a mint. I remember returning to Maryland once after a week long business trip. I stopped by the grocery store on the way home. Not a loaf of bread, no meat, no milk,the Giant was almost completely emptied out.

The forecast... possible flurries ending at noon. I kid you not.

[GoSkins561]

exactly! what a ****hole the C-bay is. In a few more years everything in it will be dead including you if you fall in. :laugh:

What are you talking about, the bay is alive and well, the problem is, it is over crabbed or underfished depending on who you talk to.

I love how people outside the area talk about something they know nothing about. Not trying to be rude, but there are tons of great spots to swim, fish, boat, watch wildlife, etc etc.

[GoSkins561]

Georgia,

If you ever go to Harford Road, you should visit Canellas, IMO they make the best Italian CC in Baltimore.

[Burgold]

Blue crabs = Blue state. What's so hard to figure out. Blue = liberal. Crab = state of being. We're a bunch of crabby libs.

[Riggo-toni]

Things I realize when I leave Jersey to come back to visit MD.

1. I have to pump my own gas.

2. I need to be in the left lane instead of the right to make a left or a U-turn.

3. Nobody knows what a MAC machine is. I have to remember to say ATM instead.

4. I can't believe how low property taxes are...of course, I say that everywhere I go these days. My parent's house in Montgomery County was worth almost double mine, and they paid less than half of what i do in property taxes. Don't you guys have any mafia siphoning off the local gov't revenue...

[mjah]

Things I realize when I leave Jersey to come back to visit MD.

1. I have to pump my own gas.

2. I need to be in the left lane instead of the right to make a left or a U-turn.

3. Nobody knows what a MAC machine is. I have to remember to say ATM instead.

4. I can't believe how low property taxes are...of course, I say that everywhere I go these days. My parent's house in Montgomery County was worth almost double mine, and they paid less than half of what i do in property taxes. Don't you guys have any mafia siphoning off the local gov't revenue...

:laugh:

Some thoughts...

1a. If you can wipe your own butt, you can pump your own gas. I'm amazed that Jersey hasn't yet found a way to force homeowners to employ a local doof to sit in their bathrooms with a dank nasty washcloth, just waiting...

1b. Forcing all gas to be full-serve is idiotic. It just breeds a bunch of moron drivers who don't know how to function when they leave the state. It offers no safety benefit whatsoever, and it contributes to huge waiting times at peak driving hours when you have 8 pumps, a queue 3 cars deep at each pump, and maybe 2 idiots loafing around slowly pumping everyone's gas. It's ridiculous and pointless, except to inconvenience us all while employing the shiftless.

2. The New Jersey Left is an interesting phenomenon. It makes sense in ultra-busy thoroughfares that probably should have been improved into larger roads with proper left hand turn lanes, but haven't been. If the whole country made left turns like that, it would be a good idea for Jersey to do it IMO. But by and large, the Jersey Left is a relative rarity in other states vs. normal lefts. Again, another Jerseyism that makes it all the more difficult for Jersey drivers to drive successfully in any other state.

3. ATM vs. MAC seems to be a regional thing. When I hear someone say "MAC" to refer to an ATM, I also expect them to try to buy a "pop" instead of a soda, and have lots of great (boring) stories to tell about growing up in Graaaand Raaaaaapids. I didn't know "MAC" was in Jersey, though, as my family there all say ATM.

4. Serves folks right for living in New Jersey. I can't imagine where all that money goes, but the property taxes are beyond belief. Maybe it pays for all those carny gas pumpers.

[Corcaigh]

What a nice positive thread. What happened?

15. Virginia is only a very short drive away.

Scratch that.

15. The simple pleasure of taking White's Ferry across the Potomac and then biking along the C&O Canal path with the kids.

[zoony]

There is more waterfront in Maryland than in any other state. The Chesapeake Bay alone is over 11,000 miles of coastline, of course it dips into Virginia, too.

~Bang

Alaska