Baltimore vs DC: Do they actually compare?
The 5:20PM Express train out of Union Station is a breath of fresh air for me for two main reasons: One, I usually get handed a beer when I board the train and take my usual place, and two, it’s getting me out of DC and home to Baltimore.
I wasn’t born in B-More, but I think I have finally been someplace long enough to call it home. As a victim of constant transfers, I often longed to call a place home. For years, I would declare that I wasn’t really “from anywhere” because I had spent the better part of my youth moving to different places up and down the east coast. In 1989, I ended up in the Baltimore area. I’ve been here ever since. 18 years is a long time in one place and it is also time for me to call B-more home, hon.
I now spend a vast majority of my time commuting between two “rival” cities, Washington DC and it’s working class counterpart, Baltimore. Living in two cities can make for interesting conversations. I’ve done the commute from Baltimore city to DC for the last 5 1/2 years and can say with a degree of confidence that no one can compare the two cities. They are two different places that serve different purposes.
DC, first and foremost is a transient town. You would be hard pressed to find people who have actually grown up in DC. It’s a town where resumes are built and maintained after moving to one of the many uppity suburban neighborhoods. The usual attire is the dark suit with the contrasting red tie for men, the dark suit with the white blouse for women. The town is always filled with eager young graduates interning to fatten their resumes and their hardened counterparts who vow this is their last year working in the town. The lifers who have worked in DC forever have a look to them that says, “One in five of you young people will survive this town” They are mostly correct about that assertion. Many of the people who come to DC end up leaving it after a certain amount of time.
Because of its transient nature, DC simply has no character. The restaurants are either part of a mega chain designed to attract tourists and the other ones are trendy bistros or fusion style places that cater to the melting pot of over privileged grads and seasoned lobbyists eager to impress their clients and friends. There are no watering holes packed with colorful characters, few well known eateries famous for comfort cuisine that heats up better the next day and few–if any–dive bars. Even the Black Cat shed its dive bar status some years ago for a better, more upscale hipster image. That almost made me cry.
When asked about Baltimore, DC people will often smile nicely and declare that they’ve been to the “Inner Harbor” once while attending an Orioles game. (usually when the Yankees play, too.) I roll my eyes when I hear the standard response, especially after getting strange looks and scathing remarks for actually having the nerve to live in Baltimore. They simply just don’t get it. For lack of a better phrase, they aren’t in on it.
Baltimore is a blue collar town. It bleeds blue collar attitude and doesn’t apologize for it. Take a ride on s city bus during rush hour and you’ll be confronted with Baltimore’s most interesting citizens. The hardened construction workers, the nurses who work at the many area hospitals, the city government admins, the fast food employees. Occasionally, you’ll sit across from a rough looking individual who will tell you her life story about when she once worked on the block. You would have to hear it yourself, it’s wayyy to hard for me to regurgitate on a blog. These are the people that make up the town, though. They will sit on the porches and crack a beer with you. They will tell you about how much the neighborhood has changed, but how they’re glad some new families have moved in.
And the Character–Well, The neighborhood bar. The best thing since sliced bread, IMHO. How can you not like walking into a bar and immediately seeing several familiar faces and getting at least four hugs? The bartender doesn’t even ask what you want to drink; it’s already poured and waiting. The neighborhood bar serves several purposes: Meeting place, political discourse arena, gossip hole, a place to watch The O’s lose and the Ravens win. If you’re really lucky, one of the well known neighborhood people might drop by. You would know him if you saw him.
While Baltimore is starting to get its fair share of upscale chain restaurants, it does have some great places for good mamma style comfort food. Take Lenny’s for instance: Open at 7am so you can get yourself a greasy pastrami sandwich that will cure any hangover in a matter of minutes. Are you looking for vegan entrees that will go against your view of what a “vegan” dish might be (and even taste)? Try the Yabba pot. Want to take out of town people to a really interesting place with some pretty awesome food? Take them to the Paper Moon Diner for some great dishes and interesting atmosphere 24 hours a day, too. In short, there are numbers of small establishments that will overshadow some of the largest chains and trendy spots that DC has to offer simply by serving good food with decent service.
Sure, Baltimore even has its professionals, although you would never know it. Walk into my corner bar and order a beer, chances are you’ll be sitting next to a doctor or a lawyer. Maybe a seasoned IT professional or two some theater people and a few managers and other professionals. We all sit with the construction workers, the waiters and the unemployed in harmony. There are no suits manically typing away at their blackberrys asking the age ole DC question: “What do you do?”
I firmly believe that DC and Baltimore cannot be compared since they are two different cities. DC serve a purpose to many Baltimore dwellers: a place to get paid more. Some of us slag ourselves to work everyday via the MARC train because we KNOW that we get paid more in DC then in Baltimore, but we simply cannot put up with the lifestyle in DC enough to live there. The next time a DCist type starts with the whole “Oh, I’ve been to the inner harbor…” line stop them and invite them to your corner bar like I did once. Now he’s a convert. heh.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:10 pm
“If you’re really lucky, one of the well known neighborhood people might drop by. You would know him if you saw him.”?
Leroy?
Everybody’s brother from another mother?
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:43 am
Of course!
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:57 am
So, so true. A longtime friend who lives in Baltimore called DC “the closest far away place he could think of”. They are different planets.
I live in DC, but when I go to Baltimore, I can literally feel my body relax. And, alas, the opposite when I return to my self important
“home”.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:50 am
THANK YOU!. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. It’s amazing how two cities so close together are like night and day. Baltimore, while it has it’s myriad of problems still has a down to earth charm the DC will never ever touch. People there for the most part don’t define themselves by the jobs what they do, but who they are and frankly, they could give a rat’s ass if you are a lobbyist or whatever. All that matters is that you have a good time, leave work at the office and kick back and enjoy.
May 23rd, 2007 at 7:53 am
I agree that in many ways, Baltimore overall is a more “real” city than DC. This is what I have felt when I have visited (beyond the Inner Harbor). But like many commuters you only see one side of DC. The “other” DC is made up of the folks who live in the neighborhoods, who have lived here for more than a couple years, who don’t work for the gov’t and who don’t wear suits. I have a neighborhood bar where I get served my drink without asking and I alway recognize a few faces. Maybe no hugs, but hey. Anyhow, for people who make their home in DC, we find it does have a character in its own way. I would just ask that DC not be judged solely on the Capitol Hill - K Street - Georgetown axis.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:08 am
[…] post at Holy Buck, Fatman addresses the differences between D.C. and Baltimore, despite the close geographic proximity of the […]
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:15 am
With so much development recently and in the near future in Fells/Federal Hill/Inner Harbor areas Baltimore may losing some of its blue collar charm soon. Hopefully not.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:17 am
Interestingly, I’ve had a few DCer’s living within the district complain they haven’t found that character. Perhaps they haven’t found the right neighborhoods. However, when I have hung out in DC beyond K street, the Hill and G-town, I still have not found the friendly nature you speak of. I believe that it exists, but I have yet to experience it. Believe me, I would be more then willing to give it a try. I would love nothing more then to find a place to hang out with friends from noVA in DC without having to deal with the transient crowd.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:30 am
Eric–I can address the development, considering that I am a resident of Fells Point. The FPDC has plans to redevelop many of the empty store fronts on upper broadway. While some may say that it is a “selling out” move, I disagree. I am one of those “yuppies” many of the people who happen to be MY AGE will complain about. I pretty much tell them to grow up and present alternative plans to what is already in the works. many people have reloacted to Fells and they are willing to spend some $$. Bringing in some chain retail and mixing it with the smaller businesses isn’t a bad thing. It attracts more people to the possibilty of living in the city and will provide residents with the convience of shopping within city limits. I despise the suburbs and since gas prices are so high with no end in sight, I want to shop in my community and have the option of a boutique or a chain. Chains are here to stay and we have to accept that. However, we need to strike a positive balance.
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 am
DC sidewalker..With respect, I have also yet to find that “character” in DC you speak of. I think the other reason for the lack thereof is the distrust and animosty between the locals here and “outsiders”. Too many people here have these walls around them and it doesn’t make way for a hospitable and down to earth astmosphere.
Don’t get me wrong..there is a lot to do here in DC, but to me, it’s just not home.
As for Baltimore losing it’s blue collar identity..It will never happen.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:32 am
I moved from Pittsburgh to DC five years ago, mostly because driving a cab wasn’t going to pay the bills. White-collar work in DC pays the bills and then some.
Substituting Pittsburgh for Baltimore, your post pretty much sums up how I feel like most times in DC.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:07 am
Well, maybe we each have different definition of character. Perhaps the character of DC is precisely in that building of walls to keep away outsiders. Partly because us natives have to defend our territory against the transients and partly because we have to defend against the sort of second-class city reputation that DC has among other east coast cities.
Incidentally, what’s the train where they hand you a beer when you board???
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
Baltimore is really cool, and yes seems much friendlier in general than DC (just an outsider’s observations). I just discovered the American Visionary Art Museum the last time I was there.
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:37 am
SunChaser: Mister Fatman and I were Married at AVAM! We rented the Museuem for an hour, had our reception at the now closed Joy America cafe (Greeeaaat food) and got married in the garden right outside the warehouse. all for under 9K.
DC Sidewalker: 5:20pm Express MARC. Second Car from the top. Some days we have a lot of beer, other days we might be dry. Depends on who is bringing the beer. On Character, I would say that DC doesn’t need to defend itself from the likes of Philly and NYC–again, very different places with different types of Character. NYC is somewhat of it’s own entity–there is nothing like it in the world and the people who live there know that. (my Family is from NYC–Queens and Brooklyn) Philly used to be a working class town much like Baltimore, but I can’t comment simply because I haven’t been there all but once.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:25 am
Holyfatman..Philly is still very much a working class town and very unique in it’s own way. If you get the chance to get there, you will have a fun time.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:56 am
It was hard to read this with such an anti-DC feel. I live in DC and love it and find it has more then enough character. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up very near Baltimore, (hate the nat’s still love the O’s too) and have always loved Baltimore, but DC is not the souless city that so many people believe it is. I’ve got my neighborhood bars, my little italian and mexican places with my favorite comfort food and charactor? The areas I see everyday have nothing if not character. DC Sidewalker has it right, out of towners rarely leave the confines of downtown and Gtown, places I spend very little time aside from work. There are so many great places around the city with so much character but they really are just what you call neighborhood places. If you’re not in the neighborhood you really don’t know about them.
Baltimore has it’s showy areas too (the inner harbor) but like you say, it’s the place “we” as outsiders don’t see that make the city.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
lol
author of this blog is a moron. lets say how baltimore and dc cannot be compared, then spend the last ten paragraphs comparing baltimore to dc.
major lol @ black cat becoming a hipster bar and author’s remorse at this sad state of affairs.
as though all of hampden hasnt undergone the same transformation in the past five years. where’s your lament for that total atrocity?
its pretty obvious to didnt grow up in baltimore.
as far as a ‘rivalry’ between here and dc, it only seems to exist in the minds of the boring ass people who decided to land here and believe themselves to be big fish in a small pond.
stop making trouble. its stupid. and for fuck’s sake, at least mention some neighborhoods that are populated by the 65% demographic of baltimore you seem to be ignoring.
the paper moon? the food sucks and is overpriced. the prices went up cos of the hipster quotient that took over hampden.
dont talk like you represent my city.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I think the long and short of it is both DC and B-more folk need to venture out to the other hoods. By the same token, we also need to show the “others” why we love our hoods.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
way to compare the downtown core of dc with the old workingclass white neighborhoods of baltimore and ignore the black neighborhoods of DC. quite frankly that post reflects a very racist sentiment - highly valuing the “working class” white neighborhoods in b-more but ignoring the working and middle class black dc neighborhoods, like my neighborhood ledroit park. but if you do want “white friendly” character go grab a drink at wonderland or at the ellis island tavern in brookland or up in petworth, or have brunch at pollys on u street or dinner at any of the many places on u street like busboys and poets or utopia that are upscale but have *gasp* true racial diversity and character.
people that think this way about dc don’t know brookland, petworth, ledroit park, bloomingdale, truxton circle, and a host of other areas like that (ever driven around hillcrest in southeast? its beautiful), rather they have seen the downtown and some piece of shaw as they drove there adn think of the rest of dc as an undiffernetiated crack war. this is all not to mention the thriving ethiopian and other immigrant community (try some of the hispanic places in mount pleasant for example). go get some fresh goat at the african place in the florida avenue market. i could go on and on, obviuosly.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Kmax: Please tell me where these ‘hoods are and I’ll be more then happy to explore. Like I said, I am in constant search for places to hang with friends from NoVA that are not transeient in nature.
and when people pull that “I’ve been here forever!! YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT!” crap they look like fucktards.
For the record, I fucking HATE hampden.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Actually, I prefer a diverse neighborhood, hence my living(and raising my daughter) in Fells Point—a heavily latino neighborhood. Perhaps I didn’t elaborate enough about the diversity of the people who patronize my corner bar,the taco stands that serve amazing food, or the color of the skin of some of my friends……
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
And Tha yabba pot is a vegan soul food joint that will Knock your socks off by redefining what soul food can be. Just an FYI
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Ran by real black people?!
I gotta go get me summa that!
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:23 pm
[…] Baltimore resident who works in DC compares these very different cities. Holy Buck, Fatman! draws from her experience in both cities and includes a scene […]
May 24th, 2007 at 6:58 am
Bmore regulator..If you are going to have no class and call someone a moron, then at least learn how to write and spell…
May 24th, 2007 at 9:37 am
i like em both. a lot. no rivalry between the two exist in my head.
my experience in dc has been so different from yours. my DC is full of character and natives and good friendly people.
my experience if baltimore is not so full of natives, but full of great people and neighborhoods and chill vibe.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:07 am
I’ve longed to find decent, non-transient (as you describe them) neighborhoods in DC as well. I believe that they are there; just never manage to meet anyone from there. Perhaps the point about DC natives instinctively putting up “walls” explains this a bit?
It’s a shame, DC has been nearby for most of my life, and I hardly know it.
(ps: I believe what this post did was contrast the two towns, not compare them. Finishing high school FTW!)
May 24th, 2007 at 10:22 am
I think that since you work in DC, you have not had the opportunity to actually go into established neighborhoods. The neighborhood bars certainly exist and there are tons of people who make DC their home and NEVER leave. If all you know is downtown, then you won’t see that. I myself have done a lot of moving around and living in the city “really living, not just padding your resume” gives you a totally different take on the town. Just my 2 cents.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:33 am
To sum up the comments, I believe residents in both towns really need to explore past the downtown areas and into the neighborhoods to really experience nightlife, Myself included.
Perhaps if some suggestions are given, that could invite some unexpected out of towners to a corner bar in DC? and Vice Versa, of course.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
you forget about the actual residents from DC, there is a whole other culture behind all the suits that are not even from DC. The die hard redskin fans and the people grew up in the neighborhoods outside of georgetown. I’m not from DC but I grew up literally across the line of MD and Southeast, I agree about Baltimore, it’s a great city and I love living here now, but like I said don’t forget about the real DC and the real people that live there and are from there.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
I actually grew up in DC and lived there most of my life up until last fall. I am now a Baltimorian. And I am quickly falling in love with the character of this city and what it has to offer.
There are parts of DC I will always love and will never be replaced, but I think you really hit it accurately with this post.
May 29th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I’ve been on that MARC train once before (the one where everyone drinks together), it does exist!
The ticket collector was way cool too. He kept telling everyone that I was his daughter
June 1st, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I don’t think the “NATIVES” of Baltimore or DC have a problem with each other. I believe it’s really the out of towners who move to the area with these stupid attitudes. Both cities have had thier fair share of problems. Both have held the title of being the “MUREDER CAPITAL”. Truthfully we should spend more time building up the area as a whole.
June 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 am
Murder is spelled M U R D E R.
June 2nd, 2007 at 4:01 pm
LOL Thanks, I know how MURDER is spelled it’s called a typing error. My comment is stil true.
September 15th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Dear Lord, the “racialist” tension was getting high there! I grew up in PG County outside of SE DC –no a place I would consider uppity, in fact much more like the neighborhoods of most of DC except on the NW sides and Dupont. I spent every weekend as a teen and a college student in and around various areas of DC and loved the old Adams Morgan African and Ethiopian restaurants and clubs, the area around Howard University, nifty neighborhoods in Anacostia and other little surprises. I was a white girl who grew up in the distinct minority from early on. Now I live in Baltimore. And let me tell you that there is no comparison. I love it here–but not really for any of the reasons mentions in the blog. I love it because Baltimore loves itself. Drive down 25th on the east side in the early evening and you will see little kids and their parents at the ball fields. Come over to Park Heights on Saturday morning and watch the families walking to shul. Go down to Lexington Market at midday and taste what’s cooking. Go uptown to Charles Village and spy on the college kids at JHU. Baltimore loves what it has and embraces its weirdness, its normalness and its ugliness. There is a contingent that must be dealt with that is ruining it for everybody. But no matter–life goes on. I will never go back to the DC area.
November 14th, 2007 at 8:21 am
[…] Comparisons of Baltimore vs DC … I do need to make a trip to the Yabba Pot sometime soon. 1 year ago - on call, giza pyramid, bunny hop pic, finger people, cosmos animations, fallentoad song, fantastic […]
November 18th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
I’ve gotta throw my two cents in about growing up in the Maryland suburbs. I grew up in Annapolis and when the weekends rolled around, you had to choose where to party - Baltimore or DC. That’s pretty much how it was, and why the majority of younger people ‘identified’ with either, or. Point is, I think everyones perception of each city depends on their individual personality…
Anyway, my sister lives in Baltimore, and I’m down in DC. Good times.