what's your opinion?

[vraiblonde]

There've been a lot of references to that deer gutting business. I just want to clear the record - that DIDN'T happen in SoMD. It happened in Frederick County. So much for your stereotypes.

[jlabsher]

After reading another thread on the board I've come to the conclusion that a few years back SOMD was a neat place to live. Slots were legal, you know who ran the mom & pop stores, etc. But the base expanded and it has begun to turn into Generica. Very few local restaurants left, how much "atmosphere" does an Applebee's or Outback have. Want to buy an appliance, the big boys are pushing their way in, etc.

There used to be some local identity and soul associated with the area which is now gone from the California/Hollywood/Lex Park megaplex. I'm sure out in the boonies there are traces of it left though.

My biggest gripe is the loss of the local spirit and soul. I can deal with rednecks if they have character and are proud to be from where they live. Now all we have left is SMIBs and the good-ole boy SMIBs who run the place.

This is not unlike SOMD history of poor dirt farmers and big tobacco plantations. Guess everything comes back again.

[Toxick]

Originally posted by OliveOyl
Seriously, if you're looking for culture, restaurants, things to do, and any type of shopping, avoid SoMD like the plague.

I'm fairly certain that the lack of "culture", at least in the sense you're talking about, has less to do with Southern Maryland specifically, and more to do with rural areas in general.

I've driven back and forth coast to coast across the fruited plain, and compared to most of it, Lexington Park and Waldorf are booming friggin' metropolises.

The only thing "unique" that I can see about Southern Maryland is not the lack of things to do. It's not the rednecks. It's not the hick-factor. It is the mix of indiginous people (loving referred to as SMIB's) and those people who would ordinarily be in more urban areas, except for Pax which has imported a large number of "cosmopolitan" types.


And the utter contempt that both groups of these people seem to feel for each other.

[Kyle (Premo)]

It's the "SNOB's" that don't enjoy things for what they are and spend all their time whining and wailing over "How it's better everywhere else"

If it's that bad leave. There are plenty of jobs in all those wonderful places and they'll feel much better in such cultural oceans as Northern Virginia, DC, Baltimore and Gaithersburg.

[Surf City Baby]

Originally posted by Kyle
It's the "SNOB's" that don't enjoy things for what they are and spend all their time whining and wailing over "How it's better everywhere else"

If it's that bad leave. There are plenty of jobs in all those wonderful places and they'll feel much better in such cultural oceans as Northern Virginia, DC, Baltimore and Gaithersburg.

Bravo!

[otter (Premo)]

Originally posted by Kyle
It's the "SNOB's" that don't enjoy things for what they are and spend all their time whining and wailing over "How it's better everywhere else"

If it's that bad leave. There are plenty of jobs in all those wonderful places and they'll feel much better in such cultural oceans as Northern Virginia, DC, Baltimore and Gaithersburg.

[jlabsher]

With the base expansion you had a lot of snobs move in, city folks who didn't understand what they were getting into who would get mad when a tractor going down the road held up their SUV going to get Jenny from ballet practice.

Before the expansion it was a fairly poor, rural area, I remember seeing something in the Wash Post about the increase in HS graduates and percentage increase in income being the highest in the area over the last 10 years.

Now you have the dichotomy of the poor, uneducated folk mixing with the base civilians and contractors who have college degrees and are making over $50-$75K a year. (I'm just generalizing here Sharon ) Of course this causes friction, the locals don't want to change and the newbies want it to be MoCo.

[SmallTown]

Originally posted by jlabsher
Of course this causes friction, the locals don't want to change and the newbies want it to be MoCo.

One interesting thing I discovered during my time there was the complete blindness to the local's perspective on things. I worked with some people who have been in somd for quite awhile, and one day I was talking with one and he mentioned how much he hated how this place has grown and didn't like people coming in and changing things. As at sat there talking to him about it, I noticed a Starbucks coffee on his desk, and an Outback Steakhouse carryout container behind him. I asked why he went to those places, and he said it was because he liked it. (well, duh). I then asked if he would want the places removed, he said of course not. So in the same conversation, he said he enjoys the very things he said he despised.
Every generation changes their environment, so it isn't like the influx of contractors changed this pattern in any way. If anything, it may have sped up the process, but it is nothing new. After all, if we didn't change and adapt, everyone there would still be riding horseback for their transportation, living in houses made from the trees on your land (without running water, AC or heat), etc...
Sure, I heard all about the "good ol days" when there were no stoplights going to waldorf. good ol days for THEM maybe, but how about the previous people who remember the open space and dirt roads? Those were the good ol days... to them...