Tell me about your home town

[Gilligan]

Baltimore, MD: often called Charm City by the inhabitants, and nobody else, anywhere. Also called the City that Reads - by nobody.

They have good Polish Sausage. They have exquisite crabs. National Bohemian beer (Natty-bo) is cheap and plentiful, and compliments crabs and OldBay surprisingly well. They are the home of The Ravens and The Orioles. Near as I can tell - these are the only positive things to be said about this city.

It is a place where the English language is butchered to the point of being Omost awnrecudnizabool hon.

The suburbs and Baltimore County aren't too bad - there are some gems like Parkville and Towson, but if you want to live in the city - anywhere in the city - my suggestion is to think again. The schools are butt-trifling, the neighborhoods are clotted with garbage - and the tenements it lives in - and there is a good chance that you will be (legitimately) raped or robbed on a monthly basis. Downtown is nice, like the Inner Harbor and the Aquarium, but there's not much in the way of residences down there.



That said... I still kinda like it, and consider it my home patches and dirt along with the good stuff.

Growing up in Lisbon, we had two choices and only one was a great one...head west to Frederick..or head east to Bal'mer. Of course certain "retail establishments" in and around Gay and Light were far more entertaining and numerous back in those days...late 70s or so. And of course there was Hammerjacks..and a few decent spots further west in Ellicott City that served as good pickup or drop-off points on the trip...

 

[Tomcat]

Was born in the very small town of Brookville, PA (north western, PA)but moved to Mt. Lebanon (suburb of Pittsburgh) while I was still very young. Grew up and lived there until joining the Navy. Got stationed here 40 years ago and am still here. Closest I get to Pittsburgh anymore is 7 Springs ski resort.

 

[daylily]

I was born & raised in Huntington, NY (Long Island). It was a great place to grow up with great schools and many beaches within walking distance. The village has probably 40 bars in a 2 mile radius, best party town on Long Island. Plenty of shopping and things to do for people of all ages.

Nowadays, take a turn down the wrong street and you're likely to get mugged, raped, shot, or all of those things. They even closed down my elementary school due to uncontrollable gang violence in the neighborhood. I wouldn't raise my son there, it's really sad actually because my family lived there for generations. Thanks city ghetto rats, for moving out east and destroying a beautiful place with your low class BS.

 

[MMDad]

I don't think I have a "home town."

California: Edwards, Tustin, Van Nuys, Santa Ana, Irvine, Clovis, San Jose, Campbell, Capitola, Ben Lomond, Concord, San Diego, Imperial Beach.

San Antonio, TX
Salt Lake and Murray UT
Boise, ID
Arvada, CO

Been here since 1991. I'll never be a local, deebygawdcap'n, but I guess it's home.

 

[GWguy]

I was born & raised in Huntington, NY (Long Island). It was a great place to grow up with great schools and many beaches within walking distance. The village has probably 40 bars in a 2 mile radius, best party town on Long Island. Plenty of shopping and things to do for people of all ages.

Nowadays, take a turn down the wrong street and you're likely to get mugged, raped, shot, or all of those things. They even closed down my elementary school due to uncontrollable gang violence in the neighborhood. I wouldn't raise my son there, it's really sad actually because my family lived there for generations. Thanks city ghetto rats, for moving out east and destroying a beautiful place with your low class BS.

It is a shame. I used to love to visit all the north shore towns in that area. I still like Northport and Centerport, but Huntington kinda dropped off my list..

 

[daylily]

I grew up on Long Island. When I say that, most people shriek "OMG that area is all concrete!" Couldn't be further from the truth where I was on eastern LI. It was a great place to grow up. Very rural, lots of farms and woods. The big crop used to be potatoes, world famous Long Island Potatoes. Most of them are gone now, replaced by wineries.

Anyway, our Saturdays were spent traveling 20-30 miles to get to a grocery or clothing store. We had a little market, but it was tiny and was only good for a few things. My friends and I would leave the house before dawn to go fishing, and not return until dusk, having spent the day fishing, boating, swimming, go-carting, bicycling, exploring the woods, and rarely stopping all day long. The beach was the best, north shore of LI. The only time you couldn't find us there was if there was a hurricane. Powered and sailed everything from an inflatable raft to 40' work boats, and just as much time under the water as above once I learned to SCUBA. But, just because we were away from home didn't mean we weren't being watched. Our neighborhood was completely interconnected and you couldn't make a move without mom knowing about it. Damn that modern convenience known as a rotary dial phone! Only had to dial 4 digits to get the neighbors.

Today, the east end is very much the same as it was then. Wide open expanses of fields and woods. Still some of the best boating, fishing and sailing waters around. And the food.... *sigh*... Real 24 hour diners with great food. The best of ethnic foods and untold numbers to choose from. A quick train ride and you're in the heart of New York City. Absolutely a great place to enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas. Hop a ferry to Connecticut and in a few hours you are skiing or being a 'leafer'. That's what New Englanders call non-locals who come up to see the autumn leaves.

Wonderful place to grow up.

Yes, Long Island was a wonderful place to grow up. I have all those same memories, we were NEVER inside. We'd be out all day long....swimming, boating, 4 wheelin, exploring all the woods. And yes, I remember all too well how our neighbors all looked out for one another's kids...got busted cutting school a few times because of it!

The NYC ghetto rats haven't made it all the way out east to your old neck of the woods yet. But they've sure infested my old stomping grounds (Huntington).

 

[daylily]

It is a shame. I used to love to visit all the north shore towns in that area. I still like Northport and Centerport, but Huntington kinda dropped off my list..

Yeah, Northport village and Oyster Bay are still great. Bayville, Cold Spring Harbor, Lloyd Harbor are all beautiful still. How great did Huntington used to be, right? Now if you go north of the village, you need a translator to read the store signs. Effin ridiculous!

 

[Bean Machine]

Small world! I was right down the road in Orange Park south subdivison! Not too far past Whitey's Fish Camp restaurant. (Where the big silos were!)

Yummy! Whiteys is delicious! Lived in J'ville for 12 years. Different places on the westside, but last place we lived was in Argyle, just up from OP.

 

[itsbob]

Was born in the very small town of Brookville, PA (north western, PA)but moved to Mt. Lebanon (suburb of Pittsburgh) while I was still very young. Grew up and lived there until joining the Navy. Got stationed here 40 years ago and am still here. Closest I get to Pittsburgh anymore is 7 Springs ski resort.

While I was there (lived in Oil City, but Brookville was part of my "area"), they had a church with a copper steeple on it, they cleaned the copper and PAINTED it a very unnatural patina green color.. It was disgusting.

Also where I lost my wallet on the way to Ohio (from here) stopping to get gas, AND getting stopped for speeding at the same time.

 

[Toxick]

Growing up in Lisbon, we had two choices and only one was a great one...head west to Frederick..or head east to Bal'mer. Of course certain "retail establishments" in and around Gay and Light were far more entertaining and numerous back in those days...late 70s or so.

Ah... The Block.

Capitalized.

And of course there was Hammerjacks..and a few decent spots further west in Ellicott City that served as good pickup or drop-off points on the trip...

I spent my 21st birthday at Hammerjacks. There was a band there called White Trash and the Badass Brass.
That was a fun night.

 

[Tomcat]

While I was there (lived in Oil City, but Brookville was part of my "area")

Looking up Brookville, guess what they still have there? Welcome to The Moonlite Drive-In Theatre in Brookville, PA!

 

[sockgirl77]

Lived in Indian Head until I was 11 years old. I now work there. I would never move back.

Moved to Hollywood (MD) when I was 11.

I live in St. Inigoes now. I like it but the commute to work (and anywhere else) is getting to me. I am now looking to buy a house in Hollywood.

 

[JazCat]

I was born and raised in Charles Town, WV - long before anyone thought about bringing in the slot machines. There were two race tracks, Shenandoah Downs and Charles Town. I attended the only high school in the county back then.

Our family's Friday night treat was going to the Tastee Freeze for dinner. They had the best banana shakes. We had ACME and A&P supermarkets, Southern States, and a huge movie theatre with a balcony. The AM radio station would go off the air when the sun went down. My grandmother raised chickens, so every Easter she would get us a colored peep. Then we'd eat that same peep later in the year. Life was very stress free back then. Would I move back now? No.

 

[Roman]

Laurel Maryland.
there was nothing along 198 at the time except a cow farm. When we moved in the roads in Maryland city were still dirt roads, to get to laurel you had to go down 198, a two lane road, then across a wooden bridge (one lane)

we spent most of our childhood riding bikes between Maryland city and the laurel shopping center or playing along the Patuxent river.

One gas station in town, Kings Mobile station. First grade was in trailers in Ft Mead until the Maryland city elementary school was built. Main street in Laurel was still the heart of town and most of the buildings were left over from the 1800s.

Its different now.

I lived in Laurel from 1969, until 1985! graduated from Laurel HS in 72.

 

[Im_Me]

Olney? My sister was thrown out of Gaithersburg HS and then attended and graduated from:

Sandy Spring Friends School - PK-12 Quaker Education

She is now a role model money making biatch.

I know the place. I went to Sherwood.

 

[DoWhat]

I know the place. I went to Sherwood.

Sherwood and Paint Branch rivals in wrestling.

 

[Im_Me]

Sherwood and Paint Branch rivals in wrestling.

I took English and Drivers Ed at Paint Branch one summer.

 

[Gilligan]

Ah... The Block.

Capitalized.

:

I stand and place my ball cap over my left breast..and shed a tear in fond remembrance.

I saw a woman do things on a stage with her legs wrapped around a chair..things that appeared to be beyond mortal. *sniff*..you can't go back, can you?

 

[Dondi]

Lived in Wheaton, MD right across Wheaton High School, until I was six, then moved into a newer community in Rockville, off Bauer Drive, until I left for the Navy in 1983. My sister, my brother, and I all graduated in different High Schools: my sister at Wheaton HS, my brother at Rockville HS, and I graduated in 1982 at Peary HS (now a Hebrew Academy. Never realized how large a Jewish community we have there).

Rockville at that time had a population of around 30,000-35,000. Now it's upwards of 62,000. The place is so crowded now. The Pike is so congested and so built up. I would never move back there again. My parents bought the house new for about $30,000 in 1969, sold it for $180,000 in 1996. But identical homes were priced at $500,000 at the peak of the housing market.

My friends and I used to hang out at Aspen Hill, White Flint, LakeForest, or Wheaton Plaza back in the day. We'd also take frequent trips to Great Falls out on River Road and explore the caves and climb the rocks. Good times.

 

[Gilligan]

Lived in Wheaton, MD .

I remember as a young lad in the early to mid 60s...an amazing trip to a magical place in Wheaton to go Christmas shopping with my mum. Wheaton Plaza, it was called. It was all the rage out in the country..everyone who was anyone went to the plaza if they could make it. Such an amazing concept..so many stores all in one place!! Nothing like it had ever been seen before.

Then only a few short years later..Columbia Mall was built. And then our heads exploded due to total retail sensory overload.