The city andBaltimore county are separate entities.

I don't hear any reference to Baltimore county. I assume when someone says they are from Baltimore they mean the city. If they are from a different city in Baltimore County, wouldn't they name that city instead of saying they are from Baltimore, meaning the county?

Yes, I think it's just a way to distinguish the city itself from the county it's in.

Interesting, thank you both. I don't know of any other place (that I've heard of) where someone says that they are from a county instead of a town or city. Very confusing to me that you would have to differentiate between them. Mystery solved, I guess!

We call it “The County” when speaking of schools, politics, services, etc. Baltimore County practically surrounds the City, so the east and west parts of the county are on opposite sides of it. So people usually specify where they live by naming their town or neighborhood.

So if you meet someone and say you are from Baltimore, you could live in a different town that is in Baltimore County? Or is part of the county considered to be Baltimore tho not actually in the city, so city residents have to add 'City' to Baltimore to show they live in the city limits? It's confusing to me because I live in Olympia, that's my address, but I am far outside the city limits - technically in the county. But I always say I am from Olympia and no one here says they are from Olympia City, if they actually live within the city limits. It seems to be something unique to Baltimore as far as I can see, so I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. Not that it matters one tiny bit, but I find it so curious.

Thanks for trying to clarify it for me.

I just lost a long reply. Grrr. Poof as I was typing! The gist of it is that the county (1600s) is older than the city. The city grew annexed parts of it as it grew.

Baltimore City neighborhoods are vastly different, some quite suburban. It seems weird to me that an international show would make the city / county distinction, especially since there are other nearby counties. The further I travel, the less specific I am about where I live.

I think ”city limits” can mean different things in different places?

Would this be the same as saying Westchester County, instead of saying your town?

In my case we have city and town of Xxxxxx. City is made up of 4 towns.

i have not heard people say they are from Xxxxxx city though.

Where I live, my address is xxx street, Anywhere, NC. I do not live in the city limits of the town of Anywhere yet it is my address. I live within County and yet there are other places within the same county that actually DO have a different address name. Very confusing. Maybe it is the same for Baltimore and the county.

I don't know of any other place (that I've heard of) where someone says that they are from a county instead of a town or city.

Interesting. Maybe when a certain county is known regionally and has an image/reputation, the "county" usage becomes more common. I grew up in Bucks County, PA, and many people say they are from "Bucks County;" same with Fairfield County, CT where I am now. OTOH I lived there a decade but I am not even sure what county Manhattan is in or what county our Maine house is in, and when I lived in NJ, it was very rare for people to mention the county ... perhaps because it ranged from very upscale to urban Newark.

Manhattan is New York County. Brooklyn is Kings County (and used to be a separate city.)

My husband grew up in White Plains, NY, which is in Westchester County. If he's talking to someone who's familiar with the NYC area, and is asked where he's from, he'll usually say the county name.

I live near Baltimore but not in Baltimore "city" or Baltimore County. If you watch the news here, you frequently hear them use the two terms, but also you will hear specific town/suburb names as well. Baltimore County almost completely wraps itself around city, with a very small portion on the south side being in Anne Arundel County. As such you often hear references related to public services involving police and schools to differentiate - like Baltimore County schools are closed today while Baltimore City schools are open. It might be that the program you were watching specifically referenced the two b/c there is a difference in which provides public services. Buyers might also want to know whether a property is city or county - for some it might make a difference to them.

I think when talking to others from outside the area who are not familiar with Baltimore, most just say they are from Baltimore rather than whatever suburb they are from. When talking with others from the area, they would specifically reference their suburb or neighborhood within Baltimore. But no one would answer "Baltimore City."

Then there is the local "joke" among the more upper crust crowd of private school graduates. It is common for someone (typically men) to ask "Where did you go to school?" If you are like my husband, not from the area, you answer with your college/university and quickly learn that is not what is meant. Those "in the know" understand what is really being asked is what private high school you went to. Even if you are middle aged....

Not necessarily relevant but I live outside the city limits of my "town" but my mailing address is the town name. I live on a peninsula and the only way to get to it is by going through the city limits. Despite the local police force being closest (county is miles away), any calls to 911 are responded to by the county. One time I was driving and had to call 911 to report a serious accident - it was crazy b/c the dispatcher wanted to know whether I was in the city or the county but the jurisdiction changes several times in the matter of several tenths of a mile. They transferred me only to be transferred back as they disputed where the call should be routed! Anyway, when people ask where I live I respond with the town name tho that's not technically accurate.

If I were in another part of the state, or in another state, I might say I live in Sonoma County. Like Napa County, it's known for its wines. But there is also a City of Sonoma (not the county seat) where I don't live. Sometimes people will say, oh, you live in Sonoma, but I don't, I live in Santa Rosa (the county seat). I live in "Sonoma County" but not "Sonoma."

And then to make it more interesting depending on what part of Baltimore you came from you just might call it 'Ballmer' or 'Bawlmer.' We had a neighbor from that area and for the longest time I thought it was a different town.

We lived in Bucks County, PA for 5 years after we moved out of Philadelphia and as Mtn commented if someone asked where we lived we replied Bucks County. If that person were familiar with the area we might mention the name of the town or say lower or upper Bucks County.

Maire, did I know that?

There are some that say ”the City” but usually in a negative way, pushing the narrative that the whole city is dangerous. There are certainly lots of problems here but lots of great things too. Baltimore has some really beautiful architecture. Perhaps I will

share some like Pal shares cool places in Philadelphia.

I know many people who work in Washington but prefer to live here, not only because of the lower cost of living but for a gentler, perhaps cooler (IMO) atmosphere. People ask you about your neighborhood or your personal interests, not the ”What do you do“ (How important are you) Washington DC way.

By the way, we often use ”DC” when refering to Washington, DC. Is that a Maryland thing or is it used by anyone

other than political junkies?

Isn’t “Philadelphia County” the exact same area as Philadelphia? That seems even weirder. No one calls it that, so I was very surprised when I first noticed it.

Please forgive my typos. I am using my phone and having a terrible

time posting!

Yes, it is. If you want to read why that's the case: 1854 Act of Consolidation

San Francisco is a city and complete county. There are no other cities or towns in SF County.

Oh, darn it. I thought this would be a discussion about food. The best crabcakes in Baltimore for example.

Mtn - Probably not, it seems so long ago now. When I worked at the Free Library we had a mandatory residency requirement to live within city limits. That was fine for 4 years while DH was in med sch and we needed my income. But when he started his residency and had a stipend we were finally able to start a family so we bought a starter home and left. DH commuted into Philly for another 5 years and had to be near I-95 - hence Lower Bucks.

Bucks is still one of my favorite places and where we would have preferred to stay. When we needed a larger home for the kids and a better school district we looked in Yardley and Newtown and further up in Central but DH's commute would have been onerous. That's how we ended up in NJ - a 30 minute commute to work in Philly and Bucks. When my brother worked for GE he lived in Chalfont and when my parents moved to this area they lived near them for a few years. We still spend a lot of time in that area. It's so relaxing to take a ride along the Delaware or one of the many meandering roads through the county.

Got it! My family and several old friends are right near Chalfont, in Doylestown. : )

This is so interesting to me! The show I was watching was House Hunters and the RE agent said, ”Here in Baltimore City” which was what piqued my interest enough to ask if Baltimore City was the actual name, like Kansas City. I do have a good friend from Baltimore and I now recall her referring to Baltimore City a few times, but I guess I never thiught to ask her. Thanks, everyone.

AFAIK, "the city" always refers to new York City (except if you are in London, where it refers to the financial district), just as "the village" is Greenwich Village..

I don’t think people in other parts if the country have that reference to the’city.’ The city usually means the nearest metropolitan area, not NYC.

Oh and it’s alaays cofusing to hear people refer to Washington,when talking about DC. Washington means the state around these parts and we say DC or Washington DC when referring to the US Capital. I wish our state had received a different name to avoid confusion.

I feel your confusion Olychick. Dd lives in Balitmore now. I've visited twice. I never could figure out where I was exactly when not only walking around, but driving from area to area. Except for Inner Harbor. That, I can understand. Whew.

I do agree that within what I think is "the city", there is some amazing architecture. My head was on a swivel not wanting to miss a thing. I really liked the area I was in (notice how I left it vague? no idea where any of this might have been))

However Oly, when I am in the Bay Area, if I'm not in SF proper, I find it confusing as to where I might be any given moment. There's a section leading out of Santa Cruz into the more populated areas where signs are seemingly absent and even what appeared to be a highway suddenly turns into a major street, then bam, back on a freeway. I was like, whoa, what just happened here? lol It's not so different in Baltimore in some areas. I need a few more trips to get my bearings in Baltimore.

SEA SEA, in the spring, if you haven't been, make sure to go to Sherwood Gardens. The tulip display is magnificent: https://www.sherwoodgardens.org/, and the homes in the surrounding neighborhood (Guilford) gorgeous.

SEA SEA, I hear you about the Bay area. I've never been so lost as I once was driving back from Carmel to Seattle. I went over a little toll bridge outside of San Francisco (my friends had warned me about it, so I was feeling good about having my money ready). I drove and drove and drove and maybe 1.5 hours later I came back to the same toll bridge - no money ready this time, lol. I was flummoxed because obviously I'd taken a wrong turn, but I had NO idea what I'd done wrong and had great fear I was doomed to make the same error again. Luckily, I didn't, but it was a LONG drive that day.I think I was already planning on driving 10 hours that day, so I could make it home in 2 days, and the extra time did not help at all.

I think I might have gotten lost in that same spot Oly when visiting same dd in Santa Cruz (yes, she moves around!). We went to Carmel and Big Sur area. Getting there all was well. Coming back we got looped around and we actually did say to each other; haven't we already been to this toll bridge and paid? lol

I wish I had seen the House Hunters for Baltimore. It might have been educational on the ins and outs of the area. Btw, I found Baltimore highways and some back roads to remind me of surrounding Bay Area. I kept saying, I am in Baltimore, right? Did I time travel to the Bay Area? It was a little bit unsettling in some ways.

Oh boy Bookwoman. Sherwood Gardens looks fantastic. Just my kind of place too. I've already sent the website to dd. She just msgd back that it's a definate let's go! :) Thank you for the info.

SEA SEA, I watch House Hunters on Hulu. It is season 220, episode 8. Not sure where else you can watch it, maybe youtube?
My friend in Baltimore (city) bought a row house in a not very nice part of town when she was pretty young. She eventually married and they remodeled it into something pretty special and the neighborhood has improved. She and husband just bought a beautiful place in Towson. I have no idea where that is, but she said it's a much safer area and they are thrilled with their wonderful historic home. They kept the row house and are able to rent it for something like $2k a month! We do not have row houses in the PNW, so I find it fascinating.

@Olychick Towson is north of downtown Baltimore, a "close to the city" area that is a bit more urban than a traditional suburb, with some nice residential areas as well as one of MD's public universities. I have friends who have lived there for 30 years - nice, close to the city without being in the city. Do you happen to know what neighborhood her rowhouse is in? Many of those "not so nice" parts of town became pretty desireable in the last 20 years and still are, but unfortunately have not been able to escape crime. Another of my friends had an adorable rowhouse in Federal Hill but moved to one of the more expensive residential areas in Baltimore "city" once they had kids. It's still a fun neighborhood for young people but can sadly be iffy now with the rise in crime.

Thanks for the head up Oly. I think we have hulu. I'm going to check it out. Having the episode # sure helps! :)

Yes, rents are high there. But much lower than here in CA. Dd used to pay $2k/mo for part of a garage that had been converted into a 250 sq ft studio apt in SF Sunset District. She thinks she's living on easy street in Baltimore by comparison.

I saw rowhouses in Little Italy. Some had been nicely renovated and a block away, others had been abandoned and left to decay. People left their decorations in the windows too. It's like a time capsule in some of those areas. I don't like the row house idea having a connection to SF and so many house fires there with the row houses, then it spreads so fast as they either share walls or the homes are actually 1/2 inch apart from each other. Happened on dd's street 3 times in less than a year. We get SF tv news here and there are reports of house fires daily.

4 kids, I really enjoyed the parts of Federal Hill area I walked through. If I'm not mistaken, that is the area with a very enjoyable park which we visited several times.

I keep hearing/reading about the crime in Baltimore. It does sound extreme. But lots of cities are similar. My own experience, knock wood, has been that of wonderful friendly people. Hoping it stays that way.

It's such a fascinating city to me. Perhaps much of the east coast is similar, but I'm not well traveled so I wouldn't know personally.

4kids I don’t know where in Baktimore the row house is. I recall her saying that just one block over crime was much worse. Not sure how that line gets drawn.

sergeantcuff, my husband went to JHU in the early '70s. We visit Baltimore (from the Philadelphia area, and your comparison is apt) on a regular basis and really like the city, and he says that many parts of it are far safer now than they were back then. And we won't eat crab cakes anywhere outside of MD. :-)

sergeantcuff, is that bumper sticker correct as written, or is it Actually, I lLike it Hon? I went to Goucher in the late 70’s and loved the city, especially the ethnic neighborhoods.

Bookwoman- It seems like the good/okay neighborhoods have gotten better and the bad neighborhoods have gotten worse.

I‘ve spent alot of time in Philadelphia, walking all over there too. My sister lives in Queen Village. There’s so many great restaurants in Philadelphia, I don’t know why none of them can make a crabcake.

Lisaam- Yes that’s correct for the currently popular one. There may have been a different one in the past. Or you may be thinking of ”Hon Man” who was tacking a ”Hon” sign to the ”Welcome to Baltimore” sign on the B/W Parkway in the 1980s? Goucher is beautiful.

I live in NYC but in the borough of Queens, which is also the county of Queens and located in the state of New York. Most people who live in boroughs other than Manhattan (New York County) will sometimes refer to themselves as living in the outer boroughs. It is common to say, "I work in The city." By The City, you mean Manhattan.

In each of the five boroughs, you will find a different vibe, and each neighborhood has different vibe. When I am asked where I live, I answer New York City to those who live outside of the tristate area, Queens to people who live in a different Borough from mine, I say the name of my neighborhood to those who live in Queens.

Marylander since age 8. Baltimore usually means the city as the county does not have the same attributes or cache as the city...and Baltimore(ons) are proud.

"Oh, darn it. I thought this would be a discussion about food. The best crabcakes in Baltimore for example." Sorry, but anywhere around the Chesapeake Bay can claim "the best crabcakes."

The best though was rockfish. We used to get huge rockfish and feast on that, a baked 'tater and salad. swoon

4kids4us: I'm in Anne Arundel County now...back to my roots after 40+ years away. My go to place for crabcakes is Blue Dolphin on Rt 3 S in Gambrills. I order them unbaked for home prep along with unbaked potatoes and coleslaw.

@cleopatra66 I'm in AACo also but grew up in PG just over the border from Crofton. My parents were transplants from Boston and Cleveland. My dad worked for the federal govt and even tho we were about equal distance from Baltimore and DC, we were much more of a DC suburb (most of my parents' friends and my friends' parents were also transplants working for the feds). I never really spent any time in Baltimore until after my kids started playing sports (their high schools were all in the Baltimore private school athletic conference). In recent years, we have done a lot of volunteer work in Baltimore with our kids. Three of my kids went to private school here in AACo but younger son went to a private school in a pretty bad neighborhood in Baltimore. I hate when I see all the bad press Baltimore gets due to crime.

Thanks for the recommendation of Blue Dolphin - my parents aren't too far from there so I will recommend it to them. Dh and I actually went to a private function there years ago and I remember they had crab balls that were the best part of the dinner that night. That was the only time I was there. Lots of places near me with good crab cakes - my favorite is Boatyard Bar & Grill in Eastport/Annapolis. They ship, so we order them for MIL who lives in San Francisco. The place I always see getting recommended for crabcakes in the B'more area is G & M in Linthicum by the airport.

@sergeantcuff one of my friends used to live near your neighborhood but a few years ago moved about a mile north of Notre Dame/Loyola Univ. Not sure what her neighborhood is called.

@4kids4us

Carroll's Creek Cafe is a favorite of mine. Decades ago, we used to haunt Marmadukes for the live music on the second floor.

"PG just over the border from Crofton" Would that be Bowie?

Olychick "I was flummoxed because obviously I'd taken a wrong turn, but I had NO idea what I'd done wrong and had great fear I was doomed to make the same error again."

These days I rarely go anywhere without following Siri. I can keep her quiet when driving within 5 miles of home.

Thanks cleopartra; i don't use siri but have good gps in my car now. This was before the days of cars with GPS (or at least my VW Quantum or Jetta didn't have it) and I don't think I had a cell phone either. I've lost track of when that all came to be. Like a dream, it just appeared, lol!

My 2013 car gps would have to be updated for an exhorbitant price. Most new cars no longer offer gps at the base price because buyers have gotten wise to the cost for updates.