[SusanStCatherine]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

My mother's family has lived in Maryland, mostly in the Baltimore area, since at least the 1890s. My mother, born in 1905 and a graduate of Goucher College, now part of Hopkins, taught school on the Eastern Shore before she married my father. Since the 1950s most family members have lived in Baltimore County as Baltimore City is a dangerous and highly taxed place to reside. My daughter lives in Cockeysville. I served in the Maryland Army National guard out of the Fifth Regiment Army back in the day. What has happened to the beautiful state of Maryland is tragic.

"EDUCATION REFORMER SAYS THAT BALTIMORE SCHOOLS ARE FAILING STUDENTS: In the Baltimore City Public Schools, the four-year high school graduation rate is 69%, the lowest in the state. In addition to the low district-wide proficiency, 23 schools reported zero students proficient in math.Mar 17, 2023"

From: Baltimore’s failing school system is making school choice the only hope for students, education activist says | Fox News.

Baltimore has been bad for a very long time. My sister and mother were both separately mugged back in the 1970's. My aunt was mugged and her head bashed in around 1980 in Catonsville in Baltimore County. I was held up at gunpoint in 1982 near Pimlico. I attended nursing school in Baltimore City and one day we could not get home because my friend's car was not where she parked it - it had been stolen. My childhood home in AA county was burglarized twice while I was growing up.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by SusanStCatherine

Baltimore has been bad for a very long time. My sister and mother were both separately mugged back in the 1970's. My aunt was mugged and her head bashed in around 1980 in Catonsville in Baltimore County. I was held up at gunpoint in 1982 near Pimlico. I attended nursing school in Baltimore City and one day we could not get home because my friend's car was not where she parked it - it had been stolen. My childhood home in AA county was burglarized twice while I was growing up.

Downtown B'more got much better once the Inner Harbor opened in 1980, and then, even better in the 90's once the opened Camden Yards and Raven's Stadium in 92' & '98 respectively...

But, once again, it has sunk into the depths of hell... One of the top 5 most dangerous cities in the US...

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

My mother's family has lived in Maryland, mostly in the Baltimore area, since at least the 1890s. My mother, born in 1905 and a graduate of Goucher College, now part of Hopkins, taught school on the Eastern Shore before she married my father. Since the 1950s most family members have lived in Baltimore County as Baltimore City is a dangerous and highly taxed place to reside. My daughter lives in Cockeysville. I served in the Maryland Army National guard out of the Fifth Regiment Army back in the day. What has happened to the beautiful state of Maryland is tragic.

"EDUCATION REFORMER SAYS THAT BALTIMORE SCHOOLS ARE FAILING STUDENTS: In the Baltimore City Public Schools, the four-year high school graduation rate is 69%, the lowest in the state. In addition to the low district-wide proficiency, 23 schools reported zero students proficient in math.Mar 17, 2023"

From: Baltimore’s failing school system is making school choice the only hope for students, education activist says | Fox News.

I grew up in Baltimore and went to the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute "all boys" public high school. They actually taught engineering stuff (surveying, drafting, foundry, etc.) and it prepared me to go to the University of Maryland School of Engineering. I got a mechanical engineering degree and became rich and famous. Both were good schools at that time.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I grew up in Baltimore and went to the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute "all boys" public high school. They actually taught engineering stuff (surveying, drafting, foundry, etc.) and it prepared me to go to the University of Maryland School of Engineering. I got a mechanical engineering degree and became rich and famous. Both were good schools at that time.

Just prior to WWII one of my uncles attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He then went into the US Army Air Corps. After the war he went on to graduate at the top of his class at Georgia Tech, majoring in civil engineering. A cousin also was a student there and afterwards graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Cornell. Both enjoyed highly successful careers. Must have been a wonderful school in those days!

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by SusanStCatherine

Baltimore has been bad for a very long time. My sister and mother were both separately mugged back in the 1970's. My aunt was mugged and her head bashed in around 1980 in Catonsville in Baltimore County. I was held up at gunpoint in 1982 near Pimlico. I attended nursing school in Baltimore City and one day we could not get home because my friend's car was not where she parked it - it had been stolen. My childhood home in AA county was burglarized twice while I was growing up.

I am so sorry to hear of all that occurring. Baltimore did not feel too dangerous when I first moved to the Baltimore/Washington area in 1964. By 1970 when I moved to Rochester, NY it had become dangerous. DC was dangerous, too. One of my fellow GULC students had a narc shot and killed on his Capitol Hill home's doorstep in 1968.

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

Grew up in Chicago and rhe northwest suburbs. Would still live there if I didn't get sick of the long winters. The Villages made the move easier though and very happy here . But Chicago is still tuggin' my sleeve.

The only thing Illinois and Chicago is tugging at is your wallet and car, nowadays.

[Catfishjeff]

I lived in California twice - growing up ages 6 thru 21 and almost forty years before retirement. Geographically it’s the best. Normally it’s the best weather in the country. But due to politics it’s turned into a nightmare and not the right place to retire and grow old. I just got back from a week in CA and enjoyed the beautiful green hills and mountains and especially visiting the great wineries in Paso Robles.

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by Bilyclub

The only thing Illinois and Chicago is tugging at is your wallet and car, nowadays.

The thread's title is "why do you diss your former state". Is Illinois your former state? Just curious.

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

The thread's title is "why do you diss your former state". Is Illinois your former state? Just curious.

Born, raised, schooled (not CPS), lived, worked, in the city, until we came here.

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by Bilyclub

Born, raised, schooled (not CPS), lived, worked, in the city, until we came here.

Good to know: you've got street cred for sure. It is sad that there appears to be a turn for the worse. Hopefully, things will turn around.

[Number 10 GI]

I have nothing bad to say about Tennessee or Iowa where I was born and raised. Went in the Army at 18 yrs old, spent almost 21 years in the military moving all over the place. Retired at Ft. Campbell, KY. Lived 34 years in Tennessee before the wife decided we needed to move to Florida.
Tennessee is a beautiful state with mild winters, reasonable taxes and real estate costs. Great place to retire as there is no state income tax. The Smoky Mountain area is very scenic. The only things about Iowa I don't like are the winters and taxes.

[mickey100]

Originally Posted by Larchap49

I am guessing you are talking about the beautiful country of upstate not the embarrassing slum pig sty crime ridden city.

That is true. Was never a fan of NYC, although I've only been there a couple of times. We always felt that NYC was not representative of the state as a whole.

[Sabella]

Originally Posted by LuvNH

So many of us have found our way to Florida in our retirement years. The majority of us came from "up north", up north is where we made our living, went to school, made lifelong friends, met our spouse, married and bought a home. We then sold up everything and moved to TV in Florida to live out our retirement years.

I see no reason to diss your home state just because you moved here. Yes, northern winters can be brutal, but many of us continue to go back to family for holidays and have a great time.

We seem to forget that if we had been born in Florida sixty plus years ago we would never have had the quality careers we had "up north", we would never have made the money we made, never have had the opportunity to go to great schools or have great health care. I Because sixty plus years ago Florida was known as the honeymoon state or for the nearly dead.

So before you start dissing your home state why don't you stop and think about how fortunate you were to be raised in a state with opportunities available to you and then been able to sell up and move to Florida.

I moved here from New York City need I say more? Look at what those people in charge have done to New York State and New York City over the past 20 years or so it went from the most beautiful, vibrant city in the in the world to a giant filthy garbage dump that has no use for law and order anymore. Ps if you live there good luck paying EXCESSIVE taxes so tax money can be spent on government handouts and foolish spending while severely cutting back promised retirement benefits to retired seniors because the city is broke .

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by LuvNH

So many of us have found our way to Florida in our retirement years. The majority of us came from "up north", up north is where we made our living, went to school, made lifelong friends, met our spouse, married and bought a home. We then sold up everything and moved to TV in Florida to live out our retirement years.

I see no reason to diss your home state just because you moved here. Yes, northern winters can be brutal, but many of us continue to go back to family for holidays and have a great time.

We seem to forget that if we had been born in Florida sixty plus years ago we would never have had the quality careers we had "up north", we would never have made the money we made, never have had the opportunity to go to great schools or have great health care. Because sixty plus years ago Florida was known as the honeymoon state or for the nearly dead.

So before you start dissing your home state why don't you stop and think about how fortunate you were to be raised in a state with opportunities available to you and then been able to sell up and move to Florida.

Why do you assume we would not have the quality careers we had up North? We may have done better down in Florida. I was paying 42K a year in property tax, and close to 50% of my income. You really come across in a negative light.

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I miss Connecticut, Boston, and New York. All three were my stomping grounds to one extent or another. I don't think I'll ever stop missing up north. I'm not a summer person, never was. I'm not a heat+humidity kinda gal, never was. I am not fond of palm trees, I think they're silly looking.

On the other hand, I'm also not a February in Connecticut kinda gal either. Extremes bother me in all things, from weather to politics. But given only two choices: a couple of months with a couple feet of snow and a nor'easter OR 6 months of heat and humidity - I'd rather crank up the heat and shovel my way to the snow plow in the garage.

I just want to be sure I understand; you, Ms OBB, are saying that you are not at the extreme end of a political view?