You are more sensitive to this distinction than most of us are. I live in Gaithersburg. If someone from far away asks me where I live, I say "near Washington, D.C." I'm a Washington fan, not a Baltimore fan. My life is more influenced by D.C. than it is by Baltimore.
The reason Virginia and Maryland are good places to live is because of the Federal City. Otherwise, they'd be Ohio. Maybe Delaware.
