Outspoken progressivism mixed with a heavy dose of nimbyism. For example, I'm Asian and have never felt as safe and accepted in Columbia and Howard County at large but I wouldn't expect my lovely neighbors to actually participate in any activism or support other than hashtags and bumper stickers. I've had people that I've done charity work with later suggest where to live in Columbia so I wouldn't be next to low income housing. It's a funny dynamic how Columbia manages to feel both corporately manufactured but also so stinking nice. No wonder why people don't want to leave.

Do you think cities can reach a point where the water is flooding in faster than people can bail it out? I'm a millennial in IT and while I know many friends who live/have lived in Baltimore their goal is often to have kids in a couple years and move out into the counties after spending a few years bar crawling. They pay taxes and spend money at local small businesses but it doesn't feel like the kind of organic growth the city needs long term.

I have lived in MD for less than 10 years and Howard county for 7 with a single year in Baltimore so my perspective is pretty skewed. Kind of feels like some of the city's greatest challenges are geographic. People who want a place to raise their kids with great schools can move 10 miles away and Baltimore also has to compete with D.C. for people who want to live in a city.