New Young Professional moving to Baltimore May/June 2011 (Columbia, Towson: apartments, rent)

[nanos]

Hi everyone!

I will be working in Baltimore (just north of JHU-Homewood) and am trying to figure out some places to live.

A little about me:
31/s/m/PhD - Pretty relaxed, but enjoys the amenities of city life such as restaurants, music, and the occasional bar visit

A little about my budget:
Rent (hopefully with parking): 1,200 - 1,350/1,400
Utilities would be separate (I'm a small footprint utility user so cost should be within reason for me)
Looking for a 1/2 bedroom (if 1 bd hopefully a small den for office).

Places I'm currently looking:
Baltimore: Federal Hill, Canton, Fells Point, Mt. Vernon
Outside: Towson, Owings Mills (in particular about Owings Mills)

I have been working with a Realtor, but he will not give me any information about the neighborhoods and suburbs beyond here is the rent information saying he doesn't want to get caught "steering" (i.e., crime statistics, demographics, etc.).

I looked at the demographics information already and they all seem like nice places to live, but hope some of you can help me with some personal comments and thoughts about streets that are safe/fun. In particular for the Federal Hill area since almost everyone has said Fells Point and Canton are great everywhere.

Do the suburbs have their own mini-downtowns or is everything a trip to Baltimore?

Am I off on my rent range? Am I missing any hidden gems for neighborhoods for someone that fits my profile?

Any thoughts, comments or information would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[sobo16]

Your city neighborhood picks are spot-on. As for the suburbs, most of them do not have mini downtowns in Maryland, and if you enjoy any real urban life, Baltimore is it.

Your target rent might be a little on the low side in those neighborhoods (particularly Federal Hill and Canton, and because you would prefer parking), but you could easily share a house with a roommate, and still get the space that you're looking for.

Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton are generally safe, though you always need to be aware of your surroundings in Baltimore, and never leave anything visible in your car.

The nightlife in Federal Hill is decent, though after 10pm or so, it is dominated by the early 20s crowd. I'm 31 myself and I just don't find crowds of drunken 22 year olds appealing. Having said that, the neighborhood is still great for restaurants, happy hours, or early evening drinks.

Others might comment on Canton, but from what I've observed, the crowd seems to be slightly older and more mature.

You might want to check out Hampden because it's close to where you'll be working. However, I personally don't see the appeal. It is a popular neighborhood, but to me, the options seem limited and there are a lot of shady teenagers walking about.

[nanos]

Thank you sobo16!

How much higher would I need to go in my rent to get a nice place by myself?

I've also been looking in Columbia because I have lots of old friends that work in DC but couldn't find anything very nice. Is Owings Mills a better choice if I want to go burbs?

[jonjj]

"I will be working in Baltimore (just north of JHU-Homewood) and am trying to figure out some places to live".

If you are working north of JHU-Homewood, you may want to consider some neighborhoods in that area to get your feet wet in Baltimore, yet be close to your employer. Hampden is a possibility along with Oakenshawe and Charles Village.

[remstone]

Mt. Vernon is the other gem, but it's not hidden. If you're considering as far away as Canton then Mt. Vernon is definitely where you should be looking instead. It has the restaurants and bars, you'd be between downtown and Station North for music/culture, closer to work, and the feel is reasonably urban. Included parking is rare but zoned parking passes will generally work if you're not driving all around during nighttime hours. You might be near the top end of your range for the better 2BRs but not far off.

Charles Village and Hampden might make some sense to be closer to work. You'll want to get out into the rest of the city but they have some amenities of their own. The better parts of Remington, near those two neighborhoods and the SE edge of Homewood campus, could also be worth a look. In Remington or Hampden you're more likely looking at a whole 3BR/1BA (small) rowhouse. Parts of Bolton Hill at the edge of Mt. Vernon could also have some appeal.

I'd agree that Canton is slightly older/more mature than Federal Hill for nightlife, until the weekends. Then you see an influx of the B&T crowd to Canton and it's basically a wash. The suburbs don't offer much of what you're looking for. Towson has some amenities but I don't think you'll have any reason to commute from there.

EDIT: There are also a few large apartment buildings right by where you're working that might appeal. Like this listing in Tuscany-Canterbury, if it lasts:
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/apa/2247412284.html (broken link)

[mrboltonman]

I agree with all the suggestions so far.

I would add Bolton Hill if you like the urban feel of Mt. Vernon but want a quiet area. It's right on the edge of Mt. Vernon.

If you want to live in the burbs then I would pick Towson over Owings Mill. It does not seem like there is anything in Owings Mills.

[davecj]

I understand the steering part but normally that's like if you ask if an area is safe. Since it's intangible we really can't tell you because if we say it's safe and your car gets broken into we could be held liable if you are sue happy.

Your price range doesn't seem far off for a small apartment in those areas although if you're not much into the bar scene you may want to reconsider Federal Hill and Canton. Parking would be the difficult addition in your price range however.

[nanos]

Wow! Thank you all so much for your responses. I really appreciate them! Based on the feedback I have received, I think I am going to look in the Mt. Vernon area too and bumping up the rent to maybe $1,500.

I had a person private message me saying Columbia and Towson may be a better overall area for me. Does anyone have an opinion about Columbia? While not initially, my work will eventually split time between northern Baltimore and Columbia (65/35). When I looked at some of the apartments there and then looked on apartmentratings.com all I saw was negative ratings and very bad comments. I take some of them with a grain of salt, but when I see overlapping comments it makes me wonder about Columbia.

You all have been absolutely wonderful and I hope I pay it forward to a future prospective resident some day

[sobo16]

Bumping your rent up to $1500 might get you a rowhouse by yourself. Another suggestion is Locust Point. It's close enough to Federal Hill but it's also quieter and likely a little safer.

I would not recommend Owings Mills. There isn't much there, and if you have friends in DC and will be working in Columbia part of the time, its location isn't ideal.

I don't know much about Columbia, other than that it is a planned community. There are multiple villages, each with a small commercial area, but these are basically strip malls/shopping centers. Nothing like a traditional downtown. Columbia is mostly residential, and you will have to drive to get anywhere.

It really depends on how much you value the urban life and walkability. If that is important to you at all, I strongly recommend living within Baltimore City.

[Tallybalt]

Look into North Baltimore.

There are plenty of large apartments in handsome prewar buildings along University Parkway and Charles Street just north of the JHU Homewood campus, plus smaller buildings scattered across adjoining Roland Park. This part of town is very pleasant, pretty and livable while remaining fairly green with small parks and greenways (ideal if you jog). Apartment rents are reasonable. Plenty of restaurants and a few bars within walking distance, especially on St. Paul Street in Charles Village. The chic Hampden shopping district is only a few minutes' away by car and the Big Box stores of Towson is 20 minutes away. The bars of Federal Hill and Mount Vernon are also only 20 minutes away.

If you will be working in Columbia part of the time, there are strategic routes to Howard County that cut through West Baltimore. From, say, University Parkway/Charles Street you can reach Columbia in 30-35 minutes.

Living in Columbia does have its advantages but it is a very low density suburban environment. While your friends live in DC, it's not so easy to pop down Route 29 to Washington due to the traffic. You'll probably end up not going into DC or even Baltimore for a social life very much.

Originally Posted by nanos

Wow! Thank you all so much for your responses. I really appreciate them! Based on the feedback I have received, I think I am going to look in the Mt. Vernon area too and bumping up the rent to maybe $1,500.

I had a person private message me saying Columbia and Towson may be a better overall area for me. Does anyone have an opinion about Columbia? While not initially, my work will eventually split time between northern Baltimore and Columbia (65/35). When I looked at some of the apartments there and then looked on apartmentratings.com all I saw was negative ratings and very bad comments. I take some of them with a grain of salt, but when I see overlapping comments it makes me wonder about Columbia.

You all have been absolutely wonderful and I hope I pay it forward to a future prospective resident some day