safe neighborhoods (Baltimore: 2009, lease, living)

[mrboltonman]

Some people have had negative experiences with Baltimore City which really sucks. This ends up distorting their view and they make a lot of statements that aren't proven to be factual.

What I really don't understand is why someone would keep living in an area that was so awful? Personally I would pack my bags and move somewhere else.

There are safe neighborhoods but criminals can easily walk from one area to the next. The city is growing and areas are getting better. Canton is a perfect example of how an area can be transformed.

Some good areas:
Mt. Vernon Mt.Vernon Cultural District : Home
Charles Village Charles Village, Baltimore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bolton Hill boltonhill.org > index
Fells Point Welcome to Fell's Point, Baltimore, MD
Butchers Hill Butchers Hill
Federal Hill Federal Hill Main Street: Main Site - Federal Hill Main Street Baltimore Business Neighborhood Harbor Bars Restaurants
Canton Baltimore Neighborhoods: Canton - Southeast Planning District
Patterson Park :: Patterson Park Community Development Corporation - PPCDC :: > Home
Patterson Park - bringing neighbors together in baltimore's best backyard
Patterson Park Neighborhood Association, Baltimore MD
Hampden Hampden Village Merchants Association
Roland Park Roland Park Welcomes You
Locust Point Locust Point -- baltimoresun.com
Harbor East Harbor East
Little Italy Little Italy MD
Otterbein Otterbein of Baltimore
Ridgely's Delight Ridgely's Delight Neighborhood, Baltimore, Maryland
Mt. Washington Mt Washington Village Baltimore Maryland – Mount Washington Village Association – Business listings and photos for Mt Washington Village restaurants, dining, shops, art galleries, professional services, hair salons, health and wellness businesses. –
Ten Hills Live in Baltimore - Ten Hills
Westgate http://www.livebaltimore.com/neighbo...list/westgate/

Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland, MC are expanding to create a world class biotechnology city. The Red Line plus State Center Project should be great for the city.

There is a lot of opportunity here.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by omgwhydothat

Why exactly does Baltimore suck? Well this question can be answered a thousand different ways, and that my friends, is why exactly, Baltimore sucks. You see, you can say, well you know, because of "blank","blank" sucks, about pretty much any city in America. For example: Because of the outrageously, overaggressive parking ticket campaign, Philadelphia sucks. Now let's go back to Baltimore. You can say Because of, "blank" a thousand times, and this is why you can say, flat out, Baltimore sucks!

Okay, to be fair, we need to start with a cohesive and realistic set of facts, so I have studied everything from the FBI reports for the city to my own personal experiences, and have judged, and weighed the facts to come up with the top ten facts that make Baltimore suck;

1. Baltimore is the most rat infested city in America, topping even New Orleans, before Katrina killed a lot of them.

2. Baltimore stops selling alcohol at 1:30 a.m. to insure everyone is out of the bar by 2:00 a.m.

3. Baltimore is always in the top three if not top two spots in the country for Homicides.

4. Baltimore is always the top city for Homicides, when weighed per capita.

5. Baltimore had the worst public school system, on all levels, nationwide, when weighed per capita.

6. Baltimore has a never ending supply of Police brutality, rudeness, and incompetence. Even as far as to endanger citizens lives, voluntarily, for no just cause; this is my favorite story to date: Couple Arrested For Asking For Directions - Baltimore News Story - WBAL Baltimore.


7. Baltimore has possibly the single most useless public transportation system in the whole entire first and second world. Still, I am sure that in some third world countries you can get from one part of town to the other via a public transport of some kind, easier and on a more cohesive system.


8. Baltimore and its surrounding areas are the prime example of why and how exactly gentrification does not work.


9. Baltimore has the worst city planning development record since 1994. And that was everything, designed and built after Camden Yards, which is quite possibly the best baseball stadium in the world, and almost since day one, has had a losing team playing in it. That, topped with the fact that no one outside of New York or Boston comes to games there anymore, and that’s to watch their teams play for cheaper tickers; so much cheaper that traveling 5 to 7 hours, and staying overnight is cheaper. Ask any one of those baseball fans where they stay and its within 3 blocks of the stadium or harbor, where most of the hotels are and then ask them if they planned on going to see a show at the Meyerhoff, and they will laugh at you, instructing you to please leave them alone, as they do not wish to be asked to leave the neutral zone of the Harborplace complexes without military assistance.


10. Property taxes in Baltimore City are actually almost twice those of the second most expensive place to live in the country, San Francisco (2.268% to 1.163%). What's worse, while Baltimore City chooses to stay with the State minimum wage, which is the National Minimum wage, three dollars less than San Fran, ($6.55 per to $9.36 per). So while Baltimore residents pay twice the amount in property taxes they are forced to make almost three dollars an hour less, which translates to almost ten dollars an hour less than most jobs in the market place. This is not where it stops; I averaged the cost of one hundred, two bedroom apartment listings, from the San Francisco Chronicle and the Baltimore Sun. The average apartments in both cities are almost identical, landing in the $1350-$2100 a month rent, with both cities having apartments available for $685 a month, however when you google map the two different addresses you would be terrified to live in the area that the two bedroom in Baltimore is listed. Here they are: 1100 Anza Street, San Francisco, California 94118, and 517 N. Carrollton Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21223.

So now that the facts are out there for you to decide, let's delve into more personal problems you may find with the city, if you are content, making less, working harder, paying more, and living in a far less desirable neighborhood. The only entertainment districts in the city worth going to are either the gay district, known as Mt. Vernon, (that according to even the local homosexuals, gets boring quickly, since there are five bars, two clubs and the ghetto on either side) or the new East Harbor area (which up until the last five years was abandoned warehouses and bums, which have politely moved for the yuppies and now envelop what was once a decent pub crawl area, and the now faltering Inner Harbor). The gay district is clean, but muggings happen often after the crowd thins out, so you need to get out of the streets promptly at last call, which makes all the after hours events rendered useless. You can walk around this area all evening, but again once there are few out, your chances of getting robbed are very high, even in this posh slightly upscale area. Finding parking here is actually A LOT easier than anywhere else in the city, but you do need to be careful, because on the edges are some not very desirable places to live.

I worked in the Harbor and lived in the gay district, for three years often walking home after midnight, but before the bars closed. I was only mugged two times, and a third time a bum aggressively asked me for money, forcing me to remove his aids infested hands from my jacket with force, needing to punch him away more than once, fearing he would spit on me and destin me to a life of disease, I ran home and vowed to baby Jesus that I would never walk home again. The next day at work, I was called a ***** by a girl who lived in Bolton Hill, a neighborhood even closer to the Ghetto, because she had been mugged three different times that summer and her roommate who worked with us was raped the other week, that’s why she didn’t come in, shame to, she was forced to quit her work because of it. The East Harbor has an astounding resemblance of the Lower Manhattan Greenway waterfront area, but please do not get your hopes up. Unfortunately, the top three restaurants in the whole city are located within two blocks from each other here, two are adjacent on the same street, and all are run by the same people. They also own the only wine shop in the area, and the only decent one in the whole city. That alone should say enough, but let's delve even deeper. All of these restaurants, and the other few dozen that have sprung up in the last five to ten years, are either overpriced, corporate, have small portions, mediocre offerings, or are just plain boring, and filled with way too many overpaid, useless executives from the county. Still this is the best the city can offer. You see the Fell's Point area and the Federal Hill area are also surrounded by the Ghetto and now are overrun with underage, pimple faced, and useless walking sperm. The sad thing is the areas are geared toward them, not even the young twenty something art crowd, if that’s your cup of tea, be prepared to buy a bullet proof vest and a glock kid, cause that area is in the Ghetto, surrounded by the Ghetto, and scares the **** of most people, well at least at night.

Quite the imagination going here. Let's take these one-by-one:
1. Rats: Well, for starters: We're #1! (In Rat Attacks) - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events
If you have any documentation stating Baltimore is Number 1 for rats, I would sure like to see that one. (People need to get out more).
2. Stopping the selling of alcohol by 1:30 is pretty much the norm all over except for a few select cities.
3. Can't knock ya there. Yes, Baltimore's homicide rates are very high. Right now, #2 in the country for cities over 500 thou.
4. Nope. This one your wrong on. There are quite a few cities in the country with higher rates per capita. New Orleans I believe is on top, although it's a great town.
5. This is another one of those "made-up" statistics people love to throw out. The fact that Baltimore has been recognized as making major gains in the schools goes unmentioned. Again, people need to travel a bit and learn about school systems in the country.
6. Not even going to bother with this one. Police brutality? Hmmm. Sounds fishy considering the news occuring in other places about this issue. Rudeness and incompetence. Perhaps one is looking in the mirror?
7. This is the most bizarre accusation yet. Baltimore's transit system in not the envy of NYC or DC but it certainly is better than most (90%) cities in the country. (Sadly true).
8. Gentrification or whatever you want to call it works perfectly fine in this city as evidence by many neighborhoods. (Mine being one of them.)
9. City planning based on Oriole attendance? This one speaks for itself.
10. Property taxes are high here. I agree. Highest? Nope. Ever met anyone who loved paying taxes?
Not sure what your motivation is. Glad you got a chance to vent. Just don't state your "opinions" as facts and I am fine.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by jonjj

10. Property taxes are high here. I agree. Highest? Nope. Ever met anyone who loved paying taxes?

For the record, I have never rmet anyone from anywhere who doesn't complain about their property taxes.

[ToneGrail]

Originally Posted by carolott

Funny -- I was robbed at gunpoint in a "good" neighborhood last week. Turns out that two of the three people who robbed me live there...or used to, and still have friends/family there.

It irks me to no end.

If you don't mind me asking, what area was it?

[omgwhydothat]

Originally Posted by jonjj

Quite the imagination going here. Let's take these one-by-one:
1. Rats: Well, for starters: We're #1! (In Rat Attacks) - Gothamist: New York City News, Food, Arts & Events
If you have any documentation stating Baltimore is Number 1 for rats, I would sure like to see that one. (People need to get out more).

Actually i said BEFORE KATRINA I should have made that more PROFOUND- In 2004 we had more than new orleans, or any where else in the US, congrats for the city ACTUALLY doing something for once, my bad, because what I found before said it was still really bad.

2. Stopping the selling of alcohol by 1:30 is pretty much the norm all over except for a few select cities.

Your wrong - point blank - States that sell past 2- alabama,alaska,hawaii,nevada,newyork,tennesee,wisc onsin Cities that seel past 2 - atlanta,austin,bloomington,indianna,buffalo,chicag o,cleveland,columbus,indianapolis,louisville,miami ,pennsacola,florida,tampa, and d.c.


3. Can't knock ya there. Yes, Baltimore's homicide rates are very high. Right now, #2 in the country for cities over 500 thou.

this is the WORST statistic, by far, anyway, your point is fading fast....

4. Nope. This one your wrong on. There are quite a few cities in the country with higher rates per capita. New Orleans I believe is on top, although it's a great town.

actually, your right I read that wrong, and rechecked, we are always in the top ten at least, if not five though.

5. This is another one of those "made-up" statistics people love to throw out. The fact that Baltimore has been recognized as making major gains in the schools goes unmentioned. Again, people need to travel a bit and learn about school systems in the country.

not made up, baltimore did have the worst all the way around, but yes they have improved the learning aspect, but Baltimore still has the one of the highest school crime rates, last year I belive baltimore was second only to d.c and chicago being tied.

6. Not even going to bother with this one. Police brutality? Hmmm. Sounds fishy considering the news occuring in other places about this issue. Rudeness and incompetence. Perhaps one is looking in the mirror?

Are you kidding, you dont know me, dont make such pathetic assumptions, read the article, I would never recommend out of towners asking for directions after that b.s.

7. This is the most bizarre accusation yet. Baltimore's transit system in not the envy of NYC or DC but it certainly is better than most (90%) cities in the country. (Sadly true).

I'd like you to show me that statistic if you dont mind.... and i guess I was spoiled living in manhattan

8. Gentrification or whatever you want to call it works perfectly fine in this city as evidence by many neighborhoods. (Mine being one of them.)

You must be lowincome, black or latino, or both, because I was just walking up Charles street, Friday and walked past the red square at 12:30 and an arrogant young piece of trash black kid, stood in front of me and asked me"you okay ? over and over, blocking me from walking past, his friend actually said to him, just chill, let him walk by, and as I did the city hood trash, said loudly, "thats right, dats what I'm talking about, you in da hood" this is the pathetic crap I'm talking about.

9. City planning based on Oriole attendance? This one speaks for itself.

Not what I said AT ALL, read what I wrote, it was pretty clearly written, I said that the stadium was the last project that the city planning desgined with success, I'm not even explaining myself, it's obvious you didnt understand it the first time.

10. Property taxes are high here. I agree. Highest? Nope. Ever met anyone who loved paying taxes?

I didnt say highest, again read what I wrote it was pretty clear. San Fran is the second most exspensive city to live in, yet Baltimore has twice the property tax rate. What was so unclear with that? How did you get I said the highest? But since you opened that can, then fine, google the rates, baltimore is higher than new york city, chicago, san fran, la and boston... gee somewhere MUST be higher....either way, what was your point saying noone like to pay taxes, we all get that, but why should baltimore be so much higher than most cities?

Not sure what your motivation is. Glad you got a chance to vent. Just don't state your "opinions" as facts and I am fine.

My motivation is to save out of towners from moving to this god forsaken city

[fakeeyes]

omgwhydothat

Thanks for posting. Your histerical opinion-as-fact filled posts always remind me of the person I never want to become. Bitter and scared and foming at the mouth is no way to go through life, son.

I'm glad to hear that your current alias is leaving Baltimore since hopefully this means's that I will see less of your irrational one sided posts on the forum. I just feel sorry for the folks on the board in the city where you'll end up. Your attitude on hear tells me that you won't be happy where ever you go.

Oh, and I know that I'm feeding the troll by asking, but how did you know that the "bum" that "agressively asked you for money" had "aids infested hands ". Stay classy omgwhydothat, and watch out for that paranoya, it's a bigger crippler than any of the perceived fears you mention in your posts.

[carolott]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

If you don't mind me asking, what area was it?

Sorry for the late response -- I was in Ridgely's Delight.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by omgwhydothat

My motivation is to save out of towners from moving to this god forsaken city

I'd say, based on your response, that your motivations extend beyond some altruistic urge to help others.

[jonjj]

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
List of U.S. cities with high transit ridership - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The transit statistics that the troll above wanted. Why do I bother?

[Woodlands]

interesting experience omg...... I am sure many have said and heard this 100 times.. but unfortunately.. YES.. you have to be careful in the City. As one who commutes out of Penn Station and frequents North Ave and Charles Street on foot as part of that commute.. there is generally a wide cast of characters that make the scene in this area. U can however see the area changing before your eyes. I was part of an army of commuters, bureaucrats, technogeeks and artists marching up Charles Street and North Ave from Penn and watched a couple of local panhandlers and some would be corners thugs stare in wide eyed flat fooded amazement and they were engulfed in the stream of change that may not have existed on this street ten years ago. Of courses the evening wears on the dynamics change though North between Charles and Maryland Ave is rapidly changing. Was on my way to the station today and a guy said..."hey man hey man...u from otta town?? Let me holla at you for a second..." as he beckoned me closer. I was certain it was a prequal to a request for a handout...glanced at him as if No hablo englais...and kept walking... Now at 1am in the morning.. a different approach may have been needed.. oh yeah I forgot.. I wouldnt be there at 1am....