Relocating to Baltimore and scared as hell!!!! (Elkridge: house, rent)

[rudy_d]

I'm not defending jaywalking--and I see a lot of it in this city--but there are also a lot of aggressive drivers who refuse to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It's very difficult to cross at some intersections because even if you have a walk sign, drivers who are turning will refuse to yield and will often honk or swear at you (if a driver does yield, the cars behind him or her will often start honking). Even though it's illegal, it's sometimes easier to cross outside the crosswalk.

[dalpal]

You know this stuff doesn't happen just in the inner city...I'm in Parkville and on our street there are a few kids in their teens who play basketball in the street and refuse to move when you drive down the street. They give you all kinds of attitude and frankly they scare the heck out of me. I won't honk at them because I'm afraid they will cause damage to my property. I haven't had any really bad stuff happen in the 25 or so years I've lived there but there have been plenty of people nearby who have. The crime on our street is mostly shed and car break ins but I hate living there. If I didn't have anything holding me to the area I'd leave in a minute...but loved ones, job, friends...it's tough to walk away from all that.

This whole area is filled with so much animosity toward others, anger, and such a sense of "me first"...

[jonjj]

Like every other city, Baltimore has both good and bad areas. I live in the Patterson Park area. I love it. Yes, there is some crime and all of the negatives that go with living in the city. But, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The walking is wonderful. The commuting is a breeze. Most of my neighbors are fine. It seems to me most people who don't like Baltimore, don't live in Baltimore. It has come a long way from 20 years ago.

[JDCATONSVILLE]

Catonsville is really a nice place in Baltimore Co. to live I have lived here almost all my life I'm 37 years old. Actually it's funny I'm in the process of relocating with my job, I'll be moving my family to Merrill,Wisconsin in about a month. Which means my house is up for sale if you are interested it can be viewed at VisualTour if you have any further questions regarding the house or the area please feel free to let me know.

[msritajd]

I am relocating to Baltimore from Baton Rouge, La. and I, too, am scared as hell. Originally, I was to move to DC but my job moved me to Baltimore. I, too, am a single female, 30 yrs old, and looking for something around 1200/month. Everything I seem to find in my price range has a catch like being in a questionable neighborhood. In the nicer neighborhoods, I would have to shell out about 2,000/month which I refuse to do. To make you laugh a bit, one rental agent told me this: "Well, since you've graduated from law school, that changes things, we would love to show you our penthouse which starts at $6,500 month!" Is she crazy? This search thing is tough and getting tougher. I feel your pain!

[Caseysmom66]

Originally Posted by stillnewlyweds

Just thought I would post a lil update about good old Baltimore. Three days ago while driving with my husband, son and 8mth old infant...4 teenage girls were jay walking RIGHT INTO THE LANE OF MOVING TRAFFIC. I had the green light so I continued driving...because I refused to yield to them weaving in and out of moving cars...I blew my horn at them....what do you think they did...cussed at me, and threw bobby hair pins with the plastic coated tips rips off...into my vehicle striking my baby in the face. I spun my vehicle around and my husband and son chased them down on foot...where to? Right into the homes they lived in. One girl jumped through a window..the others hid in the bushes. We waited on the front porch, with the naive and angry grandparents of the juvenile, in DENIAL. I called the cops and waited until they were all cuffed and a confession out of the guilty party was out. WHAT DOES THE GRANDMOTHER SAY?????? "THE BABY AINT EVEN HURT, LET IT GO".....No I am not letting it go, it could have been a glass bottle, what if next time it's a rock...or a stick??????????


Two days later now I get in the mail a lovely letter from the Juvenile District...."we are not pressing charges..." BULL.

Baltimore City is a dump, avoid it at all costs. Baltimore county is getting bad, due to the moving in of section 8's and low rent types.
The people that complain about racism are full of baloney. People from the city move into the county and bring with them their 'hood' way of life, Trash, loud noise late into the night, I could go on and on for pages. When we complain, we are racist. The incident the poster describes above happens all the time.
The city 'people' are best avoided and left to their own.

[jonjj]

I cannot believe all of the craziness on this thread. I have lived in Baltimore and raised my son in Baltimore (private school) for over 20 years. I have lived in many neighborhoods rehabbing homes and then on to the next when the money flows in. In that 20 year time, I have witnessed phenominal changes occuring in Baltimore. Currently I am living in the Patterson Park area (past two years). I have never had a problem with crime and my car is parked on the street with never having an issue. I walk for a hobby and have done so through many of the neighborhoods: up Charles all the way to the county from downtown, over to Fort McHenry, all through the southeast side and downtown. There are plenty of great neighborhoods throughout the city. Yes, Baltimore has a high-crime rate but the old adage: "You play with fire, you get burned" holds true. Most of the victims of crime and I mean 95% are drug-related or family squabbles. Seldom is an innocent person affected. And... the crime is contained in that many neighborhoods of Baltimore City are actually safer than the surrounding suburbs. I got news for everyone who deals with prostitutes and condoms and drugs. Hello???? Those issues are in every city. Try living in NYC or Boston (places raved about for how wonderful they are) and you will see these negative things also. I know because I have been there and done it. Baltimore's population is expected to increase and it's racial composition hasn't changed at all. If it has, there may actually be more non-blacks in the city then there were 10 years ago. Why???? Entire neighborhoods are being bought out by former suburbanites and out-of-towners looking for nice places to live. Yes, Baltimore does have it's drawbacks, like any other city. But considering where it has been and what is going on now, the positive changes are remarkable. (new department stores downtown, new movie complexes, entirely new neighborhoods, park clean ups and yes, even the city schools are slowly improving (test scores have been steadily rising). I will end this rant with this assumption: Many folks who wrote so many negative comments on here do not live in the city or they are trying to defend their suburban homestead because they see the writing on the wall. Why move to suburban Catonsville when all I hear from coworkers who live there tell me that it is becoming drug-infested. Why live in Arbutus when I hear the same thing about that. As many of the neighborhoods in the city continue to improve, folks pushed out have to go somewhere and guess where they are going??? hehehe. I also think a lot of comments were racially motivated including some of mine. I apologize for that. But I will simplify it to help your decision: If you do not want to live in a neighborhood that is racially diverse with many people hoping to see a better day, move to the burbs. Oh, one other thing: you are moving from Houston and you are somewhat fearful of Baltimore???? That alone makes me wonder if you are genuine or not. I have been to Houston and I will leave it at that.

[mmichael]

Fells Point area is trendy and hot and seems to be for you. Canton is another possiblility for you if you like the bar scene on the weekends. The corner bars are within walking distance, and both neighborhoods are extremely dog friendly. The Canton area has dog parks that are gated in and seem to be kept up well. Boston Street is great for young people who like to excercise through bikeriding, jogging, and running. There are condos available also nearby. This is a happening place and I feel you would love it seeing to it that you are single and your mid-twenties.

[textingfromlexing]

Originally Posted by emsgoof

I think the discussion has morphed from the original episode into a generalization...
I do see more jaywalkers in Baltimore than any other city I've been to. And they dare you to run in to them (ie- looking right at you while they step in front of you in the middle of the block!)

We are looking at you to make sure you are stopping.

The worst of it is that not only do you have the audacity to stink up the air, disrupt the peace and quiet, and put pedestrians in danger with your 1000+ pound vehicle, but you expect pedestrians to move out of your way too! People in cars take way more than their fair share of public space. I'll be damned if I'm going to let one person take up the space of 10+ people and block my path.

Originally Posted by Rikrich

Hi, I lived in Baltimore City from 1990 to 1999 and strongly advise you to live in BALTIMORE COUNTY. The crime rate in the county is NOTHING COMPARED TO BALTIMORE CITY. Check out Towson, Parkville or Cockeysville. There are some decent neighborhoods in Baltimore City, but they are few and far between. Avoid West Baltimore like the plague, and East Baltimore is not that much of an improvement either. When I lived in the city, the homicide rate was about 325 per year. I do not recall the exact stats, but the murder rate in Baltimore city has gone down to about 275, which isn't much of an improvement. Oh, you might want to check out Dundalk. I lived there for 3 1/2years before I left Maryland nearly five years ago. I suggest you do a Google for Baltimore County, Maryland and get some information. If you want to hang out downtown after work, check out the Inner Harbor, or Fells Point. Good luck to you.

Oh boy, that's the kind of thinking that's destroying America's cities while putting more and more people in danger every day.

The suburbs are not safe. The high speeds presented by suburban driving is significantly more dangerous than inner city crime, even in a city like Baltimore:
Mortality Risk Associated With Leaving Home: Recognizing the Relevance of the Built Environment

[ghoyah]

You sound just like me when I first came to DC. I couldn't believe the nation's capital was so beautiful in some places, then the pits a few streets over. Baltimore has many good spots and has something for everyone, but unless you are a diehard city dweller, stay open to the surrounding cities/counties---it's about a 20 minute drive from Laurel to Baltimore. Columbia, Jessup and other cities put you that much closer.


George