Relocating to Baltimore and scared as hell!!!! (Columbia, Towson: to rent, crime)

[edrican]

Im thinking of moving to the baltimore are also.I want to asume a job with the Baltimore city police.I dont want to live in the city due to the negative post I've read.But I do want to be in driving distance of under 30 min's.Im from NYC so Im kinda used to the traffic,but then sick of it.I would also would like to be close to public transportation so I dont have to depend on the car.My wife would have to find a job as well,so I just really need help on where to live or if it is the right decision to move to the Baltimore area?

[Mike from back east]

Ed.......welcome to City-Data. Hope you find lots of good data here.

For more info on commuting, go the top of the page for Baltimore and click on Search this Forum, enter search-terms like rail or commuting or whatever is your interest, click on Show Posts, then hit enter. Up will pop ALL the info on these topics which is already here, and there is a good deal. This will save you a lot of time, and the regulars here won't have to key in the same set of answers again.

There are light rail (MTA) and heavy rail systems (MARC) serving various parts of the city, and bus service. Parts of town are quite nice, still, I recommend Howard County, Baltimore County or Anne Arundel County, in that order.

s/Mike

[Mississippienne]

Baltimore blegh! Baltimore is one of my top two least favorite cities, the other being Jackson MS. I can never choose between them as to which is the worst. I don't think there's an area of Baltimore that is not a) the ghetto or b) within ten feet of the ghetto. Depressed, dirty, unsafe, unfriendly, you name it, B'more's got it. Because of all the abandoned and boarded-up rowhouses, you'll be in constant danger of a fire sweeping through your neighborhood -- sleep tight!

Also, everyone in Baltimore limps. WTF is with that? Drive down any street in B'more, you'll see at least 70% of passerby limping along.

[edrican]

Thanks allot Mile i'll check out the search.

[Emilyy]

A word on public transportation in Baltimore....before you make plans on where to live based on the availability of mass transit, please please come and ride the subway, bus, and light rail. It is very different than public transit in other major cities. I have had a couple of scary experiences on the Baltimore light rail, and unless the subways have changed in the past 5 years or so, they are better avoided as well. There is nothing like being trapped on the light rail while a major fight (I'm talking dozens of people, not a 2 person fist fight) is taking place right in front of you. Obviously, its useful for major events, like going to the baseball game or the state fair when its crowded, but its not exactly the most comfortable place in the world at other times.

I love going to NYC and Boston and being able to ride the metro. Its so convenient and fast, but Baltimore's metro is not the same. Don't take my word on though, check it out.

[jmw1299]

First, I would like to commend you for coming to B-more to be apart of our police force. Baltimore needs good, dedicated individuals to help fight crime in our city. I wish you the best of luck.

As for where to live- I would recommend the 21214 zip code, and 21206 near 21214. These are two family oriented, middle-class communities that are on the outskirts of the city. I'm a homeowner in the 21206 area, and I could not be happier with my location. I live on a quiet, street with Single family homes, but I'm only 20 minutes away from the inner city. The Rosedale area is also nice.

Are you looking to buy or rent a home? The inner city is going through major construction and reconstruction. I've lived in Baltimore all my life, and although I'm pleased with where I live, the crime in the city is getting real tough to deal with. I'm looking for a change for my family. We are looking at relocating to Katy, Texas. If you have any further questions about the city, please feel free to send me your questions. Again, Good Luck!!

[edrican]

Hey, Im very worried about moving to Baltimore but is it ok to raise a family. My wife will be looking for work, will she be safe traveling to work? Is the crime as bad as the show "The Wire", can I walk to the corner store with out any problems? What kind of crime do you have to deal with day to day? For some reason I feel fasinated with Baltimore (i dont know why) and i would like to live there or near it. I just don't want to make a wrong decision, cause I do want to start a family soon, so school, safety, economy is a big thing. I love New York,but its just so many people out here it drives me crazy. To me I feel safe in NYC, I can go to the store with no worries, go to the movies or bar. I dont want to make a mistake. Sorry for so much stuff, I'm just worried. Thank you...

[Emilyy]

If you're looking to be within a 30 minute commute of the city, there are a lot of nice areas. Towson, Timonium, and Hunt Valley are nice, normal suburbs within 30 minutes of the city. In the northern part of the city, there's Hampden, Mt. Washington, Roland Park. In any of these areas, you will be perfectly fine walking to the corner store. The city public schools, as well as many Balto county schools are pretty terrible. Typical crime in the city? I live in Hampden, which is considered one of the "nicer" city neighborhoods, with basic townhouses selling for $300k. Prostitution, drugs, and petty theft are typical, but we don't have the violent crime typical of other parts of the city.

Have you been to Baltimore? Its worth taking a look before deciding on a move.

[Zachariah]

[quote=jmw1299;161912]First, I would like to commend you for coming to B-more to be apart of our police force.

As for where to live- I would recommend the 21214 zip code, and 21206 near 21214. These are two family oriented, middle-class communities that are on the outskirts of the city. QUOTE]

Bingo! You need to really know where there good neighborhoods are located. I live in the 21214 area code and will vouch that the greater Lauraville neighborhoods are stable, middle-class communities filled with friendly folks that watch out for one another.

In fact, my neighbor is a former Baltimore city cop! Much of what has been posted about the city and the city government are true, unfortunately. And now, our mayor is going to be governor! Yikes. He's actually a resident of the Beverly Hills area, which is a nice place to live.

Frankly, I like the city. Some great restaurants and people are down to earthy. Maybe it's an indicator of how much I hate the DC area, but Baltimore was actually a refuge for my wife and I. I commute to DC using the MARC, and this was one of the few affordable options for us housing-wise.

[familysearcher]

Are you male or female? That would have some impact on the housing you are seeking.

Do you drive? (well, some people do not) and some people do not like to drive to the attractions like restaurants, clubs, theater etc, because they would like to have a few drinks and do not want to drive impaired. If that is the case you pretty well need to be in the city so a cab would not be out of the question. If you have no problems on this issue, you could live anywhere and get to the city in a car. Then, parking would be the problem!

Are you black or white, straight or gay? Like it or not there are differences in where people like to live based on their race and sexual orientation. There are areas of the city that are known for their "yuppie" factor, as being a nice area for young professionals, as being a nice area for black professionals, as being a nice area for gays. NOT that anyone cannot live ANYWHERE, but some people do like it better if they are in an area with a higher preponderance of people just like themselves.

And if that is a factor in your housing search maybe the best way would be to contact groups and organizations and ask people in those groups where THEY like to live. If you belong to a professional or religious or ethnic group maybe contact that group for ideas on where to live.

Do you like a house or an apartment or a condo? If you want a nice house with even mabe a miniscule "yars" and maybe a deck and maybe even some off street parking and if you are at all "creative" then Hampden would be a nice area. It is sort of artsy and lots of the row houses have a little yard, many have porches on the front and decks in the back. Some even have garages or may be near rental garages where yo can park with no hassle.

If you are interested in apartments in the city, maybe you would like the Mount Royal area or in the Park Avenue area, or Mount Vernon near the area around the main library, the Peabody, and a lot the restaurants etc. A lot of the apartments in that area are really large, with very high ceilings, and the area is sort of knows for its cosmopolitan ambiance. Again, in these areas parking might be a big problem.

Do you like the waterfront? The Fells Point or Canton would be a good area. And there are houses AND apartments in those areas that give a view of the water, have boat facilities and are very close to all the attractions and are fairly safe. Again, parking is a factor there.

Would you rely on public transportation to go to work? Where would you be working? In the heart of the city or in the suburban area? Tht could be a big factor in choosing housing. If you plan on using public transport maybe pick an area that has service close by, like the light rail. If you use the light rail you can have a fairly long 'corridor' to choose from for housing.

I think that in whatever area you choose you will have to realize that crime happens everywhere. But I lived in Baltimore probably half my life and the worst that ever happened was someone stole my weed whacker from my front porch (when I lived in Hampden), someone mugged my mother (also in Hampden) and some guy tried to get in a cab with me and rob me (in the downtown area. That is all, in about 30 years. So statistically it was not that bad. BUT I was aware that a lot of crime went on, and that drugs are everywhere, even in the "best" areas.