Baltimore vs. Portland, OR (Owings Mills, Riverside: best cities, townhome, neighborhoods)

[carolott]

Originally Posted by Be More

NYMTMan.....can't say I agree with that. There are plenty of schools to choose from that aren't hell holes. Those that live in Penn. and commute to Baltimore are scared of their own shadow. Thats unfortunate.

I certainly can't agree with that, either. I would be an irresponsible parent if I sent my son to a bad school, and we're quite pleased with what he's learning at his current school...which is a public school.

For those who live in PA and commute every day -- enjoy that commute.

[Be More]

Originally Posted by carolott

I certainly can't agree with that, either. I would be an irresponsible parent if I sent my son to a bad school, and we're quite pleased with what he's learning at his current school...which is a public school.

For those who live in PA and commute every day -- enjoy that commute.

Thats what I am saying Carol...there are public schools in the city that parents can choose from. Fed Hill, Hampstead, Roland Park, Thomas Johnson, Patterson Park, Midtown, etc....

[carolott]

Originally Posted by Be More

Thats what I am saying Carol...there are public schools in the city that parents can choose from. Fed Hill, Hampstead, Roland Park, Thomas Johnson, Patterson Park, Midtown, etc....

LOL - I was disagreeing with NYTMan. You and I are in agreement.

[bawlmer]

Can't believe this discussion: Baltimore vs. Portland, OR? Please. Cross Baltimore off your list. Read the posts carefully, they usually go something like this, "Baltimore is great- except for the..." You can fill in the blanks, crime, murders, trash, schools, etc.

[lind1550]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

Crime is minimal in both Portland and Denver, and while Baltimore has plenty of safe neighborhoods, the city also has ghettos on a depth and scale that would be unimagineable to any resident of Portland/Denver.

As someone who is very familiar with both Portland and Denver and currently living in Maryland, I would agree with the above statement . . . although I think the idea of a "safe neighborhood" would be much different in Baltimore compared to Portland or Denver. Everything is relative. Honestly, I could never imagine calling Baltimore home at this point.

If you're looking for biotech jobs, know that Portland is not a hub of biotech by any means . . . lots of lab tech jobs at research hospitals with a very small number of actual companies with higher paying jobs. If you can find a good biotech job there, Portland could be absolutely wonderful . . . but hopefully you like that job because finding another may not be easy.

I would guess that there are many more biotech jobs in Baltimore and if the crime is too high for your taste, there are other housing options like Columbia nearby.

Good luck with the move.

[Scudder]

I can't beleive you haven't checked out Baltimore in person -- a cheap SW flight to BWI from Providence is about $110 and takes a little over an hour -- make a weekend of it. Baltimore is pretty much an east coast city with a heck of a lot warmer weather than Boston (and much cheaper). If you basically like Boston, but want warmer and cheaper, you'll love it. Can't speak for Portland, but I do know flights to visit family and friends back east will be long, expensive and rare. Oh, btw -- Baltimore is one of the top 3 cities for Biotech. oh, and microbrews -- Brewars Art in Mt. Vernon - outdoorsy parks, camping stuff - 45 minutes from downtown, cheap housing -- going up, but can still be found, especially compared to Boston.

[Jbiz]

I grew up in Baltimore, but have lived in Chicago, NYC, W. Mass and now Boston. I stayed in Portland for two weeks once, and came away impressed by the city.

Baltimore is much more of an East Coast/Brick City kinda place. Much bigger than Portland, faster paced, more rude, rougher crime and people.

Baltimore has a lot of very nice neighborhoods, especially near the water. It also has beautiful historical architecture in places like Mount Vernon.

Baltimore is a smaller version of Philadelphia.

Portland is like a cool little boutique city. Great little bars, cute, safe neighborhoods, friendlier people.

Portland has a cool punk rock, alternative, tattooed burlesque stripper kinda vibe.

Portland's not very diverse.

To me Boston seems to have elements of both cities. It is somewhat isolated from the rest of the East Coast, and as such has a different, definitely New England vibe.
It's much safer and cleaner than the East Coast cities south of New York.

But, the people and the architecture are definitely similar to it's more Southern cousins like Philly, Baltimore, DC.

If you want to be in a place, like Boston, that has little crime but a lot of cool culture, I say Portland.

If you want a more typical East Coast experience architecturally, culturally, and pace wise, I say Baltimore.

[MassVt]

.. I agree with your statements about Boston in comparison to Baltimore. Boston IS different from other East Coast cities, such as NYC, Philly, Baltimore and WashDC. It is more expensive than Philly, Balto and DC, but it's much cleaner and much less crime-ridden.

Baltimore, in feel and appearance, IS just a smaller version of Philadelphia. Both consist of miles and miles of row houses, many of whom are in bad condition and in need of rehab and/or bulldozing.Both cities are just simply downtrodden, and in parts, repulsive. Boston has its share of problems, mainly the expense, but it's much more liveable than the Mid-Atlantic cities.

Chicago--now that's a great city....

[thegrandjess]

i would add that portland has more strip clubs per capita than any other city. it definately has cute quaint safe parts but it also has dreary drab gray uncomfortable parts, and a lot of them, more of them probably than of the other parts.

[J. Milliard]

I lived in Baltimore in the late 90s and have never in my life endured such hell. Don't do it!! I spend my summers in Portland which is an incredibly beautiful place but there are really no jobs there. I ended up going to a temp agency and was promptly sent to work in a parking garage. A young woman who moved there from California told me that in Portland you can be an artist but you may not find work.