Is negative info helpful? (Baltimore, White Marsh: crime rate, house, neighborhoods)

[bawlmer]

After being pummelled in this forum for months, maybe this is where I should have started. Here's the deal. After living in Baltimore for 2 1/2 years my experience so far has not been pleasant. Maybe yours has, but mine hasn't. I've had my house broken into, my daughter robbed and assaulted in Patterson Park in broad daylight on a summer Saturday afternoon, 2 locked bicycles stolen, another daughter's 1994 Toyota window broken out. I find the streets filthy, the Canton waterfront is a mass of floating trash and city services are unresponsive. That has been my experience and I don't understand why people are so angry when I post my experiences and those I read about. I wish I had heard some negative before I moved to Baltimore, maybe my expectations would have been lowered. Maybe I didn't look into the city deep enough; and that's my fault. But I think people should hear both sides. It's clear people are concerned given the number of posts seeking information about "safe" areas. But to tell people Patterson Park is safe flies in the face of reality. A safe park is not one where cops get shot, kids are robbed, intoxicated men harass women. And don't tell me "crime happens everywhere." That's a rather obvious statement without much relevance and misleads people into thinking crime in Baltimore is no worse than anywhere else. I know there has been great progress on the murder rate this year. But, most people don't face being murdered. They face other serious crimes that disrupt and sometimes ruin their lives.
So my question is, is information on negative Baltimore experiences and news stories helpful or not? If honestly informing people is not the goal of this forum then I accept that, and thanks for the experience. If on the other hand some of my posts help people avoid negative experiences, then gimme a break.

[sobo16]

I'm really sorry to hear that you've had so many negative experiences in Baltimore, and I hope one day you can find a place you truly enjoy living.

I think it's a good thing for people to see both sides of Baltimore, good and bad. Not to speak for everyone on this forum, but I think a short, sarcastic, negative tone angers people. A blanket "don't move to Baltimore because it sucks" is not helpful, but sharing your experiences is helpful and might help people think of things they haven't considered. The people who like Baltimore don't post on here and say "move to Baltimore, it's fantastic". They do their part to highlight the many positives of living here while acknowledging that this is not utopia.

[jonjj]

I have no problem with people not liking Baltimore or any other city for that matter. To each his or her own. But, an ongoing ficticious mantra where the same old information is repeating time and time again without equal representation for the positive is not only boring but downright misleading. Baltimore's homicide rate is over a 20 year low. That is positive news. Other crimes in Baltimore are comparable to most other cities. As I daily walk through downtown and it's neighborhoods, I do not find Baltimore to be any more trash-ridden than DC, Philly, Boston, or New York. I have never had a negative experience in Patterson Park and I use it daily. Again, urban living is not for everyone. It is best for people with a suburban mentality to live among the strip malls and commute.

[bawlmer]

Originally Posted by jonjj

I have no problem with people not liking Baltimore or any other city for that matter. To each his or her own. But, an ongoing ficticious mantra where the same old information is repeating time and time again without equal representation for the positive is not only boring but downright misleading. Baltimore's homicide rate is over a 20 year low. That is positive news. Other crimes in Baltimore are comparable to most other cities. As I daily walk through downtown and it's neighborhoods, I do not find Baltimore to be any more trash-ridden than DC, Philly, Boston, or New York. I have never had a negative experience in Patterson Park and I use it daily. Again, urban living is not for everyone. It is best for people with a suburban mentality to live among the strip malls and commute.

I agree (and stated so) that the homicide rate is improving and that is good news. But, I'm a little surprised you think there is not equal representation on the positive side. You alone have over 1,200 posts and the sentiment in the rest of the forum is at least 10 to 1 for the positive side (sometimes more). I can't possibly have that much influence. I guess my biggest difference of opinion is that some people equate urban living with acceptance of crime, trash, poor government services, etc. I think cities can be better than that. I hope Baltimore can.

[westsideboy]

The negative information has never bothered me. As Sobo said it is more the short sarcastic attitude and flare for melodrama (my personal favorite was, "As the normal people leave Baltimore, all that is left are the predators and their prey...) that lead to negative responses. I have found many of your recent posts, including the one that started this thread enjoyable and useful.

[DvlsAdvc8]

Baltimore has a high crime rate. Anyone with google can learn that fact... but it also has areas that are just as safe as any other city.

I used to live in New Orleans, another city with a high crime rate - yet I still chose to do so because it had character. Baltimore also has a certain flavor to it. You may like it, you may not... there are certain places in any city, that I won't go to, much less live.

[bawlmer]

All points well taken. I will make an attempt to scale back the sarcasm, although it's my nature to be sarcastic. My feelings about Baltimore haven't changed, but maybe I can find more informative ways to express them. On the other hand, some folks who post to this forum are exceedingly thin skinned. There has to be room for a little "tongue-in-cheek" wit now and again. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Good luck and keep your head down!

[Lumerian Feast]

I think it's helpful to be realistic and balanced. A lot of people are of the opinion that once you cross the city line, you'll get robbed; not so. There are plenty of good areas. By the same token, I've seen plenty of people (on these boards and in "real" life) go the complete opposite direction, where they insist that any claim of danger is just racism or classism or just being a suburbanite. There's definitely a lot of crime in Baltimore. There's a way one should and shouldn't act in the city, and there are places you shouldn't go. There are definitely some people in denial about the fact that Baltimore has some of the worst ghettos in America, and any sane person should just stay out of them.

Also, living in Baltimore is definitely a personal taste thing. There are some people who just shouldn't live there; they'll be miserable. Same as there are some people who should just not live in White Marsh. That's not a value judgment, it's just a fact. Many people will ask "Why should I bother learning where to go and where not to go? Why should I assume that a certain amount of crime will be a part of my life?" It's a very legitimate point, and I'd never tell someone "you SHOULD like it here."

Then there are those of us that love the town in spite of its ills. Even though I moved to the other side of the country for work, Baltimore City will always be home to me. But Baltimore County, I don't care if I never see it again. Just a personal preference.

[medfieldbum]

Bawlmer---I couldn't agree with you more. I've lived in Baltimore pretty much all my life (oh, a couple of years or so), and I grew up around Patterson Park. So I know the area pretty well, though I don't live there now. There are some posters who believe that all of Baltimore is just wonderful, and you just gotta "get in on it". However, all depends on your penchant for risk. If you're a big city person who's not scared of anything, then crime and safety don't matter. Most of life is tradeoffs, and most of the city living is tradeoffs.
We choose to live in the city because we don't like driving thru suburban sameness to everywhere, and we like the positives of most areas, but at the same time are very much aware of crime.
If posters live near Patterson Park and think it's wonderful, that's great; it's especially great if nothing has ever happened to them. We wish that were so; but sometimes it's not true for all of us. But to tell a young single woman that a neighborhood mentioned is "perfectly fine" when it is not, is borderline irresponsible and unethical.

We wish it weren't so, but despite the recent dramatic drop in murders, Baltimore remains one of the highest crime cities in the country. People need to be aware of that and factor that in with the other positive factors of an area.

[bawlmer]

medfieldbum, I couldn't agree with you more. I think it's important for those considering a move to Baltimore to see that there is another side and to some that other side is pretty bad. Likewise, there are people that think most of Baltimore is pretty cool. Neither side should be stifled.