22 year old considering Baltimore after graduation (Mayo: crime, college, move)

[mwooden]

grew up in baltimore

the wire is real...but as long as you don't do, or sell drugs, you won't even run into these people in the day time, maybe only at night clubs (but that's any city)

Baltimore City is a fairly expensive city to live in...to live in any of the "quirky" towns about 1, 000 for a 1 bedroom apartment is average....small townhomes (most are historical and georgeous) retail for 500,000 being the cheapest....

great places to go...artsy....gorgeous....fellspoint, canton, boston street, oh and they are developing harbor east...but as far as being a liberal arts major...i guess you'd work in the school system and public schools are horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

the students beat up the teachers (recent news stories), there are police officers and cameras that monitor the hallways, kids are in gangs, and most are "lost" in a sense.....

every city is the same all over the world i have come to recognize...they all are amazing and boring at the same time....

the summers here are gorgeous tho..the inner city is the BEST TO JUST CHILL......

[Grace E. Honeywell]

Here's some things you might like to know about Baltimore:
It's hot and sticky in the summer; it's gray, cold, wet and miserable in the winter. You have to travel hours to get to the beach. No one goes out in the winter. After my return from Sydney, Australia's climate, winters here have become intolerable.
Parking can be a problem and very expensive. Mass transit is available, but not in all places and not always when convenient. For example, where I live, there is a bus that comes once in the morning and once in the evening. After certain hours, mass transit is not safe.
Baltimore City consists of the Harbor (very expensive) with the housing projects in the next blocks. There are still a few small tight neighborhoods left, usually made of ethnic groups such as Italians, Slovaks or Greeks. But large portions of Baltimore are boarded up or have been torn down. Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is in the heart of Baltimore, is basically building it's own town. Hopkins University is in a nicer area, but there are some safety issues there. The public schools are a national disgrace.
The population of the city itself is shrinking every year. Baltimore is now smaller than it was before WWI. Car insurance is much higher than in the County. Taxes are higher than in the County. Many people have to drive to the County to grocery shop as many shopping centers, grocery stores, etc., have closed.
Safety is a BIG issue - especially at night.
Housing: I believe that unless you live at or near the Harbor, which is extremely expensive, nice housing is much farther out. It's not cheap, either. In our area which is considered a less expensive area,townhouses are about $1,100+/month, and apartments start at around $800-900.
And in spite of it's size, I discovered after being away for many years that Baltimore is really a "hick" town.
If you decide to come, just be careful where you decide to live and play.

[baltimore's best]

Originally Posted by Grace E. Honeywell

Here's some things you might like to know about Baltimore:
It's hot and sticky in the summer; it's gray, cold, wet and miserable in the winter. You have to travel hours to get to the beach. No one goes out in the winter. After my return from Sydney, Australia's climate, winters here have become intolerable.
Parking can be a problem and very expensive. Mass transit is available, but not in all places and not always when convenient. For example, where I live, there is a bus that comes once in the morning and once in the evening. After certain hours, mass transit is not safe.
Baltimore City consists of the Harbor (very expensive) with the housing projects in the next blocks. There are still a few small tight neighborhoods left, usually made of ethnic groups such as Italians, Slovaks or Greeks. But large portions of Baltimore are boarded up or have been torn down. Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is in the heart of Baltimore, is basically building it's own town. Hopkins University is in a nicer area, but there are some safety issues there. The public schools are a national disgrace.
The population of the city itself is shrinking every year. Baltimore is now smaller than it was before WWI. Car insurance is much higher than in the County. Taxes are higher than in the County. Many people have to drive to the County to grocery shop as many shopping centers, grocery stores, etc., have closed.
Safety is a BIG issue - especially at night.
Housing: I believe that unless you live at or near the Harbor, which is extremely expensive, nice housing is much farther out. It's not cheap, either. In our area which is considered a less expensive area,townhouses are about $1,100+/month, and apartments start at around $800-900.
And in spite of it's size, I discovered after being away for many years that Baltimore is really a "hick" town.
If you decide to come, just be careful where you decide to live and play.

WOW, pretty negative vibe. How long have you live in Baltimore? Have you personally had any issues?

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by Grace E. Honeywell

Here's some things you might like to know about Baltimore:
It's hot and sticky in the summer; it's gray, cold, wet and miserable in the winter. You have to travel hours to get to the beach. No one goes out in the winter. After my return from Sydney, Australia's climate, winters here have become intolerable.
Parking can be a problem and very expensive. Mass transit is available, but not in all places and not always when convenient. For example, where I live, there is a bus that comes once in the morning and once in the evening. After certain hours, mass transit is not safe.
Baltimore City consists of the Harbor (very expensive) with the housing projects in the next blocks. There are still a few small tight neighborhoods left, usually made of ethnic groups such as Italians, Slovaks or Greeks. But large portions of Baltimore are boarded up or have been torn down. Johns Hopkins Hospital, which is in the heart of Baltimore, is basically building it's own town. Hopkins University is in a nicer area, but there are some safety issues there. The public schools are a national disgrace.
The population of the city itself is shrinking every year. Baltimore is now smaller than it was before WWI. Car insurance is much higher than in the County. Taxes are higher than in the County. Many people have to drive to the County to grocery shop as many shopping centers, grocery stores, etc., have closed.
Safety is a BIG issue - especially at night.
Housing: I believe that unless you live at or near the Harbor, which is extremely expensive, nice housing is much farther out. It's not cheap, either. In our area which is considered a less expensive area,townhouses are about $1,100+/month, and apartments start at around $800-900.
And in spite of it's size, I discovered after being away for many years that Baltimore is really a "hick" town.
If you decide to come, just be careful where you decide to live and play.

I imagine after a return from living in Sydney, Baltimore would seem rather small and beat up. Sydney truely is a beautiful city and the government of Australia invests in it's cities unlike ours. There are a few statements you made I take issue with. One is the whole driving to the burbs thing for shopping. I never do that. There are more grocery stores and conveniences in the city than there ever were in the past. I live withing walking distance of a Safeway and a Whole Foods along with numerous other stores. Also, the city has the public markets which I thoroughly enjoy. And... the farmers market in downtown and Waverly. There is a Home Depot for hardware needs and if I need to hit a box store, Walmarts south of Federal Hill and soon to be Targets at Mondawmin. I never go to the burbs for anything anymore with the exception of garden stuff once in a blue moon.
Is the city really still shrinking? That issue has also been done to death with material to back up both sides. I guess we will know in the next census but I see many neighborhoods booming. Parking is an issue in any city. If you think Baltimore is bad, give Boston a shot.... And... I am not sure you live in the city because most of it is served by at least bus lines... Once in the morning and once at night sounds to me like a county issue. Also, most of the "housing projects' around the harbor have been torn down or revamped. Hmmm--sounds to me like you have a bit of discovering to do.
Oh---and the public schools.... I do believe there is not one city in this country that can claim that as not being an issue. Once again, Baltimore is not alone and our schools share many problems with other cities. Not that it is right and something has to be done about it but I actually think they are better now than 20 years ago. You're right about them being a "NATIONAL DISGRACE". Hick compared to NYC--yes----compared to most other cities--no.

[baltimoreterp]

Figured I would weigh in here. I am a recent college grad (2006) and have moved down to Baltimore since finishing college at UMD. I live in Pigtown and have found that it was a very good move. From an economic standpoint, Baltimore is a place where you can live comfortably while making an entry-level salary. I am able to pay rent, utilities, food, etc and still go out and make a few college loan payments. There is certainly a very active young professional social scene as well. If you don't mind some urban issues (which are present in every city around the country) around town, you can have a real good time and gain a solid financial footing in Baltimore.

[rudy_d]

Re: whether Baltimore is a "hick" city or whether it's affordable, it's all relative. It depends on where you're coming from and what you're comparing it to. If you're coming from the south or midwest, Baltimore probably seems very expensive. If you're coming from the west coast or other northeastern cities like NYC or Boston, it seems pretty cheap. Likewise, like jonjj said, Baltimore may look like a "hick" town if you compare it to NYC, but I think it's a lot more cosmopolitan and has more cultural and educational amenities than many other large American cities.

[GoodCompany]

I think Baltimore has a lot of charm (no pun intended) All of the neighborhoods have their own identity. Some neighborhoods have a younger crowd with lots of restuarants and bars, some neighborhoods have really great architecture, others have homes with big bay windows that display Mother Mary and stuffed animals (check out the area near Eastern avenue and Patterson Park).
Baltimore is great in the summer. There are so many festivals and the inner harbour is beautiful. As far as crime, you have to use common sense and know what your comfort level is.
Good luck!

[Cathalain]

I am a life-long resident of Baltimore and as such have seen all of the "renaissance" efforts of the 70's and 80's. Currently, this city is going through a seismic shakeup as far as attitudes and lifestyles.

Baltimore used to be much, much "worse" than this as far as crime goes. Despite all of the negative media attention here lately, this is actually a fairly safe area to live in, I feel. You do want to be careful as to what neighborhood and even what address you decide to reside, as it's an odd pattern where one block might be safe and another might not be.

Some tips that I've found useful to recommend to those who don't know this place:

- If you see flashing blue lights on corners, it's a good idea to stay away. These are attached to the lampposts up high where people can see them - they're police surveillance cameras. These are usually indications that it's either a very bad neighborhood, or you're about to go into one. If you must drive through (and it's more or less impossible to really avoid if you're going to travel a lot through the city), make sure your doors are locked good and tight and try not to hit red lights.

- If you're going to move here, I would highly recommend that you do not, do not, do not send your children to city schools. This pains me to say, because I myself am a graduate of the city system and I loved it when I was there - but times have changed. The city schools are extremely dangerous now, even the elementary level. And the quality of education isn't worth squat. Save your money and send them to parochial or private schools - you'll thank me later on.

- The racial disparity is a lot larger than you think here. It's not openly expressed, but there are a great deal of very nasty, ignorant people here. A few quick reads on forums will show that. Unfortunately, a few "bad apples" have poisoned the barrel, so to speak, and a lot of people don't see that it is indeed just a few. I'm not saying that it's a reason not to live here - but just be aware of this, it's an undercurrent of very nasty attitudes and thinking that does exist.

- Do be ready for insane taxes and not much getting done with your money. Unfortunately, that is sadly true and has been for quite a while now. The roads need work, the city services are more or less a disaster, and we have a mayor that unfortunately doesn't quite seem to know what to do. However, enough people complain and that'll change in due course.

- This is indeed a quirky kind of town in its own way. Baltimore natives will know what I mean by that - all I have to do is mention Elvis, Jimmy's, Don and Marty, Bethlehem Steel and John Waters. You'll know who was born here and who wasn't fairly quickly.

And do have fun. This city can be and is a right trip if you approach it in the right way.

[baltimore's best]

Originally Posted by Cathalain

I am a life-long resident of Baltimore and as such have seen all of the "renaissance" efforts of the 70's and 80's. Currently, this city is going through a seismic shakeup as far as attitudes and lifestyles.

Baltimore used to be much, much "worse" than this as far as crime goes. Despite all of the negative media attention here lately, this is actually a fairly safe area to live in, I feel. You do want to be careful as to what neighborhood and even what address you decide to reside, as it's an odd pattern where one block might be safe and another might not be.

Some tips that I've found useful to recommend to those who don't know this place:

- If you see flashing blue lights on corners, it's a good idea to stay away. These are attached to the lampposts up high where people can see them - they're police surveillance cameras. These are usually indications that it's either a very bad neighborhood, or you're about to go into one. If you must drive through (and it's more or less impossible to really avoid if you're going to travel a lot through the city), make sure your doors are locked good and tight and try not to hit red lights.

- If you're going to move here, I would highly recommend that you do not, do not, do not send your children to city schools. This pains me to say, because I myself am a graduate of the city system and I loved it when I was there - but times have changed. The city schools are extremely dangerous now, even the elementary level. And the quality of education isn't worth squat. Save your money and send them to parochial or private schools - you'll thank me later on.

- The racial disparity is a lot larger than you think here. It's not openly expressed, but there are a great deal of very nasty, ignorant people here. A few quick reads on forums will show that. Unfortunately, a few "bad apples" have poisoned the barrel, so to speak, and a lot of people don't see that it is indeed just a few. I'm not saying that it's a reason not to live here - but just be aware of this, it's an undercurrent of very nasty attitudes and thinking that does exist.

- Do be ready for insane taxes and not much getting done with your money. Unfortunately, that is sadly true and has been for quite a while now. The roads need work, the city services are more or less a disaster, and we have a mayor that unfortunately doesn't quite seem to know what to do. However, enough people complain and that'll change in due course.

- This is indeed a quirky kind of town in its own way. Baltimore natives will know what I mean by that - all I have to do is mention Elvis, Jimmy's, Don and Marty, Bethlehem Steel and John Waters. You'll know who was born here and who wasn't fairly quickly.

And do have fun. This city can be and is a right trip if you approach it in the right way.

Pretty long list of negatives to end with "have fun." Typically, I like to accentuate the positive and overlook the negative. Sure it's here, but let people find out on their own. I've read posts from people who've lived here a long time and never experienced a crime. So why point it out?

[Cathalain]

Because one must be realistic as far as living here. Sure, Baltimore can be a fun place to live - but I'd rather have people know the negative side as well as the positive, else they end up a statistic.

If one really wants to be negative, you could go to Baltimore Crime on blogspot and get seriously depressed.