Will I like Baltimore? (Dundalk, Catonsville: apartment complex, rent , work)

[nicole1986]

Hey.Im a 20 year old female and I was looking to move to baltimore.I will be attending Community college of Baltimore and i wanted to know if the school was in a good location.Does the city have great public transportation?Also opinions on what everyone though about the city? Would you recommend someone anyone to live there?How about the nighlife? Is there alot to do? anything would be great for me to know..I also wanted to move there because it wasn't far from New York,Philly and DC..as far as i have been told..thanks

[passdoubt]

Public transportation is not nearly as good as it should be. Baltimore is definitely not as much of a transit city as its peers in the Northeast (NYC, Philly, and DC). However it's much better than suburbia or cities in other parts of the country. Baltimore neighborhoods are however fairly small and walkable, so if you want to live in the city, you want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk to places instead of even needing to take transit or drive.

Nightlife is more working class, less pretentious than NYC/DC/etc. More affordable. Baltimore has its own "club" music that's kinda like Detroit House mixed with GoGo mixed with hip hop.

BCCC is out near Mondawmin Mall. That area is 95%+ African American and middle to working class. It's not a dangerous neighborhood, but it's not really a hip neighborhood either. Like most community colleges, BCCC students commute up there from all over the city and I don't think they really stick around after classes.

Oh, but you may be referring to Community College of Baltimore County? Note that the City of Baltimore is not in the County. If you're coming from another region that may be confusing. The County is the suburbs.

I would recommend you look at the Fells Point, Federal Hill, and Canton neighborhoods down on the water. They have bars and restaurants and things to do, although housing is a little expensive. For cheaper neighborhoods, try Charles Village and Hampden, which have Johns Hopkins students and are similarly vibrant.

[Prodigy7]

great public transportation. one of the best in te country. not so great city though. but their are spots. you just gotta find them

[emsgoof]

Originally Posted by Prodigy7

great public transportation. one of the best in te country. not so great city though. but their are spots. you just gotta find them

I know you're not referring to Baltimore's mass transit system..
Let's see...
A subway that has irregular service and doesn't tell you about the delays, or just kicks everyone off the train with no reason, and no supervisor at the station to explain it? A subway that has no problem making their blocks end on superelevated curves so you're sitting at some goofy angle for 10 minutes (more than enough time to go into the station before the next train is scheduled to leave). A subway line that goes nowhere? (Unless you're a resident of the NW section of the city or county.) It doesn't hit the major attractions downtown, unless you feel like walking a while. Dirty, dark stations. Yep, wonderful system.

A light rail system that only runs 1 line from north to south (while missing the major commercial area downtown?) and stops at every stop even though there's nobody getting on or off? Come on... you just double tracked the entire line, there's no reason to stop at every stop. It just adds to the time and wear and tear on the vehicles. Beat up shelters in various states of disrepair?

A bus service that you can stand waiting for 30 minutes, walk for an hour, and STILL not see 1 bus go by? It was faster for me to walk home today from the repair shop! No schedules posted at the stops so you have an idea of WHEN the bus is supposed to show up?

Baltimore USED to have a great streetcar system. Then they got rid of it, and have the garbage that's run by the state.

[barante]

In a city of rather limited transportation routes, the city's Community College is served quite excellently. The college has two campuses. Its main campus is on Liberty Heights Avenue. It also has a campus in the Inner Harbor, but it is expected to redevelop that land for more profitable uses.
I limit my comments to the Liberty Heights campus. Rent Barry Levinson's movie and watch it just to get the historical perspective right. It is a one- or two-stop bus ride from Mondawmin Metro station. Because of that hub bus lines fairly radiate out of Mondawmin. A shopping mall adjoins the metro station. It is in the midst of a huge expansion program.
If you are lucky you will find an apartment in a rowhouse on streets like Leighton, midway between Mondawmin Metro station and the college. Another possible alternative, a bit farther, is Carlisle Avenue near Lake Ashburton reservoir. I know there is an apartment complex there but that's all I know.
The community college has played a very important role in uplifting a succesion of ethnic groups in Baltimore. A curiosity is WBJC-FM, the college's radio station. It is the only full-time classical station in the big Baltimore-Washington market. An intriguing symbol for a totally urban college!

[corgi]

Are you referring to the Community College of Baltimore County or to Baltimore City Community College.

These two schools are very different and in very different locations.

[barante]

There is no Community College of Baltimore per se but a cluster of junior colleges under a common system, each with an individual name, location and administration. Such as Catonsville, Dundalk and Essex.
Taht said, it's time for nicole1986 to be more specific.