Undergrad Moving to Baltimore: Safety? (lease, crimes, hotel)

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by collegemom1234

Thank you so much golden age1. Good ideas.

Maybe you also need to check that your daughter has a secure way to carry cash. Other students may not hesitate to steal loose cash, and there are still pick-pockets out on the street. A back-pack is not very good, so find something like a cross-body bag that won't embarass her, and is also a good container for a credit card and the phone.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

I am not sure the area around JHU is significantly safer. I also doubt that Peabody will change their rules for one student.

I also think it is important for a music student to have contact with other music stidents.

I hope you plan to accompany your daughter to campus and see her surroundings. I suggest that you and she agree on a set of rules for her to follow. For example: - Do not give money to beggars. - Do not text on the phone while walking on the street. Make it clear that you will not replace a stolen phone if she was irresponsible about it. But don't make the rules so tight she can't enjoy herself.

I also think you ought to meet the person who is the head of the dorm. They might be called the resident adviser. It might be reassuring.

I think the dorms right next to the Homewood Campus (which are sort of on-campus) would be a little safer than Mt. Vernon. Further from campus, there is probably no safety advantage. The large (city bus sized) shuttle buses run from 33rd Street, stop at Peabody and other places, and end up at the Hospital Campus. I'm not sure, but I would guess that JHU runs other transportation at less busy parts of the day. The Purple Circulator also run between 33rd Street and Peabody on its way to downtown and Federal Hill. MTA also runs several bus routes in the area. All and all, there is no lack of ways to get from Homewood to Peabody!

All of that said, criminals like to target college students (particularly Hopkins students) because they tend to be less streetwise. In fact, acting streetwise can cause a criminal to move on to another target. She needs to walk fast, keep her eyes up, and make sure nobody is following her. No need to be paranoid, but you don't want to appear to be the perfect victim either.

[bufflove]

I'd assume JHU has a new student orientation that spends a chunk of time on safety/basic street smarts. It's not like your daughter is the first person to go to college in a city after growing up in the middle of nowhere. It's good you're looking into this and trying to get her up to speed on basic common sense practices, but no need to be "terrified." Odds are the worst case is she gets her phone or purse snatched if she doesn't take adequate precaution. Which would suck, but is hardly the end of the world. Honestly, I'd be far more concerned about her being naive re: trying hard drugs or binge drinking/being raped by a peer. That's probably much, much more likely than anything violent happening off-campus.

[baltplanner]

Here's the simple tragic rule you have to follow: being around poor black people is dangerous. Move to Canton.

[jlc058]

Not sure if anyone has said this yet but Fells Point is an extremely safe area and also really fun. I also moved here as a young girl living alone and lived in Mt Vernon and was not completely comfortable, not to mention felt pretty isolated from other young folks and fun bars and restaurants. When I made the move to Fells Point I was so much happier and felt very safe and surrounded by great people my age. I dont know about the Hopkins shuttle bus but you could take the regular Baltimore free bus that goes right from Fells Point to the campus-think it is about twenty minutes. I dont know what your price range is but I am moving to DC for work so my apartment is about to become available-it is two bedrooms so you could live with a roommate and the door to apt is also not right on the street which also makes me feel safer. It is a really great place to live

Originally Posted by vespertine

Hi everyone.

I accepted a research internship this summer on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus, and I'm currently searching for a place to sublet/share. After reading some of these posts about the safety of certain neighborhoods...I've got to tell you...you guys have scared me. Are there any safe places close to the Bayview campus? There's an apartment complex called the Marylander that was recommended to me, but its a bit pricey. Also, I found a reasonably priced apartment through craigslist on Park Ave in Mt. Vernon. The current owner claims its a safe neighborhood, but then again, she wants someone to accept her offer.

I'm a 21-year-old female from Maine who also happens to be short and thin, so a sketchy neighborhood probably isn't the safest bet. Any advice?

[BMoreJuice]

In and around Hopkins is probably your best bet to be honest. At least for the first year, let her get comfortable with the immediate area. She can then explore other parts of the city with her friends that year. The following year she can make the decision where she would like best.

[beecege]

Hi! I am a student from France that will be studying at JHU next year. I have been offered JHU housing (on E33rd street), but it is a bit out of my budget. I have been looking for alternative options and have found a somewhat cheaper place on St. Paul Street, right in between E28th and E29th. Would this be a safe place for a teen female to live?

[Borntoolate85]

I'd say this area is reasonably safe and close enough to JHU where security is good. It's centrally located between Charles Village shopping to the north, Old Goucher to the south, the Greenmont Ave. corridor to the east. The block itself is full of nice, turn-of-the 20th century rowhouses, with the west side having nice front porches, second-story bay windows, small front lawns, and the other side having more bay windows with basements. The homes are quite deep as well (around 25 m/83 ft, and at around 19 ft. wide based on satellite estimates, ) The CityLink Silver and Purple buses are a straight shot downtown and to Penn Station if you'd like to head down to DC or up to Philadelphia/NYC for the weekend. Druid Hill Park and Hampden also aren't too far if you'd like to walk a bit. This neighborhood has the makings of being one of the greatest in the city, though trans I'd be careful about venturing to far south and east as it can turn rough in just a few blocks. I'm not sure though if these are subdivided since the rowhouses are quite large on this block, around 4700 sq. ft not counting the basement.

[JamesInDC]

Be very careful if you ever take public transportation in Baltimore. If you get on at the wrong time and the wrong place, you are vulnerable to getting picked on and assaulted for no reason by groups of wild teenagers.

It happens ALL the time in Baltimore.

[Ginger34]

Even the nice decent areas are getting littered with shootings. Its everywhere...can happen anywhere. Just use common sense.

Bus stops aren't a big deal. Obviously nighttime is more dangerous. Go in groups, but if you walk alone, pay attention.

Honestly, it's not a big deal. I'm female, short, white and I went into the bad areas and nothing happened!