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Old 09-23-2009, 11:40 AM
 
239 posts, read 756,304 times
Reputation: 137

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Arrive late on Sunday night and check into my pet-friendly Inner-Harbor hotel. Staff was awful for the entire stay. Not really a slight on the city. I'll save my commentary on details of the hotel b/c my wife works for a competitor.

Really excited at this point b/c I'm finally here and the truck w/ my stuff is coming on Wednesday.

Monday: A much needed rest after the packing, and loading from the previous week. I did very little but walk the inner harbor and sleep. Drove through downtown to my house in Canton to pick up keys and do a walkthrough. Drove/walked around Canton. Really nice neighborhood. Parking is a real mess though.

Traffic was about the same as any other big city but the construction in places was just stupid. Surprised to see so few ways and alternate routes in and out of downtown. The walking was nice, and that night I saw my first city-bunnies (giant rats). Got a fish sandwich across from my hotel, and was really surprised at the quality of service and the sandwich.

Late on Monday I find out my stuff isn't coming until Friday.

Tuesday: Worked remote most of the day. Shipped some stuff. Walked inner-harbor and downtown a lot. Daytime there is really nice. Lots of nice people walking to the game. That was great to see, and reminded me a lot of the time I spent near stadiums in other cities. In Dallas you have to drive everywhere, and the city doesn't get that gameday buzz.

Wednesday: Wake up early, hotel is a total pain in the *** to get checked out. Finally get my first day in the house. Need a place to keep the cats until stuff shows up so I take them to the new house. Cats head right for a hidey-hole in the basement behind the furnace. Finally drag them out, and decide the basement is not for cats until I can secure it... more to come on this.

Meet all my neighbors. This is something else I'm totally not used to. Baltimore people hang out in front of their houses. To me, this is totally odd. But, everyone was super friendly, eager to talk and offer help. A neighbor popped out w/ a package that had been left for me (my DSL modem) and let me know all about her. Fantastic experience. Really fits w/ what I've experienced so far. Baltimoreans love to talk, and love to get to know the people around them. Go to Locust Point Wal-Mart for cleaning supplies. Wow, that was an adventure. What a crowd.

First night out in the city. Ate at Sullivan's. It's just like everywhere else, right down to the art on the walls. Quality meal and service. Should have picked something local.

Thursday... The day from hell.

Show up at the house to do some cleaning. Find mouse crap under the sink. Thank goodness it's empty. Set some traps, and get a hit. No more mouse. Closed up the gap that was letting the bugger in. Haven't seen/heard anymore since. Hear the cats whining. They've managed their way into the basement again despite me securing the door. Dear lord, they're stuck behind a concrete wall in a 5 foot deep pit separating us from the neighbors. It's all bricked over but a 4 inch gap at the top between the wall and the subflooring for the ground floor. After 12 hours of trying to rig something to get them out it's time to call for help. Got the worst run-around ever from 311, 911, direct calls to the fire department, animal control... everyone I talked to. "That's not my job, and I don't care about some stupid cat" was the direct quote from the first call to animal control. Totally disorganized and sad. The city phone numbers, and web sites are worthless. 30 hours later I coax the cats up a ramp I had managed to build from a trip to Home Depot. Finally get a call from Animal Control "We'll be there in an hour"...Got a call from their supervisor >yesterday< asking us when he could send a crew out. An hour turned into almost 6 days.

Take the wife to O'donnell street after picking her up from work. Cats still in wall. Note to self... avoid President's Circle at all costs. Who the hell designed this? Got home.. no parking anywhere. Finally find someone leaving and snag their spot. My truck fit with about an inch on either side. Probably pissed off someone bad when they had to get out. Turn in the mirrors so they don't get snapped off, and empty the vehicle so it doesn't get jacked.

She had no idea we were so close to the square. Got great food, great drinks and a great time. Came home to cats eating wet food at the top of the ramp I built. Night saved. Cats get rehydrated, etc.

Friday:
The movers show up. Couches won't fit. Take the doors off. Couches won't fit... not through a window, not through a door. Take the sliding door off, and thank you FSM, they fit in the house. Now the stairs. Despite careful pre-measuring, they don't fit. I'm an inch off and it's just not happening. Finally wedge one upstairs. Now I have a couch in my living room half of one in the dining room, and half upstairs in the den. Not the end of the world. Get drunk off my *** sitting on the roof and looking at the water.

Saturday: Life is good, I have my stuff, I drive my wife's car. What the hell is that noise? It's terrible. Take it to Firestone on York expecting to replace bearings in the hubs. Nope, she's let the brakes go so bad since she's been here w/o me that I now I have to put on new rotors. So much for unpacking. Nothing but good things to say about Firestone. The drive was exciting too. The numbered streets through Greenmount really show you some Baltimore Got some Kung Pao chicken from a take out place while waiting for the car. Disgusting.

Saturday night I go to Claddagh's to watch my Longhorns. This place is great, but shots in plastic dixie cups? Seemed odd considering the Stella came in real Stella glasses, with a perfect pour. Whatever though. It put the whiskey in my stomach. Great food, and great crowd. Polite drunks shouting at the top of their lungs. My kind of place. Head to Cosmopolitan, and it's a little laid back for my mood. I'll be back there on a weekday. We decide to go home and sleep.

Sunday: We tour East of home. The drive down Eastern through Greektown is nice. We needed some storage stuff, so it was Sears, IKEA and Bed Bath and Beyond. More unpacking, and life is good. Getting ready to head back out of town on a contract. Suitcase is MIA. Seems to have not made it on the truck. Joy. Try to find a car service, and there's a surprising lack of sedan/towncar service. Guess I'm cabbing it.

Ravens fans are an inspiration. Never seen such rabid fans. I can hear them from my house and they are several blocks away. More into the game than any other city, including Philly. Ravens fans are awesome, and I'm on the verge of converting

Monday morning..
cab service doesn't show. Manage to actually flag one down from a rival co. Don't know why they were out at 5 AM, but they were great. Got their card, and he'll be my regular driver. BWI on Monday is great. Not a complaint here. Decent enough staff for a major airport on a commuter morning.

Overall thoughts:
If you've never lived in a city, Baltimore could be scary. People dart across the street, hang out in packs, and look generally menacing. It's a hard, East Coast city. The homeless isn't as bad as I thought, and the bums aren't either. To me, cities like Vancouver are way, way worse. They shoot up right on the street there. The beggars aren't nearly as aggressive as they are in Dallas. Some dude threw a rock at my car driving down Greenmount and ran when he noticed I saw it was him.

The city really is charming. I hate to use the cliches but it's like Austin's crabby grandfather. Lots of partying Ravens fans shouting as loud as they can and high-fiving the strangers next to them. People say excuse me, allow ladies to go first, hold doors, and say thank-you. I'm very impressed with everyone I met in Baltimore save my hotel staff, and the rock throwing coward City staff was crap, but they are city workers. I had low expectations. The drinkers and mixers are in squares where there's nice sidewalks, and places to sit. Grass and trees are great to see. Don't get a lot of that in my old neighborhood besides the park. Baltimore parks make Dallas parks look bad. I didn't know trees could be so pretty. Can't wait for the color change. I've got my camera ready.

Very, very walkable city if you don't do something stupid and be out later alone than you should. If you're walking alone, along a bar strip, after close in any city, you're asking for trouble.

I did notice that there's a lack of 30-somethings. Seems you're going to school, or lived there your whole life. Not a lot of professionals seem to be living in the city. Guess that's what Towson and Catonsville are for.

Streets and traffic aren't bad if you don't set yourself on a route. Know you have to dart directionally to avoid traffic. "I know I need to get NW, that street's open, let's try it." If you're printing google maps at home, and trying to read and drive, you're going to get in a wreck. Also, people in Baltimore, for the love of FSM, "No Red Turn 7am to 7pm school days" means you can turn all the other hours and days. One more thing drivers, if you let the bus out of its stop, it won't block the intersection or both lanes when it's time to pull away. That 3 seconds of your time will save everyone behind you two light cycles. Quit cutting them off.

Probably TL/DR for most, but I needed to vent.

Last edited by KennyP; 09-23-2009 at 11:56 AM..
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Old 09-23-2009, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Portland, Maine
4,180 posts, read 14,543,236 times
Reputation: 1673
Welcome to Bmore, Hon! (That is probably politically incorrect to say but what the hell).

You will soon notice no more mice now that the cats have taken up residence; which is why many folks have them in the city, including myself. Make sure you check the basement out fully before allowing the cats back down there.

The Shell on Fleet Street has great mechanics and is close to you.

Don't worry about parking millimeters from the other ones. Everyone does it. Be prepared for a few scratches in time. It happens. (why I always buy white cars).

No box spring story? That's good news. I know many who move here with box spring only to find out that can't get it up the stairs. But, the good news--they sell cheap box springs that work right in the neighborhood.
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Old 09-23-2009, 06:04 PM
 
239 posts, read 756,304 times
Reputation: 137
I had prepared for the box spring, and picked a reno that had a queen in it when I viewed. That was very carefully measured prior to choosing the place
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Old 09-24-2009, 09:51 AM
 
Location: Bmore area/Greater D.C.
805 posts, read 2,148,739 times
Reputation: 253
glad you are enjoying your experience!!

restauarants in Canton and nearby:

Italian subs/deli Dipasquale's:

Di Pasquale's Italian Marketplace - Baltimore, MD

Pizza: Isabella's in Little Italy, Pasta Mista in Canton for NY Style, people love the Towson location the canton one is new
Italian Deserts : Vaccaro's in Canton and Little Italy
Seafood : Mama's on the Half Shell in Canton

samos for Greek in Greektown

for restaurants in Baltimore Fells Pt and Mt Vernon have the most
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Old 09-24-2009, 10:54 AM
 
258 posts, read 1,007,589 times
Reputation: 60
Welcome to Baltimore..the good and bad. Love it here. As far as 30somethings...there are plenty, as I fit in that category, too. In fact, my wife and I were commenting that sometimes thats all you see.

I am a Husker fan from NE. I hope your Longhorns don't do well..sorry.
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Old 09-24-2009, 04:33 PM
 
Location: Punta Gorda, Florida
171 posts, read 619,920 times
Reputation: 73
Talking I have a great tip for you...

when I moved to Bmore, I quickly realized I had a number of things that I couldn't use in the new house. Some furniture, books, stereo components, dishes/plates/pans, lamps, CDs,records,knicknacks, etc. What to do with them??/ I put all the stuff out on my pickup truck overnight and presto! All gone in the morning. And I didn't have to pay to have the stuff taken away!!! I didn't get too much action on the dishes and plates, though. It was because most people in town appear to eat out of KFC buckets.
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Old 09-24-2009, 04:48 PM
 
Location: un peu près de Chicago
773 posts, read 2,617,584 times
Reputation: 523
Default My first week in Baltimore as a resident (long and rambling)

To KennyP:
I enjoyed your post. It's always interesting to read a newcomer's take on the town. Write more of your observations if you get the chance. You have a knack for grabbing a reader's interest.
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Old 09-25-2009, 06:16 PM
 
1,207 posts, read 2,798,089 times
Reputation: 778
Quote:
Originally Posted by Be More View Post
Welcome to Baltimore..the good and bad. Love it here. As far as 30somethings...there are plenty, as I fit in that category, too. In fact, my wife and I were commenting that sometimes thats all you see.

I am a Husker fan from NE. I hope your Longhorns don't do well..sorry.
Wow- this is a change from Big Red! Enjoy the East Coast, but don't expect to get Big 12 football scores.
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Old 09-26-2009, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Maryland
298 posts, read 995,488 times
Reputation: 238
I'm glad your neighbors are friendly. I am finding that people in my neighborhood (Glen Burnie) pretty much keep to themselves and can't be bothered meeting new neighbors.
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Old 09-26-2009, 04:19 PM
 
Location: La Crescenta, CA
418 posts, read 1,728,273 times
Reputation: 334
Thanks for the post. A couple of comments:

-- People hanging out in front of their houses, eager to talk. Yep. This is one of the key characteristics of the city. I knew and chatted with everyone on my block and the next. Here in California, I know the names of the neighbors immediately to the right and left of me, and occasionally wave, and other than that... nothing.

-- Not being able to get a couch up your narrow rowhome stairs. Sorry, but I had to chuckle at this -- because I went through it too, as has just about anyone who's ever lived in Baltimore. Who here has gotten a couch 90% of the way up the stairs... only to find out that IT JUST AIN'T HAPPENING???

-- Regarding the cats and the odd little places in the rowhouse: I've had a few things like that happen. They're old houses and you learn the nuances. To me it's much more interesting than living in a new place, b/c you definitely develop a relationship with your house.

-- 311/city services problems. Sadly, I have to say that the city government is largely useless. I had an ongoing problem with a neighbor's trash and called the city multiple times to have it addressed. (This was after I had politely raised the issue with my neighbor...then angrily raised the issue with my neighbor... to no avail.) Finally, I got them cited after calling every day for 9 days in a row. I did notice that when I tried to be nice, they blew me off; when I turned into a d-i-c-k, I got results.

-- Ravens fans: The BEST!
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