Moving to Downtown BAltimore: Saratoga 222 (Mount Vernon: apartments, city hall, to rent)

[PLD]

I'm moving to Baltimore and looking for a place to rent. I looked at several places downtown and I like my deals best at Saratoga 222. I looked up opinions online there is much for this place. Anybody has any experiences with this building? How is the neighborhood?

Thank you in advance!

[barante]

I remember that building in its previous incarnation as the Department of Housing and Community Development. Very close to City Hall; walking distance from the harbor.
There is very ltitle surrounding neighborhood, unless you count in the various office buildings. A spring-and-summer-time draw is a farmers market every Sunday underneath Jones Falls expressway. A totally nice place to spend an hour and see how many of your friends you meet there.

[PLD]

Thank you for your insight! How safe is the area around the building?
(especially if I want to walk to the inner harbor!)

[barante]

Safety is a very personal concept. I have lived in Baltimore -- with an eight-year interruption -- and nothing has ever happened to me. And as a newspaper reporter dealing with the city I venture to brag that I have been to more bad places at all hours of day and night than most anyone else, cops excepting. I used to work a couple of blocks from 222.
In the daytime safety is no issue, particularly if you use Calvert Street. I would avoid Guilford Avenue. In fact, I think that I could walk from 222 to Harborplace without incidents most nights. But reason suggests that would not be prudent behavior.
In general 24-hour institutions like the ever-expanding Mercy Hospital have improved the frequency and visibility of policing and private security patrols.
I don't know anything about you. If you are young and the rent is right, this would be a wonderful, central location. You can walk from 222 to Charles Steetand Mount Vernon, although most of that is uphill going. Good luck.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

When you become a local, you will find little reason to visit the Inner Harbor. I suggest looking at some of the apartments in Mount Vernon. There is more to do in the area for non-tourists and you could walk to the harbor from there. Some really nice luxury apartments, too, which seems to be what you're looking for. I suggest Craigslist.