Maryland Vs. California (Baltimore, Silver Spring, Oakland: violent crime, house, neighborhoods)
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I am considering moving to Baltimore, from the bay area (California). I am scared because California is all I know, but it is time for a change, I also hear that John Hopkins has a really good med school program, and that is what I am interested in. Please help me gather some pros and cons to help me better my decision because i know completely NOTHING about Baltimore. thank you
Ah, Baltimore, the most underrated city in America (IMO).
I worked at the Johns Hopkins medical campus over the past few summers and I absolutely love it. If you want go there for med school it's not quite as simple as moving cross-county and knocking at their door and asking politely if you can enroll (if you know what I mean).
What is your educational background? Because there's a lot of opportunities for undergrad students to get their feet in the water (even if their not jhu undergrads), whether it be clinical or research oriented, but again I would not suggest moving cross-county just for that, I'm sure there are plenty of fine medical institutions in the Bay area. But if you do not have a college background and are not currently studying you most certainly would have some work to do. Again it all depends of your credentials and experience, which didn't really say.
As for just generally living in Baltimore, I can't really give specifics because I don't live there. What I can say is that the nice areas in Baltimore really are something to brag about; Homewood, Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Penn Arts District, Fells point are some really nice neighborhoods, with top-notch restaurants, music venues, bars, and other common urban offerings. However there is a very real and thriving gang and drug culture that does exist (not unlike Oakland CA). But from the time I have spent in Baltimore both as a tourist and commuter, I can say that it really doesn't interfere with quality of life for the majority of us working class citizens.
Last edited by Fissure226; 04-19-2010 at 07:45 PM..
Woops, that was a typo, I know how it's spelled, I work there .
Rule no. 1 to Maryland specific forums: Mind your "S"s, eg. Silver Spring not Silver Springs and Johns Hopkins not John Hopkins, Or there will be gnashing of key boards and mild strokes.
Ah, Baltimore, the most underrated city in America (IMO).
I worked at the Johns Hopkins medical campus over the past few summers and I absolutely love it. If you want go there for med school it's not quite as simple as moving cross-county and knocking at their door and asking politely if you can enroll (if you know what I mean).
What is your educational background? Because there's a lot of opportunities for undergrad students to get their feet in the water (even if their not jhu undergrads), whether it be clinical or research oriented, but again I would not suggest moving cross-county just for that, I'm sure there are plenty of fine medical institutions in the Bay area. But if you do not have a college background and are not currently studying you most certainly would have some work to do. Again it all depends of your credentials and experience, which didn't really say.
As for just generally living in Baltimore, I can't really give specifics because I don't live there. What I can say is that the nice areas in Baltimore really are something to brag about; Homewood, Mount Vernon, Federal Hill, Penn Arts District, Fells point are some really nice neighborhoods, with top-notch restaurants, music venues, bars, and other common urban offerings. However there is a very real and thriving gang and drug culture that does exist (not unlike Oakland CA). But from the time I have spent in Baltimore both as a tourist and commuter, I can say that it really doesn't interfere with quality of life for the majority of us working class citizens.
I always love opinions of Bmore from people who don't live here. Maybe if you put up with the trash filled streets, house and cars getting broken into, friends and neighbors being mugged, you'd change your opinion. That's not to say you can't have an opinion of Bmore. I just hope readers understand it's based the experiences of someone who spends a few hours a week commuting to and from Bmore.
Do Not move to Baltimore without visiting first. Baltimore is so different from any place I have been in California that it cannot be explained. You really need to experience it first hand. May and June are two of the best months of the year for visiting weather wise (also September or October) so you might consider coming for a week and getting a feel for the city. Baltimore has some very nice areas and a lot of very "not nice" areas. Not as laid back as California but, folks are more approachable than a lot of other east coast cities. The city has had a huge influx of people and new development, particularly in neighborhoods around the harbor so it is changing but, it also retains it's old "flavor" which I cannot articulate. Friends who visit from California are always amazed by the heat/humidity and overcast skies in the summer; the long winters and the insects (?) I don't really get why the insects are a big deal but I know a lot of folks from California who cannot stand the bugs here. The City also has a respectable rat population but, I think that is standard for most large port cities. You will hear a lot about the violent crime problem and drug gangs; all of which is true but avoidable for the most part. Racisim is alive and well here too; more so than many west coast cities. The plusses? Architecture is interesting; the harbor is nice; more interesting restaurants are coming to the city; nice parks in and around the city; live music scene is improving; and there is still a small town feel despite all the recent changes. Not my favorite city but it does have unique character. good luck.
I am considering moving to Baltimore, from the bay area (California). I am scared because California is all I know, but it is time for a change, I also hear that John Hopkins has a really good med school program, and that is what I am interested in. Please help me gather some pros and cons to help me better my decision because i know completely NOTHING about Baltimore. thank you
Well. I live here. Bmore is not California but then again, California is an very big place and Maryland is tiny so it would be difficult to compare.
First, they are both in the states so they are really not that different from one another.
So, if you are interested in attending Hopkins and if Hopkins has accepted you into their program, go for it. There really aren't that many better institutions to compare and once complete, you are set. Your future needs to be your first priority.
I get a kick out of one of the previous posters who claims that he doesn't understand why people leave comments about the city but yet, he continually leaves comments. I guess he is the only one allowed to participate. To address his concerns about non-residents leaving a comment about Baltimore, I can only say that one does not have to be a chicken to know what an egg is.
I have lived in the city for many years and share some of these feelings of angst about our city. However, I love it here and have found it to be quite accommodating. Yes, some of our streets have trash (unlike LA), some of our cars get stolen and broken into (unlike the rest of the country), there are muggings (unlike the world). But, I can say that in all the years I have been here-no problems. Is it different from SF? Yes, but not always in a negative way. Is it different from LA? Yes, but not always in a positive way. Is it different from other cities in California? Yes but not how one would assume.
Baltimore has some very lovely neighborhoods. It is rated one of the most walkable cities in the country. It has a great location and great train service for visiting other east coast cities.
Crime? If you keep your hands clean, you'll be all right.
I always love opinions of Bmore from people who don't live here. Maybe if you put up with the trash filled streets, house and cars getting broken into, friends and neighbors being mugged, you'd change your opinion. That's not to say you can't have an opinion of Bmore. I just hope readers understand it's based the experiences of someone who spends a few hours a week commuting to and from Bmore.
And responses like that are exactly why I wrote the sentence you bolded.....If you want to contend the specific examples I put down go ahead, otherwise please don't just say lack of experience instantly makes me wrong.
Oh, and by the way I have lived in suburban Maryland my entire life. My uncle used to live in Baltimore and as kid I would quite often sleep over at his house, and never once in three years of my uncle living there was either his house broken into or his car stolen. Furthermore, no one in the neighborhood was mugged, the streets were quite clean for a large city and the neighbors were very nice . I have a very good picture of life for the average Baltimorean. So please give me a break, before I die laughing.
Last edited by Fissure226; 04-20-2010 at 05:21 PM..
If you got into Hopkins the significant negatives of Baltimore shouldn't keep you from attending but if you think moving to Baltimore will have some effect on getting into med school you need to take your plan back to the drawing board. Baltimore is often described as love it or hate it. I don't hate it but I'm much closer to hate it than love it. There's plenty of threads here describing the good and bad of the city.
@fissure226 I have to agree. I'm pretty sure that @are you kidin me lived/lives on the corner Monroe and Edmondson, because that's the picture he/she constantly paints of Baltimore. By talking to him/her, you'd get the impression that the whole city is filled with racist gangsters rolling up to your house to rob it (nightly, at that), while annoying children ride giant mutated rats around the city littering the already "trash filled streets" with McDonald's wrappers.
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