Single young woman relocating to Bmore for JHU job (Baltimore: apartment complex, lease) - Maryland (MD) - City-Data Forum

jaimiem · 04-27-2010, 12:49 AM

Hello everyone! I'm planning on moving to Bmore around August to start a job at Johns-Hopkins University. I'm from Hampton Roads in Virginia so I'm an East Coast girl born and raised. I am somewhat familiar with Bmore (my Aunt lives in Severna Park), but after researching the city I'm becoming quite discouraged. A lot of the posts on here date back to 2005, and I know that recently the city has undergone some renovations (like the harbor area). Have these renovations made any difference?

I'd like your advise on where to look for an apartment. I strongly desire to live in an apartment building with above average security and off street parking. I've been looking at Avalon Centerpoint and the Halstead at Guilford. I'm willing to sacrifice size for security. That being said, my price range is >$1400/month.

My main question for you: Plain and simple, would I be wiser to live in the suburbs? I've heard that the area around Towson is a good middle class area. The Bmore city neighborhoods I'm considering right now are Charles Village, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon.

Honestly I just want to live somewhere where I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder and fear that my car will get jacked. Neighborhood charm and walkability aside, what would you say are Bmore's premier neighborhoods and suburbs for safety?

are you kidinme? · 04-27-2010, 04:42 AM

If making a short commute doesn't bother you, the the burbs is the obvious answer. It's more affordable and the piece of mind is priceless.

GoPhils · 04-27-2010, 05:55 AM

More affordable? Isn't it cheaper to live in the city for the most part? Towson especially I don't know if I'd describe as "affordable."

However, $1400 a month is a decent-sized budget and can get you some pretty good places in Towson or some other suburbs (or the city).

That said, I'm not extremely familiar with the different sections of the city, and I know different parts are safer than others, but no matter where you are you're probably not far away from the unsafe areas, so even if you're in one of the safer areas, it'd probably be naive to not be looking over your shoulder (although nowadays you have to do that pretty much anywhere). So if safety is your #1 concern, then yeah, you might be better off looking in the suburbs.

Bong477 · 04-27-2010, 08:45 AM

I wouldn't rule out the city.

Living in a nice part of the city and nice part of the suburbs are probably roughly equal in cost. Affordable managed apartment complexes are more limited in the city however, you'll have more options in places like Towson and Columbia.

Federal Hill, Locust Point, Charles Village, Mt Vernon, Canton, Harbor East are all safe enough that you won't be constantly looking over your shoulder. Mt. Vernon is probably the least safe of the bunch, but its still acceptable, just have to exercise slightly more caution at night. All things being equal the suburbs are generally a bit safer and parking is less a hassle, but in Baltimore just being in the suburbs alone doesn't guarantee safety as there are some pretty ugly areas there too so you need to research your apartment complex before signing a lease, even in the suburbs.

If you are from Hampton Roads, the nice parts of Baltimore are about as safe as downtown Norfolk was around 2004 when I last lived there (that area has changed a lot at least cosmetically since then so I don't know how it is these days). The bad parts of Baltimore are worse than the bad parts of Norfolk, but in both cities you can live in the city and basically entirely avoid the bad areas although there is still spillage from the hood to the nice parts (bums wandering around, panhandlers, homeless people, smashing car windows to steal ipods left on car seats by careless people, rude employees with a strong sense of entitlement at the pharmacy/mcdonalds/grocery store/etc). Its all the kind of stuff you get in most east coast cities, but Baltimore is worse than average.

My take on Baltimore is it isn't great, but isn't hell on earth either. Its a tolerable place to live if you have a good reason to be here, but its not a place I would want to live entirely by choice.

jonjj · 04-27-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaimiem

Hello everyone! I'm planning on moving to Bmore around August to start a job at Johns-Hopkins University. I'm from Hampton Roads in Virginia so I'm an East Coast girl born and raised. I am somewhat familiar with Bmore (my Aunt lives in Severna Park), but after researching the city I'm becoming quite discouraged. A lot of the posts on here date back to 2005, and I know that recently the city has undergone some renovations (like the harbor area). Have these renovations made any difference?

I'd like your advise on where to look for an apartment. I strongly desire to live in an apartment building with above average security and off street parking. I've been looking at Avalon Centerpoint and the Halstead at Guilford. I'm willing to sacrifice size for security. That being said, my price range is >$1400/month.

My main question for you: Plain and simple, would I be wiser to live in the suburbs? I've heard that the area around Towson is a good middle class area. The Bmore city neighborhoods I'm considering right now are Charles Village, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon.

Honestly I just want to live somewhere where I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder and fear that my car will get jacked. Neighborhood charm and walkability aside, what would you say are Bmore's premier neighborhoods and suburbs for safety?

Unfortunately, I look over my shoulder anywhere. There are plenty of options of city-living that will be fine. If you are really concerned about crime, choose an area in the city that would be the safest-I guess Locust Point comes to mind or parts of Federal Hill. Although, there are plenty of folks in other neighborhoods who aren't complaining.

Dublin1 · 04-30-2010, 04:42 PM

Hey I recently moved here from Ireland for a Hopkins job and nearly let the nay-sayers put me off too. Baltimore definitely has problems and bad areas but unfortunately every city does to some extent you have to look over your shoulder in the problem areas of every major city (from Dublin to Baltimore). I presume you are moving to the Homewood campus? I have friends who live in Hopkins house- very near Homewood camous- and despite some bad words about it online they like living there. Its safe, secure parking and very affordable. If its the medical campus: I moved to Fells Point and couldn't be happier about the area. I chose a rowhouse but there are lots of very plush apartment buildings.
If you live in a city there will be rats and crime, if your smart about it you can limit your exposure to these things.
Welcome to Hopkins.

tsis · 05-02-2010, 06:33 PM

Hi Dublin... I was about to post a new thread, but since you live in Fells and work in JHU, you might be able to address my question. I found a nice row house on South Washington between Fleet and Aliceanna. Any opinions about this general area? I took a look at the Baltimore crime map and it doesn't look bad at all, but thought I'd come here for some opinions.

Thanks!

are you kidinme? · 05-04-2010, 01:14 PM

That's not a bad area all things considered.

Bong477 · 05-04-2010, 01:32 PM

That area will be nice, except for parking which will be difficult if you don't have a spot.

PG2005 · 05-08-2010, 10:00 AM

jaimiem, I've had friends live in all the areas you mentioned and all could tell you personal stories of how they had they house broken into, car stolen, etc. That's just how city life is. You just never know.

If I had it to do all over again, I would have commuted from the suburbs. And I wouldn't take my car into the city.