Is Baltimore that bad

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by KennyP

List the good things about Baltimore w/o saying 'History', or 'Charm'.

You're left with: Parks, Aquarium, and ... a few average museums. Nothing most cities don't have more of and better. The Aquarium is the only thing that separates Baltimore, and even it's overpriced and average.

The live music scene is bleh, the shopping (overall) is bleh, the nicest restaurants are 3/5 stars, every place to hang out looks exactly the same, and the parts where you can hang out w/o getting bothered, mugged, or worse is limited to a very small area compared to most cities.

I make the most of every day I'm here. Some days I'm more cynical than others.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the nice parts of Baltimore a 4. The city as a whole is about 1.5

...edit...

I forgot Soundgarden. It almost makes up for some of the crap. Awesome store.

It's OK to be cynical. Soundgarden helps!

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by Anders15

My friend is convinced Baltimore is just basically like Compton. She watches those tv shows and is always like "i will never live in MD" so I was wondering if you guys can tell me what it is like living in the area. Also there seems to be a lot of "word of mouth" suggesting the city is kinda high on crime.

We are in Richmond VA and I have never been to MD long enough to give her a reply. Does anyone have anything I can tell her to convince her it is not like the wire (i think thats the show?) I have been telling her to apply up there for her job, baltimore is a GREAT location for what she wants to do and she is not getting a single bite here but she is convinced it is not safe is she right to assume this or what?

Have you and your friend ever been to Norfolk, Virginia? If so, like I have described to another poster from Virginia, Baltimore is EXACTLY like smashing Norfolk and Richmond together, then upsizing the urban infrastructure commensurate for a much larger city. So imagine combining Norfolk's waterfront with downtown Richmond and you have Baltimore. Of course the stadiums are larger to accomodate pro and major league sports rather than minor league baseball and the National Aquarium blows Nauticus out of the water.

Don't listen to those who say Baltimore doesn't have any nice parts. It is the same deal as Richmond. You hear about all the murder and various crime in the inner city but you go out to Monument Avenue and it is the old money that are some of the wealthiest people in the state. Same scenario with Baltimore. Someone please correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Baltimore have plenty of million dollar plus homes around Johns Hopkins and Loyola as well as condos along the inner harbor? My suggestion would be to take the three hour drive from Richmond to Baltimore to see for yourself.

[brgnctyguy123]

Steelers10, you are correct. I am a Loyola student from NJ and was amazed at how wealthy and stable the area of Baltimore City from north of Johns Hopkins all the way through Loyola and up to Baltimore County is. I am employed by an affluent neighborhood family. Just look at the houses, cars, and prices at the local grocery stores and restaurants to see for yourself just how wealthy it is. Worst crimes include the occasional stolen bike and a car break-in. I'm from an affluent NYC suburb in Bergen County, NJ, and I can honestly say I'd live in Baltimore in a heart beat.

[mrboltonman]

Originally Posted by Steelers10

My suggestion would be to take the three hour drive from Richmond to Baltimore to see for yourself.

That's a very good suggestion.

Pick out a few neighborhoods to check out that have been mentioned on various thread on this site as being nice and check them out.