Tips for Moving to Baltimore from Michigan? (Ridgely, Mount Vernon: apartment, rent)

[DallasReeves]

My wife and I will be relocating from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Baltimore. I'll be freelancing and working from a home office most of the time, while she'll be working for a Bio-Tech start-up near what appears to be (at least according to a neighborhood map) the Mount Clare Neighborhood (Baltimore Street and South Carey).

We'd both like some suggestions on cool areas to move into. We can afford a decent rent ($1200 to $1500) for an apartment, so if that gives us more options in terms of neighborhoods, great. A safe neighborhood is most definitely required, along with something that has a friendly vibe, along with an urban feel - but not too cookie cutter or conservative - if those descriptors make any sense Thanks.

[KLynch10]

South Peninsula (Otterbein, Federal Hill, Locust Point), Ridgely's Delight or Barre Circle is probably were you want to be. Super short commute to work and all have tons of walkability and are safe (though I can vouch for Barre Circle but it looks quite nice.) Your budget won't go very far but you should be able to find a 1 bedroom, or two bedroom that isn't completely updates. There are also several apartment buildings right near UMD that you might want to check out like Greenehouse, Abell, Zenith and more.

Her work is in between the Union Square, Franklin Square and Hollins Market area. Union Square has some very nice homes, but is still very patchy, same with Hollins Market and Baltimore Street is pretty sketchy. Hollins Market does have some cool places to eat though and a nice energy.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by KLynch10

South Peninsula (Otterbein, Federal Hill, Locust Point), Ridgely's Delight or Barre Circle is probably were you want to be. Super short commute to work and all have tons of walkability and are safe (though I can vouch for Barre Circle but it looks quite nice.) Your budget won't go very far but you should be able to find a 1 bedroom, or two bedroom that isn't completely updates. There are also several apartment buildings right near UMD that you might want to check out like Greenehouse, Abell, Zenith and more.

Her work is in between the Union Square, Franklin Square and Hollins Market area. Union Square has some very nice homes, but is still very patchy, same with Hollins Market and Baltimore Street is pretty sketchy. Hollins Market does have some cool places to eat though and a nice energy.

I second this. Perhaps Patterson Park?

[jmatthewo]

Native Baltimorean here who currently lives in Ann Arbor. If I had a nickel for every time I told someone here I am from Baltimore and they asked me about The Wire....be original people! But I digress.

You are certainly not going to feel the same level of safety in Baltimore that you do in Ann Arbor. That said, I would recommend Mount Vernon. It's not within walking distance of your wife's job, but it's not too far either. It's got more of an edgy vibe and is an eclectic area, very hipster-ish. There's a lot of good bars and restaurants and you'll meet a diverse cast of people there (UB and a prominent art college, MICA, are close by and it has Baltimore's gay nightlife district, FWIW).

You can definitely find something within your price range there, as well. For safety purposes, I would say to stay south of I-83 (the intersection of East Preston and Charles is roughly the core of Mt. Vernon. I have a hipsterish young professional friend that has lived there for years and likes it). The crime is not out of hand there though, I think it is generally safe. The worst I have heard from my friend is his car window smashed by someone looking to steal something, but this can happen to you anywhere in the city (the same thing happened to me very close to where your wife will be working, about a block away from University of MD Medical Center).

If you want cookie cutter and conservative, go to Canton or Federal Hill. Federal Hill is yuppie central, while Canton is more bro-ish. As for Locust Point, that's a nice area but it's very suburban in character.

[DallasReeves]

Thanks for all your input so far. Curious, what is the opinion on Bolton Hill? My wife has a couple of friends who live there and say they like it. Any thoughts?

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

For proximity to your wife's work, I recommend Bolton hill or ridgelys delight.