Baltimore bound! (Ridgely: apartments, renting, lofts) - Maryland (MD) - City-Data Forum

drive carephilly · 07-19-2013, 06:56 AM

I borrowed this from the Philly forum b/c I didn't see a similar one here and it covers the basics pretty well . . . any advice on what neighborhoods to look in would be greatly appreciated.

When are you moving? I hope to be there in 3 to 4 weeks

Where are you coming from? I've been in Pittsburgh for the last year (Lawrenceville) but was in South Philly for the 7 years before that

Why are you moving? New job!

Where will you be working? Hospital gig downtown in the vicinity of W. Baltimore St.

Have you been here yet? I've been to Baltimore a few times - a few O's games, hanging out with friends who used to live there, other tourist stuff but I don't know much about day-to-day life in the city.

Will you buy or rent? rent. I still have my rowhome in South Philly that I plan on going back to someday.

If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?
I'm looking at $800-$1000 for a budget. I'm not fussy about the kind of place it just needs to be reasonably quiet because it's shift work so I won't always be sleeping when everyone else is. I'm used to rowhouse living but a loft or high rise isn't out of the question. If a roommate will get me a much nicer place it's not out of the question either.

Do you have a preference of living in city/suburb?
Definitely the city. Live in the place. Not near the place.

Are you married or single? Do you have children?
Do you prefer public or private schools?
Do you have pets?
Do you want or need a yard?
Single, no kids, schools don't matter, no pets. A yard isn't important but a roof deck or some other outdoor space is a bonus.

Are you keeping a car? I don't have a car. Don't really plan on getting one. A bus/train/trolley with a one seat ride to work is good enough for me. Anything more than a 20 minute commute is too far. Proximity to zipcar is a huge bonus.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? I lived just off of Butler St. in Lawrenceville (but not on it) and just off of Passyunk Ave. in South Philly (but not on it). Being close to stuff is great but I can do without being right on top of the traffic and bar noise.

What do you want to be closest to? In order of importance:

3.Work
4.Shopping
1.Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
2.Nightlife (doesn't need to be crazy - a few bars and a restaurant or two is good enough)
5.Train or subway stations (this one is only important if I can't walk to work or if it's my ride to work)

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?

The more the merrier. I'm comfortable living next to whoever as long as it's a good neighborhood with decent people and a good neighborhood bar to throw one back.

Coke or Pepsi? the choice of a new generation.

Infinite_heights77 · 07-19-2013, 07:21 AM

Do you want to live in another row home?

W. Baltimore St.?! So, I'm assuming near the University of Maryland Medical System. There are plenty of housing over near Hollins Street Market. Across from Martin Luther King Blvd. there are some nice row houses and apartments nestled up near the B&O Railroad. I have a friend who works downtown, but owns a house off of S. Poppleton Ave.

drive carephilly · 07-19-2013, 07:31 AM

Thanks! btw - this is actually for my brother who is too lazy to create his own profile . . . he's in a row now in PGH and likes the idea of not having neighbors above and below.

deeliz · 07-19-2013, 08:41 AM

I wouldn't stray very far west of MLK, if at all. The area can get very dicey block to block. If you want to live near UMD, Ridgely's Delight is a nice area and very close to downtown amenities. Otherwise I would check out the usual neighborhoods that are recommended here: Canton, Fells Point, Mt Vernon, Federal Hill/Locust Point, Bolton Hill.

nifear · 07-19-2013, 10:18 AM

Yay another Philly ex-pat!

UMMC is close to the lightrail and a few blocks west of the purple circulator. Using those modes of xportation to/from some of the above mentioned neighborhoods would be easy.

Baltimore's a cute town, but don't expect it to be a mini-version of Philly. It takes a lot more effort to seek out decent restaurants, bars, shopping, etc than it is back north. In Philly, I think we were kind of spoiled because everything is literally right at your front door.

Good luck on the move!

Infinite_heights77 · 07-19-2013, 12:13 PM

Baltimore is a micro-mini version of Philly imho!!!

Well, I think some areas of Baltimore and Philadelphia are extremely identical in some ways. Septa has a better transit system that connects with NJ transit, and other modes of transportation.

"In Philly, I think we were kind of spoiled because everything is literally right at your front door."

*This, I respect immensely!!

_________________________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by nifear

Yay another Philly ex-pat!

UMMC is close to the lightrail and a few blocks west of the purple circulator. Using those modes of xportation to/from some of the above mentioned neighborhoods would be easy.

Baltimore's a cute town, but don't expect it to be a mini-version of Philly. It takes a lot more effort to seek out decent restaurants, bars, shopping, etc than it is back north. In Philly, I think we were kind of spoiled because everything is literally right at your front door.

Good luck on the move!

Infinite_heights77 · 07-19-2013, 12:15 PM

"Baltimore's a cute town.."

*Baltimore is about cute as a rat on meth!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nifear

Yay another Philly ex-pat!

UMMC is close to the lightrail and a few blocks west of the purple circulator. Using those modes of xportation to/from some of the above mentioned neighborhoods would be easy.

Baltimore's a cute town, but don't expect it to be a mini-version of Philly. It takes a lot more effort to seek out decent restaurants, bars, shopping, etc than it is back north. In Philly, I think we were kind of spoiled because everything is literally right at your front door.

Good luck on the move!

Infinite_heights77 · 07-19-2013, 12:17 PM

I don't know why people from Philly would want to move to Baltimore? But, then again, I've heard that the local economy is not so great there as of now. I've also read that Philly is one of the poorest municipalities in the country for a large city?

drive carephilly · 07-20-2013, 12:40 AM

Thanks everyone! I'm not expecting a mini-Philly. After a year in Pittsburgh, Baltimore will be a refreshing change.

I've heard of the neighborhoods but don't have a good sense of where they are so which areas to check out are helpful.

I don't see B'more as better or worse than Philly - just a little different and smaller. The bad parts of Philly are probably equal to all of Baltimore. But then the nice parts of Philly are also probably equal to all of Baltimore. And then there's a whole lot in between. Pittsburgh is fine in and of itself but the major problem is how far it is from everything else. The closest big city is Cleveland. At least if you get bored in Baltimore you can head to DC or Philly on a whim.

kharing · 07-20-2013, 10:02 AM

When i first moved here to work at UMMC, I lived in the Inner Harbor Lofts. It's owned by the University and you'll get a sweet discount. A majority of the people in the building work at the medical center and it's right across the street in your price range. Also, several other apartments within blocks of UMMC offer similar deals.

Also check out the Sailboat Lofts and Avalon Apts.