Questions from a relocation candidate (Baltimore, Ridgely: sales, apartments, rentals)

[Wsox83]

My situation is as follows. I moved to NoVa this past March to be closer to my immediate family and due to the abundance of job opportunities that are in the area. I work in banking so I was able to land many interviews when I moved out here and ended up getting hired by a bank that pretty much dominates the Baltimore market and is super small in DC/VA (I'll give you a hint their name is on your football stadium).

Anyways, I've been doing a lot of training in Baltimore and you know what? I am probably in the minority here but I totally dig Baltimore and the surrounding area, much more than NoVa! I've come to find that unless you make a 6 figure income you will not live a normal life and people are so much more laid back and down to earth up here as opposed to down there. Being a native Chicagoan it is easier to feel at home here since this is a more blue collar area. Now don't get me wrong there are some sketchy areas and I get that but I figured I could definitely live a much more enjoyable life out here on my 60K salary as I could in NoVa and to top it off traffic here is nothing compared to NoVa (double win!).

So here are my questions:

1) What are some good areas to look for rent in? I am a single professional in my early 30's so safety is my main concern and obviously I'd like to live somewhere that is decent.

2) What range could I expect to pay for rent in the recommended area?

Ideally the cheaper the better but I take solace in knowing that I can find something cheaper than 1,000 a month for a 1bedroom apt. Also, whatever advice you may have would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[KLynch10]

You are not in the minority, many people hate NoVa. I respect the massive economy they have which is all thanks to them have a much better government for business than Maryland, but it is certainly suburbia gone crazy.

Having sent some time in Chicago, I think there are many similarities between the two cities mostly that many of the northside neighborhoods have a very similar feeling to the nice parts of Baltimore.

I would check out Federal Hill/Locust Point (would need to get a roommate to meet budget) Fells Point, Canton (would need to get a roommate to meet budget), Ridgely's Delight, Mt. Vernon, Bolton Hill, Butchers Hill, Patterson Park, Charles Village, and Hampden and see which you are vibing the most.

If you really like Canton but want cheaper, Upper Fells, Greektown, Patterson Park and Highlandtown could be an option. If you really like Hampden but want to spend less, Remington and Medfield could be an option. If you like Mt. Vernon but want cheaper, check the Seton Hill area.

[Wsox83]

Thanks Klynch. What suburban areas might I also want to look at? I've been staying in the Arundel Mills (when I come up for training as opposed to driving up from NoVa at 4am LOL) area which isn't bad but someone told me I should look at the Owings Mill area? I'm open to all suggestions since if I do make ask for a transfer up here I've been told that I'm better off working in a suburban location as opposed to a down town Baltimore branch since there are more sales opportunities in the burbs. At the end of the day affordability (no roommates) and safety are important to me. It would be nice to live close to people my age as well since I'm single and have no social circle yet.

[emmiesix]

Originally Posted by Wsox83

Thanks Klynch. What suburban areas might I also want to look at? I've been staying in the Arundel Mills (when I come up for training as opposed to driving up from NoVa at 4am LOL) area which isn't bad but someone told me I should look at the Owings Mill area? I'm open to all suggestions since if I do make ask for a transfer up here I've been told that I'm better off working in a suburban location as opposed to a down town Baltimore branch since there are more sales opportunities in the burbs. At the end of the day affordability (no roommates) and safety are important to me. It would be nice to live close to people my age as well since I'm single and have no social circle yet.

If there are branches all over Baltimore that you can choose from, I'd check out places like Mt. Washington, Roland Park (yes there are rentals), etc in the North. To give you a rough area, north of Hopkins is good all the way up, and the further north you go from there, the further East/West is also "good".

[KLynch10]

I think the last place you want to be in the Baltimore area being single and looking to meet people is the suburbs. We really don't have any suburbs that are very social for singles, they very family oriented, some are kind of rough.

Check out Upper Fells/Butchers Hill, there are a lot of one bedroom apartments in large rowhomes there.