im thinking of moving to Baltimore

[designer_genes]

Originally Posted by debold4215

You are nuts ! You have no idea what to expect in Baltimore. Violent crime is the highest in the nation. Non violent crime is to be expected here as the norm. And the auto accident rate is far worse than the violent crime. You must want to be a victim !

Go don your tin foil hat somewhere else.

You only become a victim if you put yourself in a position to be one. The violent crime here is insular and mostly drug-related. Stay away from illegal activity and areas where you shouldn't be and it is highly unlikely you will be the victim of a violent crime.

That's funny. I've lived here for three years and I haven't been the victim of a violent or a non-violent crime once. You'd think it would have happened already if it was the "norm."

To the OP - no, Baltimore is not as bad as people say. It's a great place to be if you're in the healthcare field. However, it depends on what you mean by "cheap." If you really try to go for dirt cheap rent, you may find yourself in a bad area and then the likelihood of you being the victim of a crime is a lot higher. But, even the safest neighborhoods are still pretty affordable compared to a lot of cities on the East Coast (but, maybe not as cheap as Dallas).

Yes, Baltimore gets snow, but not that much. The city is not very good at dealing with snow in general, so if you are a nurse and must report to work because you are essential staff, then that might be something to consider. As far as beaches, they aren't terribly close, but Ocean City, MD and the Delaware beaches are popular destinations for people that live here. You're going to have to drive though.

As far as things to do, there is plenty! The Inner Harbor is nice, but lots of tourists. The National Aquarium is really nice and if you like sports, Baltimore is a great place for that. Orioles and Ravens games are fun to experience. There are also plenty of museums, theaters, and other cultural attractions. The restaurant scene here is really good too.

[LLN]

Hard to imagine using "thinking" "Baltimore" and "moving to" in the same sentence!

[designer_genes]

Originally Posted by LLN

Hard to imagine using "thinking" "Baltimore" and "moving to" in the same sentence!

Useless troll post. So constructive.

[ktaadin]

My take:

1) Nursing/medical jobs are plentiful here, no need to worry on that front.
2) Bmore is cheap by east coast standards. Not cheap by Dallas/Detroit standards (unless you move to the dangerous areas).
3) There is a higher "background level" of crime here. Yes, avoiding the drug game goes a long way towards staying safe, but recognize that your chances of being robbed or assaulted are higher here than they would be in most other cities, even if you do everything right.
4) On the "things to do" scale, I'd say Dallas offers more than Baltimore alone, but having Washington DC nearby helps significantly in that respect for people who live here.
5) Friendly people? Not really IMO. I've made friends while living here of course, but I would say that Baltimore on the whole is no more or less friendly than most other big city environments.
6) Snow=a little, but no need to worry about it. Winters here are mild, and snow usually melts fast.