Moving to Inner Harbor or Surrounding Neighborhoods (Baltimore, Bel Air: apartment complexes, for rent)

[Hellothere2017]

Hi everyone. I am moving to Baltimore for a job this summer. I am a single male and mainly looking at Inner Harbor, Harbor East, Fells Point and Federal Hill neighborhoods. I guess downtown will also be good. I have also heard good things about Mount Vernon. At this stage in my life I am looking at more upscale neighborhoods though, and I have heard that Mount Vernon can have higher crime than neighborhoods immediately surrounding Inner Harbor (But I have never lived in Baltimore so I am not sure).

For my job I will be mainly going to Union Memorial and Good Sam hospitals, and I have heard the commute from Inner Harbor area to these hospitals in the morning and back to Inner Harbor in the evening is usually not terrible. Is that right?

The most important things I am looking for in an apartment are these:
1- Fully loaded apartment with all the appliances in the apartment (washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc.)
2- Parking on site (as opposed to having to park 2-3 blocks away in a garage)
3- Ideally walkable to nice restaurants/bars but not centered in a neighborhood where there is constant partying going on right outside my door
4- Safe… so that if I invite someone on a date to meet me at 8 pm at a bar nearby, she wouldn’t be too nervous to go there 😊
5- If possible, close to highway 83 and 95 (because I have to go to some northern suburbs for my job some days a week).

My preference is to be as close to Inner Harbor as possible. I have done some research and I am particularly interested in the Harbor East area. I have already looked into some apartment complexes including Zenith, Promenade, Spinnaker Bay, 1035 Dock Street, 10 light street and Crescent at Fells point. I am mainly looking at very nice apartment complexes. Do you have any other suggestions about other apartment complexes? Also even if I find a nice apartment 1-2 miles from Inner Harbor that will be ok and that’s why I have looked at apartment complexes such as Crescent at Fells Point.

Thanks a lot everyone! I am very excited about moving to your city!

[james777]

Mt. Vernon is upscale, but you are right that it does have more crime than neighborhoods surrounding the Inner Harbor.

I think this place will meet your needs nicely. Newly built apartments with a Starbucks, a pharmacy, and an organic food store on the ground floor. It is in a safe area, away from the riffraff, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and grocery stores within walking distance. Lots of young people nearby because it is close to Johns Hopkins University. If you like to walk, as I do, you can even walk to Union Memorial hospital.

ICON Residences at The Rotunda | Apartments For Rent In Baltimore

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by james777

Mt. Vernon is upscale, but you are right that it does have more crime than neighborhoods surrounding the Inner Harbor.

I think this place will meet your needs nicely. Newly built apartments with a Starbucks, a pharmacy, and an organic food store on the ground floor. It is in a safe area, away from the riffraff, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and grocery stores within walking distance. Lots of young people nearby because it is close to Johns Hopkins University. If you like to walk, as I do, you can even walk to Union Memorial hospital.

ICON Residences at The Rotunda | Apartments For Rent In Baltimore

I agree with James. Union Memorial is about a mile from the Icon and Good Samaritan is an easy drive. The same would be true of any Hampden or Roland Park location, but the fun stuff is all in Hampden. Mount Vernon also offers easy access to North Baltimore - but parking may be harder to find. There is good public transportation between Downtown and Mount Vernon and Union Memorial but you would want to use a car to get to Good Samaritan. I would consider Harbor East, Canton, and Federal Hill to be much less convenient For your work locations.

[Hellothere2017]

Thank you for your helpful responses everyone. I will for sure visit the ICON residences at the Rotunda. Any other nice apartments in Hampden close to main Hopkins campus that you guys recommend?

To be honest, I prefer to be close to Inner Harbor (especially Harbor East) if possible just because of what I've read/heard about these areas and the pictures I have seen of the neighborhoods. Being right next to the water is also a plus about these neighborhoods.

For my job, probably at least 50 percent of the time I have to go to an office in Timonium and less often in Bel Air, so proximity to I-83 and I-95 are a plus. Another benefit of Inner Harbor area is that it is relatively close to both I-83 and I-95, so it will be helpful for getting to the suburban offices.

So in case I ended up living close to Inner Harbor, how bad is the traffic in the morning to Union and Good Sam? I usually have to be there at 8 am. Sometimes at 7 am but I am guessing before 7 am traffic won't be too bad no matter where I live. Every time I check the distance on Google Maps, I get about 15 mins to Union and 20-25 mins to Good Sam, both from Inner Harbor but I understand that city traffic can dramatically slow things down. If the traffic in the morning and afternoon is too awful, then I might as well just find an apartment in Hampden, but if it is manageable then I think what I get by living around the Harbor will be worth it.

Thanks again for your insights!

[HoCoMom]

From downtown you will be going against the traffic so you can easily get to Union Memorial in 15 minutes. Calvert St is northbound and St Paul is southbound. Both streets used to have speed timed traffic lights - not sure they still do. Both hospitals are on the #3 bus line if you choose to leave the car home occasionally.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by Hellothere2017

Thank you for your helpful responses everyone. I will for sure visit the ICON residences at the Rotunda. Any other nice apartments in Hampden close to main Hopkins campus that you guys recommend?

To be honest, I prefer to be close to Inner Harbor (especially Harbor East) if possible just because of what I've read/heard about these areas and the pictures I have seen of the neighborhoods. Being right next to the water is also a plus about these neighborhoods.

For my job, probably at least 50 percent of the time I have to go to an office in Timonium and less often in Bel Air, so proximity to I-83 and I-95 are a plus. Another benefit of Inner Harbor area is that it is relatively close to both I-83 and I-95, so it will be helpful for getting to the suburban offices.

So in case I ended up living close to Inner Harbor, how bad is the traffic in the morning to Union and Good Sam? I usually have to be there at 8 am. Sometimes at 7 am but I am guessing before 7 am traffic won't be too bad no matter where I live. Every time I check the distance on Google Maps, I get about 15 mins to Union and 20-25 mins to Good Sam, both from Inner Harbor but I understand that city traffic can dramatically slow things down. If the traffic in the morning and afternoon is too awful, then I might as well just find an apartment in Hampden, but if it is manageable then I think what I get by living around the Harbor will be worth it.

Thanks again for your insights!

Harbor East is practically on I-83. Getting to I-95 won't be as easy from there.

As for other nice apartments near the Homewood campus, Remington Row comes to mind, but I'm told that it is full. There are also some nice, but older, buildings along W University Parkway. The apartment buildings in Central Charles Village are a real step down. There are also some nice new buildings in the Jones Falls Valley, which is pretty. The nice thing about the ICON is that it is a short walk to the "Avenue" (36th Street) in Hampden. The Avenue certainly isn't like the harbor; but it is the most happening place in North Baltimore.