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Thanks to all who have responded here. All these posts provide some great details. Since my last post I've been researching Baltimore, reading articles about the city, and looking at maps both of the city in general and of higher- and lower-crime areas. It's been a big help to have this inside info while mapping out the places all of you are telling about.
Now I have some more questions. First, what is downtown like? By downtown, I'm not talking about the broader central city area, as I think I'm getting a pretty good feel for many central city neighborhoods, from studying maps and looking at the responses here. I'm curious about downtown as in the main central business district. I get the impression that it's reasonably safe in the daytime, as long as you use city street smarts, but maybe not so much at night. Is that about right?
Also, how vibrant is the central business district? I'd guess that it's safer if it's a lively downtown that still maintains some first-rate businesses, and attracts some bustling crowds, than if it's one of those faded downtowns where the old anchor businesses have closed down after losing out to suburban economic centers.
Riding toward the front is good advice generally on big-city transit vehicles. I'm curious, though, about why the middle cars are better on the subway.
Yes, in researching this I've discovered that there are some war zones along the west side of the harbor and inland from there, which the light rail line passes through going toward the airport. Would a ride to the airport in the daytime--staying on the train all the way to BWI of course--generally be safe or would Uber be a safer bet for an airport trip?
Is that for safety reasons, as in a bunch of rowdy kids who could get rough, or more about its being unpleasant to ride when the transit vehicles are crowded? Or maybe both?
Yes, in looking over crime maps, I've noticed a high-crime corridor running northwest from close to Bolton Hill out almost all the way to the city limits. I'm thinking that my niece would have little reason to travel out that way, unless I'm incorrect in my impression that you find mostly outlying residential areas out that way, but this kind of specific advice about stops to avoid is great to have just in case.
Fairly close to the northwest of MICA and Bolton Hill are Druid Hill Park and the zoo. I wonder about the safety of these areas, since a visit to the zoo, especially since it's nearby, might interest a group of college kids for some time away from the books. Of course a general safety rule is to avoid parks in cities at night, but how is that area in the daytime. How's the safety of traveling to the area, given that you have to cross North Ave.?
I work downtown, about three blocks north of the Inner Harbor. It used to be relatively vibrant, but COVID did a huge number on things. It's eerily under-populated now. Most stores and restaurants are shuttered. I've been working from home for the most part, but occasionally I have to go back to the office, and I don't like it. There are several residential high rises near my office building, but I have no idea how well or how poorly they're doing. Personally, I would not want to live there now. I make it a point to leave the city well before nightfall.
I recommend riding in the middle of the subway train simply because it tends to be more populated than either end. Within each car, I find it better to sit near the middle. Maybe it's just psychological, but one seems less boxed-in when one sits in the middle.
I've used the Light Rail to the airport a few times without incident. Daytime, and non school hours, is key. Also, if your niece had a lot of luggage, I'd recommend Uber, just because it's easier. It used to be that you'd be fine riding it when the Orioles were playing, before and after the game, because it would be well-used at those times. But the Orioles' attendance has dropped so low that I don't know if that's still true or not.
As for the school crowds, they tend to be unpleasant to be around, and sometimes they start fights. Plus, it's just really crowded in general.
I don't imagine that your niece would have any particular reason to ride the subway out to Owings Mills, though she might want to take the ride just for something to do. There is a non-descript shopping center at Reisterstown Plaza. There used to be a major mall at Owings Mills, but I think it's been closed down now. (I haven't been there in probably 20 years, so I'm not really sure.) Since your niece is at an art school, she might appreciate the fact that each Metro subway station has its own artwork. Some of the pieces blend in nicely, like the colorful tiles at Lexington Market; some are more noticeable but still fairly well incorporated into the larger whole, like the "fish scale" wall decorations at Shot Tower; and some are rather large and stand-alone, especially the sculpture at Old Court.
I don't think I've ever been to Druid Hill Park, other than driving past it. The zoo is safe and pretty well attended, at least pre-COVID. The only really good way to get there is to drive or take Uber. If I were doing the drive, I would use I-83 for the couple of exits to get there from MICA, instead of using surface streets.
Your niece is fortunate to have you looking out for her welfare. Hopefully she will heed the advice you give her.
Well, she'll be going without a car at first. Later on, that will be between her and her parents to work out. Of course driving in potentially high-crime areas has its own rules for safety, but might be preferable overall to walking and using public transit.
Since she won't have wheels at least to start, that leads to a question about the areas you talk about here. I've been wondering about safe ways/routes from MICA to Johns Hopkins--in case of some class exchange or collaborative arrangement between schools--and the Baltimore Museum of Art, which could be of obvious interest to art students. My impression is that the area is safe enough (given that city smarts should always be observed) in the daytime. Do I have that right? Any advice about safer ways to travel from MICA to that area, being that you've got to cross to the other side of I-83?
And just out of my own curiosity, on mapping websites it appears that the museum may actually be on the Johns Hopkins campus. Is that right, or are those websites a bit inaccurate?
It also seems that the Walters museum might interest MICA students. I wouldn't think that safety would be a huge issue there, since the museum is right along Charles Street, which Bus Man recommended as the preferred walking route down to the south of campus.
I've just begun to research other art museums, so I know nothing yet about their locations, or even what other major museums there are. I know that there are a black history museum and a Jewish history museum, which might, maybe, possibly interest art students because their collections include art related to the featured racial or ethnic groups. Any word on the safety around those areas? Also, what other major museums should I research for their locations?
Thanks again for all the great info!
Both the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum are absolutely superb institutions. Any art student, and lots of non-art students, would love them both. I've been to both and I think they're both great; I can't say which one I like better. As for the others, are you referring to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum? I've never been there, so I have no opinion of it. It's in a pretty cruddy location. Here it is, right next to the lovely boarded-up houses:
I don't know anything about a Jewish history museum either.
Edit to add, if one is going north on Charles Street toward the BMA, most of the street is pretty decent. It's only the few blocks around North Avenue that are kind of seedy. There are bus routes that run north up Charles; they'd be fine to ride.
I work downtown, about three blocks north of the Inner Harbor. It used to be relatively vibrant, but COVID did a huge number on things. It's eerily under-populated now. Most stores and restaurants are shuttered. I've been working from home for the most part, but occasionally I have to go back to the office, and I don't like it. There are several residential high rises near my office building, but I have no idea how well or how poorly they're doing. Personally, I would not want to live there now. I make it a point to leave the city well before nightfall.
Sad to hear. And sobering to think that this virus is having such an effect that it could transform a major city's downtown like this in so short I time. I don't know what the chances are, but I'd like to think that downtown Baltimore will bounce back once the COVID situation is finally behind us.
Doesn't sound as if there would be much reason for my niece even to go there at present. I hope the area sees better days in the future.
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Originally Posted by bus man
I recommend riding in the middle of the subway train simply because it tends to be more populated than either end. Within each car, I find it better to sit near the middle. Maybe it's just psychological, but one seems less boxed-in when one sits in the middle.
Makes sense. I'm sure as another choice that the front (especially in the front car near the motormman) would be preferable to the rear.
Your point about feeling less boxed in riding in the middle calls to mind a national news story from the '80's. Not knowing your age, I don't know whether you're old enough to remember this, but it involved a man named Bernhard Goetz (dubbed The Subway Vigilante by the news media) who shot four young men (all non-fatally as it worked out) when he was riding the subway in NYC and the four guys approached him asking for money. Goetz said he believed they were not just panhandling but intended to mug him.
Goetz was convicted on a firearms charge because he did not have the required permit to be toting a pistol around with him. He was acquitted on charges related to actually shooting the young men, based on a legal complexity where, in cases where someone used force and claimed self-defense, New York law took into account a defendant's experiences and how those might affect his belief that the force used was necessary. Goetz had been mugged a while before this incident happened, which would make it understandable that he would fear strangers approaching him the way the four in this incident had.
The reason the advice to ride in the middle of the car reminds me of this is that Goetz and the guys he shot were the only people riding in the back section of the subway car. One of several factors adding up to what the jury saw as reasonable fear of being mugged was that all four guys got up and walked over to Goetz so that only one of them could ask him for money. They stood in a way so that they had Goetz semi-surrounded, and had him blocked off from people riding in the middle of the car, which, as you describe above, was more populated.
Anyway, the part about how only those involved in the incident were riding in the back of the car does remind me of your point about the safety of riding in the middle, where there tend to be more people.
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Originally Posted by bus man
I've used the Light Rail to the airport a few times without incident. Daytime, and non school hours, is key. Also, if your niece had a lot of luggage, I'd recommend Uber, just because it's easier. It used to be that you'd be fine riding it when the Orioles were playing, before and after the game, because it would be well-used at those times. But the Orioles' attendance has dropped so low that I don't know if that's still true or not.
Thanks for mentioning luggage. That had slipped my mind. Good point to keep in mind. In addition to the inconvenience of lugging several bags on public transit, as a matter of safety, you may be more likely to be targeted if you're encumbered like that. I'll recommend Uber or a taxi if my niece is going to the airport.
Something else I'm sorry to hear, about the Orioles' attendance. I've long viewed the O's as a classy organization. There's an unfortunate reality, though, namely that they've pretty consistently fielded bad teams for a long time, and usually that will affect attendance.
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Originally Posted by bus man
As for the school crowds, they tend to be unpleasant to be around, and sometimes they start fights. Plus, it's just really crowded in general.
This is the kind of useful inside info that makes City Data so helpful! I'll pass this along.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bus man
Since your niece is at an art school, she might appreciate the fact that each Metro subway station has its own artwork. Some of the pieces blend in nicely, like the colorful tiles at Lexington Market; some are more noticeable but still fairly well incorporated into the larger whole, like the "fish scale" wall decorations at Shot Tower; and some are rather large and stand-alone, especially the sculpture at Old Court.
This is cool! Something positive here, which will be good to pass along.
I'm going to have to do a balancing act here in advising my niece about safety. I want her to understand the importance of taking precautions, but I don't want to scare her out of her wits, or to make her feel that she needs to live a limited life in college. It'll be good to be able to point out positive things about her new surroundings. This is another one of those good pieces of inside info you get on CD, and I'll be sure to pass this along!
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Originally Posted by bus man
Your niece is fortunate to have you looking out for her welfare. Hopefully she will heed the advice you give her.
Thanks. And I hope she does heed this.
Another balancing act there. I want her to know about necessary safety precautions, without bombarding her with so much info that she tunes it out.
One thing that helps with safety is that I have the sense that my niece's basic raw instincts about safety around people are good. However, that potential has to be developed through experience, and it's true what I said in the opening post about her having spent very little time in cities.
when my daughter worked at JHU she always asked for security to walk her to her car. Rough area.
Where exactly and how long ago?
I walk these streets daily and it is not a "rough area." Plus, I see guards on street corners all the time. This would be around Charles and 32nd Street and through Wyman Dell park.
Both the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum are absolutely superb institutions. Any art student, and lots of non-art students, would love them both.
I wouldn't mind visiting them myself.
In the researching I've done, I've learned some things about Baltimore aside from the safety issues I'm trying to learn about. You've got some really nice attractions in your city. Baltimore does have its issues--as do some other old cities that have been declining for years in these post-industrial times--but I'm learning about some really nice features as well. I wouldn't mind visiting your city sometime. I'm definitely learning about some nice features of Baltimore.
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Originally Posted by bus man
As for the others, are you referring to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum? I've never been there, so I have no opinion of it. It's in a pretty cruddy location. Here it is, right next to the lovely boarded-up houses:
I don't know anything about a Jewish history museum either.
Yeah, I've seen worse urban scenes than the one in that picture of the wax museum's location, but it definitely does not look exactly like a garden spot.
As I read about these, even though Trip Advisor categorizes the Black American Museum as an art museum, I'm not sure how much interest either would hold for a MICA student, at least if viewing them as centers of art. The black museum is small, and the Jewish museum appears to be more of a cultural heritage institution that happens to include a little art as part of the featured culture. Maybe not too much of a draw, either one, for art students, unless someone happened to be writing a paper about ethnic art. I'll check the crime stats for their locations anyway. As long as they've come to my attention, why not?
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Originally Posted by bus man
Edit to add, if one is going north on Charles Street toward the BMA, most of the street is pretty decent. It's only the few blocks around North Avenue that are kind of seedy. There are bus routes that run north up Charles; they'd be fine to ride.
So the bus is probably the way to go. More good info.
Thanks for all the insight you've provided with several posts here, Bus Man. Wish CD didn't have the policy about having to spread the rep points; I'd like to rep every post you've made here.
And reps and thanks to everyone who has posted here. From general reading about Baltimore, and researching crime stats in different areas, I've gotten a good basic idea about key parts of the city, but the info you all have offered here really fleshes things out and provides a much more vivid picture. Thanks to you all!
I would add that the LR to the airport is fine during the day ..I have taken it and gotten caught up in school traffic ...though you may not be a target...the world is their playground you and your belongings could become part of it and subject to their shenanigans and hijinx on good days or fights on the bad ones . At any rate I also use with more regularity the MARC Commuter Train out of Penn Station to BWI...you have to take a shuttle from their to the terminal ..It's an extra step but way more convenient that the LR in many cases
Going out NW to Owings Mills on the subway to the end of the line is fine but the Metro Center at the end of the line is a Town Center with restaurant and some stores...but she is likely better off going over to Canton Crossing which has more stores of use to her along with being in one of the most popular parts of the city. That said there is no rail access but does have a one seat bus ride via north ave JHU in east Baltimore down to it. .. but it also goes through some challenged areas ...so Uber or rent a ZipCar are better options especially if shopping at the local Target or the Grocery Store.
She should have no need to hang out on North Ave UNLESS in the block between Howard and St Paul ..joe square pizza is frequented by MICA students and others ...there were pre COVID a few small hipster bars ..some may have closed .there are also one movie theater and I believe a performing arts center that could be of interest .here.again..go with a friend ...walk over in the day ride back in Uber at night
Downtown today during the day is depressing mainly due to the impact of COVID ....I have never felt unsafe though it is tiring running the gauntlet with homeless people et al and seeing COVID closed stores that were open pre pandemic...there are other parts of the city where I spend my time and leisure..Other than Ravens games, Jury Duty, and occasional stroll around the Inner Harbor ... I don't go down ...I do look forward to the reopening of Lex Market and new entertainment at Royal Farms Arena
Last edited by Woodlands; 08-10-2021 at 08:10 PM..
At any rate I also use with more regularity the MARC Commuter Train out of Penn Station to BWI...you have to take a shuttle from their to the terminal ..It's an extra step but way more convenient that the LR in many cases
How could I have forgotten about that? Yes, the Penn Line is a much, much better option for going to the airport. It's fast and it's safe and the shuttle from the station to the terminal (which is free) is only a short ride.
Thanks for all the insight you've provided with several posts here, Bus Man. Wish CD didn't have the policy about having to spread the rep points; I'd like to rep every post you've made here.
Thank you so much; that's very kind of you to say. I've gotten a lot of good answers and useful advice here on C-D, so I'm glad to do my part to help out as well.
It'll be good to be able to point out positive things about her new surroundings.
That's the thing about Baltimore. For all the negativity and doom and gloom (which, let's face it, is often warranted), there are still a lot of really wonderful things about this city. When I first moved to the area in 1994, I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it seems like the good is outweighing the bad (at least in my mind) nowadays, but I stubbornly cling to the hope that it will turn the corner.
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