Advice on finding an apartment (Baltimore, California: apartments, lease, neighborhood)

[JHUgrad]

Hey all,

Sorry for another apartment/housing thread, but I'm trying to arrange a cross-country move and could use some advice. I'm starting my PhD at Hopkins in the fall and plan on signing a lease on an apartment around August 1st, hopefully. I'm living in the Bay Area in California currently, so I'm planning on spending a few days in Baltimore in early/late July to look at places to rent.

What are the best resources for apartment hunting? Even in the Bay Area, where Craigslist is very popular, I'd say it covers maybe 75% of the market - the rest are advertised in newspapers, and surprisingly, some only put 'for rent' signs in the windows and do nothing else. Does anyone know how well-utilized Craigslist is in Baltimore? That is, when I look for apartments there, how many of the available places in a given area am I seeing? This is important because if it turns out it'd behoove me to spend some time walking around a neighborhood looking for signs, I'll need to plan my trip to be a little longer. Similarly, do you find that places listed in newspapers aren't on Craigslist or anywhere else?

I suppose my questions really come down to how useful the internet is in my situation, opposed to actually being there to take care of things. I relied solely on Craigslist when I moved to Oakland, only to find that a significant chunk of the market just wasn't available to me unless I were to have spent some time walking around or finding local bulletin boards. Sorry if my questions are too specific, but I want to be sure I'm making the most of any time spent in Baltimore before I move.

I'm interested in living in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, if that helps. Thanks!

[jonjj]

The Baltimore City Paper is an option: Baltimore City Paper

The Mt. Vernon Web Site: Mt.Vernon Cultural District : Home

If it is a PhD for Medical, you may want to consider Butchers Hill or Patterson Park. They are both convenient to the Medical Center. There is a metro stop at the Medical Center which would help for Mt. Vernon. They also offer bus service for their students/faculty. My niece attended and lived in Patterson Park with no complaints or car.
Of course, you could contact the housing department at Hopkins also.

[JHUgrad]

Thanks for the advice and the City Paper link - I wasn't aware of that resource.

My program is at the Homewood campus. I have nothing against Charles Village or Hampden, but I've found that I appreciate a bit of a buffer zone between school and home. Even if location had nothing to do with it, I think Mount Vernon would still be my favorite neighborhood.

[jonjj]

Mt Vernon is a short distance to the Homewood campus. Good choice.

[Tallybalt]

Hopkins provides a free shuttle bus (for its students and employees) that runs from Homewood to the medical campus, and it stops in Mount Vernon (right by the Peabody Conservatory).

Craig's list will have listings for apartments in Mount Vernon. Start from there.

The better blocks are on St. Paul, around the Monument, Cathedral/Park on the community's western side, and the east-west cross streets. St. Paul has a large apartment building (1960s modern) that's popular with Hopkins students and young professionals.

Charles Street north of the Monument is a bit sketchy at night given that it attracts a lot of partygoers. Walking a few blocks to St. Paul is terrific, but living directly on it is another story.

Originally Posted by JHUgrad

Thanks for the advice and the City Paper link - I wasn't aware of that resource.

My program is at the Homewood campus. I have nothing against Charles Village or Hampden, but I've found that I appreciate a bit of a buffer zone between school and home. Even if location had nothing to do with it, I think Mount Vernon would still be my favorite neighborhood.