Move to Baltimore or stay in Denver? (Aurora, Arvada: crime rate, homes)

[Mach50]

Another vote for GO here.

I was stationed in Maryland in the early 1990's and thought it was a very beautiful state with many things to do and places to see!

The Baltimore Inner Harbor was nice, Annapolis is amazing, Washington D.C. has some of the best museums in the nation. Philly, NYC and Boston are great weekend trips. Don't forget you will have beaches too, Ocean/Dewey, Solomons islands are terrific...sailing..etc.

It's an entirely different world out there.

[JBPisgah]

I'd approach Baltimore with the awareness that some people absolutely hate it. Many love it, but running into people who think it is a blighted, backward, crime-ridden toilet of a place is not rare. I know quite a few personally, including a number who lived there and couldn't wait to get out.

It tends to be a polarizing place. More vibe and urban character in a single downtown block than in most of Denver. Also, more crime and crap.

A lot depends on money. Baltimore is a place where many people buy their way into a good quality of life. Many of the nice neighborhoods are really, really, nice, although, again, crime would be much more common than in Denver.

[mic111]

I would GO. Not to say Denver isn't nice, it is, but for the reduction in travel I think it is worth it. Also there are tons of things to explore and do for you and the kids. Since you've always lived in Denver you can have a great adventure and then return to Denver later or for retirement. Try to find a place with a spare bedroom so your families will have a place to crash when they come visit you.

[e30is]

One thing to distinguish is that there are 2 different areas of Baltimore: the city and county both of which are called Baltimore.

I've been to Denver which is a really neat city with the only drawback being away from a body of water and good seafood, and maybe greenery too. 2 friends I know love it out there and it's always nice to visit.

I've been born and raised in Baltimore but spent 95% of my life in the DC area. Research with due diligence and best of luck.

[ShastatoBaker]

Baltimore is... well, Baltimore can be a very scary city. In my experience, given the city's size, the areas that I would label as slums are remarkably large. A lot of people visit Baltimore and are entranced by the city's core, which is fair, because the combination of the shops, the stadiums and the old ships right on the Inner Harbor is nifty. However, this is what I like to call the 'San Antonio effect' -- start to move away from the city's center and it gets really ugly really quick.

If you'd like a local alternative, let me immediately suggest Annapolis, which is close at hand and absolutely stunning. Farther afield, D.C., NYC and Boston are all nicer east coast options than Baltimore. I'm not saying that Baltimore is the worst east coast city by any means (I think Philly holds the title for the worst of the big ones, with Newark coming a close second). I don't think I'd ever leave Denver to move to Baltimore, however. It's definitely a downgrade.

*Edit* One of the things you may miss is a mountainous horizon. Aside from a few limited places close to the Appalachians (which in no way can compare to the Rockies unless you're just looking at the foothills), the east coast lacks a 'view' when you look above the tree line. Oh, sure, there's tons of local relief in the form of scenic hills, etc... but if you want to look up and see nature's glorious peaks every time you step outside, no major urban area on the east coast will satisfy you (Asheville, NC, maybe, but I've never been there and wouldn't describe it as major).

[JBPisgah]

Originally Posted by ShastatoBaker

Baltimore is... well, Baltimore can be a very scary city.

True. It's about just the opposite of Denver in that regard.

[goolsbyjazz]

Take the promotion and as others have said, explore the good aspects of Baltimore and the East Coast. There is so much to see and do and the decreased travel time for your husband can be realized in more family time to explore. If I doesn't work make plans to move back.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

I say: move to greater Baltimore.
Enjoy what it offers

which would be .... ?

[ShastatoBaker]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

which would be .... ?

I guess the Chesapeake Bay. And, frankly, while the Chesapeake can be scenic, I don't believe it holds a candle to Puget Sound, Narragansett Bay (which, IMO, wins the prize), Cape Cod Bay, Long Island Sound, Penobscot Bay, or San Francisco Bay. The Chesapeake has its own unique character, but I just think it's inferior to some of the other great watery shelters of America (with the only one it is clearly superior to being Delaware Bay). Others are fine by disagreeing, but I have seen on all of the aforementioned bays and sounds (and sailed on several of them), and the Chesapeake gets last place. It's not ugly, but it's not stunning, either.

Otherwise, many of Baltimore's draws can really be summed up by 'proximity to Washington, D.C.,' which possesses far more major in-city attractions (and is arguably a more accessible place, given that the Metro is a pretty darned spectacular mass transit system). I lived in Maryland for a long time about a decade ago and wasn't smitten (except with Annapolis, which is a real gem). Again, if the OP has never seen the east coast extensively, I guess I might consider going just to take it all in (it is very different from Denver). But I really don't think Baltimore is any winner compared to a, say, Boston or even NYC.

[sobo16]

Originally Posted by ShastatoBaker

I guess the Chesapeake Bay. And, frankly, while the Chesapeake can be scenic, I don't believe it holds a candle to Puget Sound, Narragansett Bay (which, IMO, wins the prize), Cape Cod Bay, Long Island Sound, Penobscot Bay, or San Francisco Bay. The Chesapeake has its own unique character, but I just think it's inferior to some of the other great watery shelters of America (with the only one it is clearly superior to being Delaware Bay). Others are fine by disagreeing, but I have seen on all of the aforementioned bays and sounds (and sailed on several of them), and the Chesapeake gets last place. It's not ugly, but it's not stunning, either.

Otherwise, many of Baltimore's draws can really be summed up by 'proximity to Washington, D.C.,' which possesses far more major in-city attractions (and is arguably a more accessible place, given that the Metro is a pretty darned spectacular mass transit system). I lived in Maryland for a long time about a decade ago and wasn't smitten (except with Annapolis, which is a real gem). Again, if the OP has never seen the east coast extensively, I guess I might consider going just to take it all in (it is very different from Denver). But I really don't think Baltimore is any winner compared to a, say, Boston or even NYC.

I agree about the bay. There are surprisingly few options for actually enjoying the bay because most of the bay waterfront is private land. There are a few exceptions though.

Also, Annapolis is OK, but it's not stunning, in my opinion. It's a cute town with a street or two of shops, and it has a cute harbor with some restaurants. But there are also some dangerous sections of Annapolis. The further northeast in the country you go (especially into New England), towns like Annapolis become much more numerous. I just think Marylanders like it because there isn't anything else like it in the state.