Marylanders: D.C. or Baltimore? (Silver Spring, Annapolis: for sale, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[Dotty19]

Considering they're two cities that Maryland is practically known for, Which do you prefer?

I would say Baltimore but I haven't been enough times to form a true opinion of it. I just moved from the D.C. suburbs and needless to say, in my book D.C.=

So what do you think?

[justtitans]

DC all day. Sure I might be a bit bias because I was born in DC and raised right outside the city, but honestly there aren't too many reasons why I would go to Baltimore. Besides the Wax Museum and the Aquarium, what does Baltimore offer that is unique? There are some just awful places in Baltimore. A few months ago, I seen some townhomes that were for sale for $9000. To me that is the clearest sign of how bad a city Baltimore is. Extreme poverty, rampant crime, so-so schools, so-so neighborhoods, dirty, drug infested, etc. etc. At least with DC you have some nice parts to visit. There is nothing like going down on the mall and visiting the monuments and museums. I also think DC has more potential in the future as well. And as far as DC suburbs is concerned, it really depends on what part you live in. There are some nice suburban parts here, just as I know Baltimore has their, but if you stay in certain parts you're not going to get the full effect.

[BigCityDreamer]

I live in Silver Spring and prefer D.C. But I like both cities. It's cool going to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore every once in a while.

[Gabrielle]

I like DC better. I used to work in both cities, and definitely find DC to be more interesting. It's more walkable, more things to do in a larger area (in Baltimore everything seems to be centered around the Inner Harbor). I also like the "vibe" of DC better.

[KLynch10]

This is obviously going to swing DC's way because the DC area board has a lot more visitors than the Baltimore board does. From Annapolis, definitely more of a Baltimore fan. I pretty much never go to DC unless for work or an event at the arena, just not a fan at all.

[Mr Yuk]

I don't live in either, but if I had to pick, I'd go with Baltimore. DC would still be close enough for a road trip, but I don't think I could take the traffic, insane cost of living, etc. Baltimore has the better downtown, the harbor, Camden Yards, and actually has a skyline. The Maryland crab and crabcakes would be another plus to Baltimore. DC also seems much more transient.

[westsideboy]

I would vote for the B-more metro area over the DC metro area, but just comparing cities, D.C. is hands down better. It is an international city, capital of country, and home to incomparable recreational activities. Baltimore has its pluses, but D.C. has it throughly beat as far as tourons like myself are concerned.

[cmacf1]

I have lived in both. I lived in DC (Capitol Hill) when I was younger, single, and enjoyed an active night life. The restaurants are wonderful and varied, public transportation is MUCH better than Baltimore, international jobs are plentiful, and it's a vibrant fun city. I live in the suburbs of Baltimore now. I have kids now, don't enjoy an active night life and can't afford to go to restaurants as often. My life is totally different now. I loved living in DC at that stage of my life (and my DH and I have talked about retiring there,) but now Baltimore is better for us. I did not like the suburbs of DC at all - full of horrible traffic, way too crowded with people and sprawling all over the place. So, I can't really chose between them. I have loved them both, but at different times and for different reasons. And by the way, with kids, I would never live in Baltimore city. THe school system is truly awful and we cannot afford one of the many private schools in the city.

[boreatwork]

The city of DC is much more organized and managed than the city of bmore...

[Mr. Wanderlust]

I pick D.C. because it has it's act together a lot more than Baltimore these days. Plus, you can still see the early U.S., the obvious signs of the people who built it, throughout D.C. It feels both a little European and American.