I'm not so sure about the "not living in an episode of the Wire". I live in Baltimore and go to Hopkins. I moved last year b/c a dead body was found in the dumpster of my building. No I'm not kidding. I lived in downtown Baltimore and moved to Mt.Vernon. Two weeks ago a friend's car got broken into right outside her apt building in Mt Vernon. I absolutely LOVE Hopkins and have no regrets coming here. But I do regret having moved to Baltimore. I would suggest moving to one of the 'burbs close to Baltimore like Towson, which is really nice and affordable. You will need a car to commute, but you probably should have a car in Baltimore anyway. Its tough to get around for groceries and such without a car in this city. The bus system is not reliable.