Baltimore is a nice city. It is easy to write it off for the crime and poverty which are admittedly present, but it has a lot of character and is probably my favorite "big" city. Visit and check it out for yourself. You might be surprised by how much you like it! Also, Maryland is a truly excellent place to live. We have mountains, Ocean, a huge bay, tons of rivers, two big cities, and lots of beautiful countryside. And it is generally very progressive politically.
Also, Baltimore is home to hands-down the best dirt-cheap beer I have ever tasted: National Bohemian.