Baltimore, MD

[geek123]

I have been accepted into University of Maryland, Baltimore. Can somebody please help me with everything I need to know about the city, the areas near the campus that are safe for residing and the DOs and DONTs for a foreigner.

[Crucial BBQ]

On March 5, 2015 at 8:46 AM, Sabrosura said:

 

Hi,

 

You seem to be familiar with Baltimore, could you please give me your honest opinion as to the chances of getting mugged/assaulted. I am trying to decide between JHU and Harvard (for MPH) and since both are excellent programs, I am taking the location into consideration as well even though I would normally not care too much since I will only live there for 1-2 years. I consider myself very street smart and have made solo international trips to places that are considered not very safe (I am also female), but I also want to live in a place where I can walk around freely, and not just during the day, without fearing for my life. I have lived in NYC for the past 6 years and am used to being able to walk around, including alone, at all hours (I dance salsa so I was often out at very late hours). I understand this will not be possible in Baltimore and I am willing to concede not going out alone at night and--of course--avoiding the dangerous areas as much as possible, but I also don't want to live in a city where I will be constantly looking over my shoulder. I would not have a car so I would have to rely on public transportation. Even though I have traveled a lot internationally, I have never been "robbed at gunpoint" and would rather not spend my grad time in a place where this is likely to happen, despite my best efforts at being careful and street-smart. 

 

Thanks very much!

Sorry, I didn't see this one in time 

 

Your chances of getting mugged in BMore are higher than the national average, but you do not need to look over your shoulder if you practice basic street smarts.  As an alternative, look up.  If you see a blue light on top of a street light, on a traffic signal, on the corner of a building, etc. then you know you are in a high crime area.  

The part of East Baltimore just east of where the Bloomberg School of PH is located is one of the worst, in particular the neighborhood called Middle East.   Just to the south of BSoPH is Little Italy, Fells Point, Paterson Park, and Washington Hill, which would all be good choices in order from "best" to "slightly less than best" if one wants to live near the JHU Bayview medical/PH campus.  

5 hours ago, geek123 said:

 

[kimmibeans]

On March 8, 2016 at 0:16 PM, Crucial BBQ said:

As an alternative, look up.  If you see a blue light on top of a street light, on a traffic signal, on the corner of a building, etc. then you know you are in a high crime area. 

I have worked in Baltimore every summer for the past 5 years and I did not know this. Granted, I never stray too far from the Inner Harbor, but this is good to know. Thanks!

[Crucial BBQ]

2 hours ago, kimmibeans said:

I have worked in Baltimore every summer for the past 5 years and I did not know this. Granted, I never stray too far from the Inner Harbor, but this is good to know. Thanks!

They are actually cameras.  

The city had planned to phase them out, to be replaced by a more robust camera/surveillance network that would also include private business cameras tied into the feed.  The Inner Harbor is a tourist destination and one of Baltimore's more prominent source of income.  It's covered in cameras.  So are the Johns Hopkins Medical Center and iirc, each and every MTA stop.  

As a side note, the current plan to redevelop the Inner Harbor includes sandy beaches complete with volley ball courts, a foot bridge to connect Inner Harbor to Federal Hill (originating somewhere near Little Italy), a new amphitheater, more green space and walking/bike paths, more retail, more amenities, and more high-rise condos despite the current stock not exactly being full.  Of course this all to attract more tourism;  most industry and people had left Baltimore years ago.    

[EdSocPhD]

I just got my acceptance to Johns Hopkins today (Sociology PhD) and am planning to visit before I commit. I'm hoping to get a chance to walk around the area and get a sense of the different residential areas. I don't drive, so does anyone have suggestions for where to live that's (a) walking distance from campus, (b) relatively quiet (not packed with undergrads), and (c) safe? 

Also, when do people generally start searching for housing in the area? I'm guessing late-April/early-May would be a good time to look? Or is sooner better? 

Thanks! 

[daymoose]

On 4/7/2016 at 1:47 AM, EdSocPhD said:

I just got my acceptance to Johns Hopkins today (Sociology PhD) and am planning to visit before I commit. I'm hoping to get a chance to walk around the area and get a sense of the different residential areas. I don't drive, so does anyone have suggestions for where to live that's (a) walking distance from campus, (b) relatively quiet (not packed with undergrads), and (c) safe? 

Also, when do people generally start searching for housing in the area? I'm guessing late-April/early-May would be a good time to look? Or is sooner better? 

Thanks! 

Congratulations! Since you're studying sociology, I'm assuming you're looking for places near the Homewood campus.

You might consider looking at the high-rise apartment buildings directly north of campus on West University Parkway (Uni One, Carlyle, Hopkins House, Uni West). Some undergrads do live there, but in my experience it's a bit quieter than Charles Village proper (the area south of 32nd Street can get rowdy on the weekends because of frat parties). I live in one of those buildings and it takes me 10 minutes to walk to campus and 10 minutes to walk to the Giant grocery store on 40th Street (I don't drive either). Most of the people I see in my building are grad students and postdocs with families. As for safety, I've never felt unsafe walking around at any time of night. Feel free to PM me if you want specifics.

Edited April 15, 2016 by daymoose
typo

[EdSocPhD]

26 minutes ago, daymoose said:

Congratulations! Since you're studying sociology, I'm assuming you're looking for places near the Homewood campus.

You might consider looking at the high-rise apartment buildings directly north of campus on West University Drive (Uni One, Carlyle, Hopkins House, Uni West). Some undergrads do live there, but in my experience it's a bit quieter than Charles Village proper (the area south of 32nd Street can get rowdy on the weekends because of frat parties). I live in one of those buildings and it takes me 10 minutes to walk to campus and 10 minutes to walk to the Giant grocery store on 40th Street (I don't drive either). Most of the people I see in my building are grad students and postdocs with families. As for safety, I've never felt unsafe walking around at any time of night. Feel free to PM me if you want specifics.

Thanks! Yes, Homewood campus is correct. I visited this past weekend and agree that the area directly north of campus looks appealing. Have you heard anything good/bad about The Broadview? It's in that area and seems a little too nice to be real. 

[MastersHoping]

Admitted to Johns Hopkins and accepted my offer! Who else will be going to JHU??

It's already starting to drive me crazy when people say John Hopkins! Haha. 

[MastersHoping]

Also, to follow up the last post, I am looking for roommates to share the costs:

 

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/apa/5686867286.html

 

Thanks!

[fanstorm]

Hi comrades,

First time posting here. Wondering if any of you fine people have any experience commuting from Baltimore to UMD College Park. I was accepted to UMD and currently live in DC. My partner and I are considering a move to Baltimore to make up for my reduction in income and to perhaps buy property (which is basically impossible for us in DC). How bad is the commute (car or rail)? Further, is it possible to arrange course/ TA schedules to limit the amount of time needed on campus?

Any thoughts/ guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Bibica]

I don't know that it would be easy to live in Baltimore and commute to College Park. The MARC train is pretty accessible but costly. You'd have to live close to/take a bus to Penn Station every day. It would either take you to Union Station or New Carrolton. There is a bus from New Carrolton to UMD but at that point you're looking at quite a long commute. There is also a bus from Baltimore to UMD but it is ~2 hours long. Driving out of Baltimore during rush hour is super annoying. Could you live in the burbs outside DC? It would be MUCH cheaper to buy a house outside of the DC area/near College Park.

 

Also, a lot of the areas you'd want to live in in Baltimore are pricey (at least to buy).

[fanstorm]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm thinking it could be a pain. I was looking at the Camden line that goes to College Park but could still be a costly commute and rather long. Really not a fan of the burbs around DC, which i why I was looking at moving to a more affordable city. 

[Bibica]

LOL, I had forgotten about the Camden Line. Have you considered living near a MARC train station? I know those cities/towns aren't too exciting, but it would be a cheaper alternative.

[bhr]

I would rather go out toward Odenton/Millersville/Bowie than up 95 if I was buying.

[luz.colorada]

On 2/23/2017 at 11:55 AM, fanstorm said:

Hi comrades,

First time posting here. Wondering if any of you fine people have any experience commuting from Baltimore to UMD College Park. I was accepted to UMD and currently live in DC. My partner and I are considering a move to Baltimore to make up for my reduction in income and to perhaps buy property (which is basically impossible for us in DC). How bad is the commute (car or rail)? Further, is it possible to arrange course/ TA schedules to limit the amount of time needed on campus?

Any thoughts/ guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Hey Fanstorm, I'm also thinking of accepting an offer from UMD. I currently live in Baltimore but I own a car and will probably be moving south since the commute wouldn't be great. Somewhere halfway between Baltimore and College Park could be doable (since you don't like the D.C. suburbs), but the rush hour traffic might still not be ideal. I'm not looking forward to the increased rent prices! 

[epi-PH_PHD_2017]

Hello! Decided on Hopkins for Public Health, so I'll be near the medical campus rather than undergrad. I've never been to Baltimore before, but have lived in major US cities most of my adult life (NYC, San Francisco) so I understand the usual comments re: don't be an idiot and you'll be fine regarding crime. My question - what neighborhoods would you recommend to look for housing if I care about actual crime, cleanliness of the neighborhood, access to green space, commuter friendly to Hopkins medical campus, and am looking to stick around for 3+ years so aiming for something halfway between a great nightlife spot and entirely residential neighborhood.

Regardless, pretty excited to move somewhere new!

[luz.colorada]

Hi @epi-PH_PHD_2017, since no one has responded I'll give it a go. I'm not sure how your program works, will you need to be at both campuses? The main campus is surrounded by neighborhoods that are probably doable on a budget. I live in Hampden, which is getting pricey, but Remington is also close and not as expensive yet. There's also Charles Village and Mt. Vernon which a lot of twenty-somethings live in. The Hopkins Hospital is not in the best area for you to find housing since it's downtown and close to some very expensive neighborhoods. I'm also not as familiar with the downtown affordable neighborhoods since I've lived in north Baltimore most of my life, but in all honesty, Hopkins has a bus that circulates between the two campuses so it actually might be easier for you to live closer to the main campus and commute as you will most likely get more for your money there. I would ask some students in your program where they live, but Baltimore is a pretty small city so you wouldn't be looking at a long commute. 

[alevar]

Hi @epi-PH_PHD_2017,

I am currently working on the medical campus and just accepted an offer from the school of engineering for a PhD program (RA in a lab on the medical campus, department on the Homewood campus). The housing around the school of medicine is rather inexpensive, to my knowledge. However, it can be very unsafe from what I know i saw in the past few weeks of being here. As I relocated to Baltimore I found a great apartment right next to the Homewood campus in Charles Village - very inexpensive studio in a quiet and safe neighborhood with plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, cafes and bars 3 blocks away. It takes me about ~25 minutes to get to the medical campus each morning, which does not inconvenience me in any way. Mt. Vernon is also on the shuttle line and is a beautiful most historic area in Baltimore, to my current knowledge. Prices are just a bit higher from what i could see when viewing apartments here. It will take you about 15 minutes to get from Mt. Vernon to both the school of public health and the Homewood campus by bus. Also, some of my friends who currently live by the school of medicine will be relocating elsewhere soon due to the safety concerns.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[Varun Jain]

Hi guys,

I'm planning to join JHU this Spring. Enrolling in the MSE in CS program.

Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Would also appreciate any advice regarding the weather in the region. I'm coming from a coastal city so not at all used to winter. [international student]

[CMUnate]

Hi Varun,

I grew up in Michigan before moving out to Baltimore, so I'm a bit skewed when it comes to the weather here, but I'll give my least biased response. The weather is fairly mild during the winter, but still bites at night. Right now, we are in the mid 50s in the day and mid 30s at night, and it's pretty immediate once the sun goes down, the temp rapidly drops. We got like 2 inches of snow total last winter, but the temps in Jan and Feb were a little on the nippy side (like 30s in the day not counting the wind). Spring and Fall are pleasant but humid, the summer is scorching and humid and nasty. Like 90s everyday with the feels like above 100. I hate the heat though so there's my bias showing.

 

As for tips, Charles Village is a nice spot to live, all the JHU undergrads can be found there. Fells Point and Canton are nice (where I live) and have some great eating spots. If you're bringing a car, expect to be frustrated with parking and please please PLEASE know how to parallel park. Always be vigilant walking around, groups are better to be in, especially at night. Expect between $600 and $900 for an apartment not counting utilities, and most meals out to eat are $15- 25, though you can easily go higher or lower depending on specials and where you are. 

[Varun Jain]

On 12/4/2017 at 10:19 PM, CMUnate said:

Hi Varun,

I grew up in Michigan before moving out to Baltimore, so I'm a bit skewed when it comes to the weather here, but I'll give my least biased response. The weather is fairly mild during the winter, but still bites at night. Right now, we are in the mid 50s in the day and mid 30s at night, and it's pretty immediate once the sun goes down, the temp rapidly drops. We got like 2 inches of snow total last winter, but the temps in Jan and Feb were a little on the nippy side (like 30s in the day not counting the wind). Spring and Fall are pleasant but humid, the summer is scorching and humid and nasty. Like 90s everyday with the feels like above 100. I hate the heat though so there's my bias showing.

 

As for tips, Charles Village is a nice spot to live, all the JHU undergrads can be found there. Fells Point and Canton are nice (where I live) and have some great eating spots. If you're bringing a car, expect to be frustrated with parking and please please PLEASE know how to parallel park. Always be vigilant walking around, groups are better to be in, especially at night. Expect between $600 and $900 for an apartment not counting utilities, and most meals out to eat are $15- 25, though you can easily go higher or lower depending on specials and where you are. 

Thanks! 

Would you recommend any particular commercial residence in Charles Village? Most of the apartments I saw had a rent of about $1000-$1200 including most utilities. 

[PandI]

Going to JHU for PhD in microbiology this fall!!

Looking for 1 to 2 roommates to share a living space. I'm looking at areas in canton/brewer's hill and have found a couple ~$700-$800 (my goal is to pay under 900) when split between 2 or 3.

Happy to get to know fellow blue jays too!

 

 

[BCHGang]

I got an offer for a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. Looking for a studio in a safer area...probably the North/Western area of the campus.

[ducournau]

Baltimore native here! Feel free to shoot me specific questions if you have them.

Edited February 28, 2018 by ducournau

[Capybara]

How is the area around MICA? Is it safe? If I'm not too good with bike and don't drive, is it hard to get around?

Also, is it better to live with university's dorms (which are scattered apartments in Bolton Hill), both expense-wise and safety-wise?