Johns Hopkins University

[contretemps]

Accepted for Chemistry. Anyone else planning to go here?

[contretemps]

So I'm 90% sure that I'm accepting their offer. But like everbody else, I'm worried about the safety of the area. And also, is it possible to go around without a car?

[ANDS!]

You don't HAVE to live in Baltimore.

[EquationForLife]

Even if it is home to the greatest football team on earth.

[RedundantRyan]

I was accepted to the Sociology program, and I'm likely going to attend. I've actually heard great things about Baltimore. I've never been myself, but a friend was telling me the other day about how the waterfront area has been redone or something within the past few years. Supposedly it's really nice. Charles Village (the area around the Homewood campus in Baltimore) also seems like a pretty cool place. Year-round farmer's market, good art scene, etc.

[Faraday]

I am from central Maryland I while I don't live in Baltimore I can say that you can live in perfectly safe areas. The area immediately around the JHU campus is pretty sketchy, and I would not suggest riding around there with your windows down/car unlocked, or taking a late night stroll...

I can't say specifically from personal experience but from the people I know who live in Baltimore, there are plenty of "safe" (it is a city) areas outside of that which are very nice. The metro and MTA light rail are very convenient for getting to JHU without a car. Most of the metro is actually above ground, so it is more like a quick train.

Oh yeah, make sure you get some crabs/crab cakes first thing when you arrive.

Edited March 8, 2012 by Faraday

[igg29]

SAIS (in DC) accepted! who else is considering?

[araman]

Got accepted into SAIS Bologna/DC

Who else is considering?

[judymac]

Accepted to SAIS Bologna/DC also. I'm just worried about the price tag hihi

@ Araman: have you heard from UT?

Edited March 16, 2012 by judymac

[respice finem]

Accepted to SAIS DC. Also very worried about the price.

[AbaNader]

I'll be attending JHU in the fall as well. I'm mechanical engineering PhD so I'll be at the homewood campus.

Its exciting, so far.

[diasporabound]

How are people finding roommates?

As for the safety of the area- my visit included a 2hour walking tour of the area, and it seems pretty safe (considering I've lived in Philadelphia)- very easy to avoid the less developed areas, and you can ask people where those are.

- I wish there was an official forum for new students (in all programs, or by campus, etc.) to help us find roommates/housing. I'm hoping this can be that forum! Maybe that's an idea for the GRO organization.

[AbaNader]

How are people finding roommates?

As for the safety of the area- my visit included a 2hour walking tour of the area, and it seems pretty safe (considering I've lived in Philadelphia)- very easy to avoid the less developed areas, and you can ask people where those are.

- I wish there was an official forum for new students (in all programs, or by campus, etc.) to help us find roommates/housing. I'm hoping this can be that forum! Maybe that's an idea for the GRO organization.

You should just check out their new students guide, it has some resources. There is also a google group for finding roommates:

http://groups.google.com/group/gro-housing

Apart from that, you can also hit up craigslist. I don't think it should be too difficult, in general.

I was invited to the campus tour but I was overseas at the time so couldn't make it. What did you make of the campus?

[diasporabound]

AbaNader, Thanks so much for the link! I had no idea about the google group. The GRO website you mentioned describes pretty accurately most of what I saw on my tour. I really like the campus (Homewood). There are historical buildings and there are really cutting edge contemporary buildings. I think you'll love it. My tour was by an Engineering student, and she showed us a ton of really cool new labs and buildings that are almost completed - it's good to know the university is investing in your field. There are also lots of study spaces, walking paths around and through the campus if you want to work out, bike paths, and more importantly- trees! The scenery is really nice, and since Baltimore is a small city, you don't have to sacrifice a social life to get the environment- 5 minutes from some parts of campus and you're back into the city. I will say that I kind of hate the library- it's really small.

The Area: Near the engineering side of the campus there are tons of coffee shops, ethnic food places, kitchy stores, and very close housing (although I've been told its overpriced- it's practically on campus). There's also a lot of cool stuff to do in Baltimore that's free/cheap for Hopkins students -like independent movie theaters, a free book warehouse on Saturdays, etc. It's all walkable in about 20 minutes, but if you want there's enough random spots to park a car or a bike so that wouldn't be difficult either. It seems as though the JHU shuttle that connects to the metro cuts around the edges of the campus (which is fine), although most students told me they only take it to go downtown (i.e. this is not a sprawling campus where you'll need to take a shuttle to get to each side). There's also random cool stuff like a gym primarily for graduate students, but you can also use parts of the gym that the athletes use- which is epic.

I don't want to ramble, but I took a ton of notes while I was there, so if there's something specific you want me to describe or have a question about just let me know. Oh! In terms of housing, I thought it was pretty cool that each neighborhood looks really different, so you can pick a neighborhood by the vibe that works for you - and at least 2 complexes had rooftop pools if that's something you're interested in.

[Jrock4real]

Also headed to JHU this fall! Campus felt awesome. The Charles Village area seemed quite interesting. I know there are concerns about safety, but I think this is overblown. And I think the TV shows have perpetuated this myth of Baltimore as the crime capital of the nation. Someone from the area may set me straight if I'm wrong, but I don't think Baltimore is any more dangerous than some parts of DC at night. I have relatives and friends in DC-Baltimore and have visited about three or four times a year since 2006. I'm also an international student, and I've certainly seen worse. I know my life is not in my own hands, anyway, so I'm super excited for whatever neighborhood I end up in. They seem quite charming (Hampden, etc).

[AbaNader]

AbaNader, Thanks so much for the link! I had no idea about the google group. The GRO website you mentioned describes pretty accurately most of what I saw on my tour. I really like the campus (Homewood). There are historical buildings and there are really cutting edge contemporary buildings. I think you'll love it. My tour was by an Engineering student, and she showed us a ton of really cool new labs and buildings that are almost completed - it's good to know the university is investing in your field. There are also lots of study spaces, walking paths around and through the campus if you want to work out, bike paths, and more importantly- trees! The scenery is really nice, and since Baltimore is a small city, you don't have to sacrifice a social life to get the environment- 5 minutes from some parts of campus and you're back into the city. I will say that I kind of hate the library- it's really small.

The Area: Near the engineering side of the campus there are tons of coffee shops, ethnic food places, kitchy stores, and very close housing (although I've been told its overpriced- it's practically on campus). There's also a lot of cool stuff to do in Baltimore that's free/cheap for Hopkins students -like independent movie theaters, a free book warehouse on Saturdays, etc. It's all walkable in about 20 minutes, but if you want there's enough random spots to park a car or a bike so that wouldn't be difficult either. It seems as though the JHU shuttle that connects to the metro cuts around the edges of the campus (which is fine), although most students told me they only take it to go downtown (i.e. this is not a sprawling campus where you'll need to take a shuttle to get to each side). There's also random cool stuff like a gym primarily for graduate students, but you can also use parts of the gym that the athletes use- which is epic.

I don't want to ramble, but I took a ton of notes while I was there, so if there's something specific you want me to describe or have a question about just let me know. Oh! In terms of housing, I thought it was pretty cool that each neighborhood looks really different, so you can pick a neighborhood by the vibe that works for you - and at least 2 complexes had rooftop pools if that's something you're interested in.

Thanks for all the info. This thread disappeared for some reason after the forum update (atleast I couldn't find it), hence the late reply.

I am trying to get something in Charles Village because it seems close to both engineering as well as grocery stores, coffee shops, etc. I was reading on the JHU guide that Hampden has less stores and is more of a quiet area. Rollins Park even more. Are you guys just craigslisting apartments or what?

Edited April 15, 2012 by AbaNader

[contretemps]

This seems helpful: http://www.jhusga.com/ochd/

Although I'm kind of worried about the housing situation since I still haven't heard anything from the admissions officer. I can't believe I'll be leaving for Baltimore in a few months!

[RedundantRyan]

I decided to get a place in one of the larger, commercial buildings. I figure I can always move to a smaller place if I don't like the environment, but it was easier to rent from a bigger place since I can't go look at the various row house offerings and such. When I visited the students gave me some tips on which larger buildings are gross and which places are nice.

[Jrock4real]

Thanks for all the info. This thread disappeared for some reason after the forum update (atleast I couldn't find it), hence the late reply.

I am trying to get something in Charles Village because it seems close to both engineering as well as grocery stores, coffee shops, etc. I was reading on the JHU guide that Hampden has less stores and is more of a quiet area. Rollins Park even more. Are you guys just craigslisting apartments or what?

Have you checked/seen the listings page: https://housing6.res.jhu.edu/classifieds/Default.asp?

[AbaNader]

I'm setting up a google group for new JHU students so we can exchange info more easily. If you are interested, PM me your email (gmail preferably).

[diasporabound]

I decided to get a place in one of the larger, commercial buildings. I figure I can always move to a smaller place if I don't like the environment, but it was easier to rent from a bigger place since I can't go look at the various row house offerings and such. When I visited the students gave me some tips on which larger buildings are gross and which places are nice.

Nice! I'm living with two other first year students, and I've been looking into craigslist while one of the others has looked into commercial spaces. Which have you heard good/bad things about? I'm interested in those options as well, especially since one of my roommates is an international student who'd prefer the level of security and ease those options present (not to mention the virtual tours lol). The two I looked into put us on waiting lists :/

Thanks AbaNader for setting up the google group- great idea. I too can hardly believe that I'll be moving to Baltimore in such a short amount of time! But I guess if it hadn't taken me so long to make my final decision I could've mentally prepared myself a little better.

[RedundantRyan]

I've heard good things about The Carlyle, The Broadview, and The Halstead. Everyone says stay faaaaaaaar away from The Marylander.

[hipchick525600]

Hi! I went to JHU undergrad, lived off-campus, and stayed in the area for several years after graduating. I can tell you that the areas around Homewood are relatively safe, but you have to keep in mind that it is an urban area, so you need to be street-smart. Stay in lit areas and carry mace. There's a JHU shuttle that will take you anywhere within a mile of campus - definitely use it at night - and a regular route shuttle that hits the grocery stores, so you can easily manage w/o a car (not than anyone asked).

Definitely avoid the Marylander. Bad management and cranky neighbors, thin walls. But they used to have a good deli on the main floor - don't know if it's still there or not. Carlysle is a good building, but small, hard to get into; lots of student live in the Broadview, it's worth checking out.

But don't forget the rowhouse option! There are TONS of rowhouses in CV; some are split into apartments, but if you have friends you can rent a whole house. I would also suggest checking out Mt. Vernon, which is just a little south of campus (where Peabody is). There's two JHU shuttle stops, one to Homewood and one to the med school; they pick up every half hour. Great neighborhood.

Def. check out Craigslist (I wish we had that when I was in undergrad), and I think the Baltimore City Paper might have listings as well. And a lot of cool apartments in row houses won't even be listed anywhere - you just have to drive around and look for "For Rent" signs in the window.

But don't worry, there's lots of housing to be found, and you can easily find affordable housing.

[Emdave]

Recently accepted to the PhD program in History. Looking for a good place around Homewood. So, the Marylander is bad. Any others to avoid particularly? Please (anyone!) PM me if you have specific recommendations or you know of anyone looking for a roommate. I am housetrained and I have no pets.

[impatientWaiting]

Bringing this forum back to life! Recently accepted for ChemBE for the fall.

Anyone else attending?