The cost of living is low, but changing fairly qui - 7/12/2007

I've lived in the New York city metro area for most of my life and let's just say the cost of living is really out of control. I rented a deluxe studio in the currently and still gentrified neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant for $789.00 a month. That was fairly reasonable considering I was literally 1 block from an express subway line and walking distance to neighboring Clinton Hills and Fort Greene. I moved to Baltimore about 2 years ago for work and I decided to no longer be a renter and purchase a home. I live in the up and coming neighborhood of Union Square and when I purchased my home, it was a steal! My mortgage for a 2 bedroom rowhouse with some upscale features and literally a spit away from all the attractions of downtown costs less for my mortgage than paying rent. Recently there are alot of rehabs on my block and the prices for home similar to mine have risen double to what I paid. The taxes are considerably higher and now it seems like I will paying the same, if not a little more than what I was paying from my place in New York City and let's not mention the parking situation. Was the move worth it; absolutely but like any metropolitan area, the cost of living is increasing rapidly.

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Looking for a safe neighborhood... - 6/20/2007

A friend and I are job hunting in the Baltimore area and we're looking for a safe place to live. As single women, the comments from other users and the crime rate statistics have made us nervous about this decision. If I were your daughter moving to Baltimore with only 1 friend (and my dog), where would you advise me to a) rent and b) eventually buy property? Thanks for any suggestions you can give!

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Baltimore housing - 6/6/2007

Though bargain-shopping D.C. dwellers have pushed prices up (especially near the train station), Baltimore still offers a lot of house for the money.

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Puttin' the "Sh^tty" back in "City" - Welcome to B - 5/29/2007

Ever seen "The Wire"? Body-more, Murderland...that's the REAL Baltimore. I've lived here for 16 years, grew up in PA and moved here out of college. The main reason I've been STUCK here so long is that the home I bought had me trapped....as my neighborhood went from quite to drug strip in a matter of about two years. When I first moved in, lots of older/retired folks who planned on staying plus many mult-generational homes earmarked the community. A few short years later, several houses on the street were sold and rented out to Section 8 (assisted housing) renters. That was the beginning of the end. Look forward another two years, and it became an open-air heroine market on the corner near my house. I could not enter or leave my own home without worrying about harassment, robbery (two in ten years), carjacking (once, which was enough) along with vandalism, threats, and police who are so currupt and self-serving that calling them is a waste of effort. Aside from my own horrid experiences here (and believe me, I'm no risk-taker), ask anyone and they'll tell you that this place is filled with: - drug addiction that is off the charts, - violent crime, most notably murder, that is tops in the nation, - very little social programming for above two problems...if any, - trash, litter, more trash. The RAT infestation is so bad here you can not walk outside at night. Forget cook-outs or pools in the yard. Only in the WAAAY overpriced suburbs. - racial tension that increases ever year, "them and us" not "we" rules the day. - poor education, even worse police corruption, crappy roads, little or no natural public park lands (other than the multi-million dollar "Gwynn Falls Trail" which was smartly built right through the middle of Leakin Park...dead body dumping ground for every thug in the city. Bottom line, look elsewhere. Unless you WANT to be a criminal, then this place is the shiz-nit man!

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Cost of Living is high and city is cramped! - 5/27/2007

I've lived in Baltimore for most of my life and now I want to get out. Baltimore has a lot to offer with teaching hospitals, the inner harbor, several good colleges, but when you get down to it, the actual city is crime ridden, poverty stricken and dangerous. So most opt to live in the suburbs, or Baltimore County. There are many beautiful places out and around Baltimore, but if you need to do anything near the city, you have to fight traffic on the beltway. There are 2 million people just inside the beltway! Going anywhere is so cramped that I usually shop early in the morning or late at night. But those issues aside, the main reason I want to move is the weather. We have brutally cold winters and long hot and humid summers. Spring and fall are barely noticeable. I don't mind the heat as much as the winters. Months and months below freezing with lots of wind. Not much snowfall, but lots of ice. Which causes a lot of accidents, which makes traffic worse and car insurance astronomical! We have a saying her, "if you don't like the weather in Baltimore, wait an hour, it'll change." The forecasters are also notoriously wrong. So, if you don't mind winter and summer and people and traffic, its alright. :)

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looking for empolyment - 5/24/2007

i'm looking to move to baltimore in september/late october i would like to know what is the pay rate for a medical biller/claimer and the pay rate for a home health aide that dose overnight live in cases and the rate for a certified nurse assitance

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Air Quality - 5/8/2007

Air quality in Baltimore is an ongoing problem for those of us with respiratory problems. There is a great deal of soot and other particulate matter that precipitates on exterior surfaces of the house, lawn chairs, etc., and too many Red or Orange Alert days *high Ozone levels) during the warmer months. Ragweed is troublesome in the fall.

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Great Town - 5/7/2007

I've lived here for six years, and it's great for restaurants, museums, great neighborhoods. Violent crime is largely found in a few drug ridden areas. Cost of living is fairly high, especially with increases in housing costs. But still a bargain compared to Washington, DC.

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Baltimore - 5/6/2007

Growing downtown area cono's being built on the east side. Good cultural scene, good food city, great colleges, excellent recreational opportunties, three hours from most of the northeast cities.

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A city in transition - 4/30/2007

A great place for the young and single professional. Cost of living is on the rise and services are fair but there is lots to do. Not a place to retire since the taxes are rather high and so is the crime rate.

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Baltimore is a Dump - 4/11/2007

Dirty, noisy, sullen, crime-ridden, shoddily-developed and overpriced. Live somewhere else if you possibly can.

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maryland not the place to be - 4/6/2007

plenty of ceime along with very high cost of living

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A harsh, but (I hope) not unfair look from life-lo - 4/6/2007

I've lived here all my life and know the city like the back of my hand, from penthouse to slum. Exercise caution if you are moving here. Yes, there are liveable neighborhoods, but they are invariably surrounded by arguably some of the worst ghettos in the U.S. "The Wire" is not fiction. The city is steadily polarizing. It's the middle that is being cut-out. One recent study showed Baltimore with a 37% decline in middle-class neighborhoods since 1990. That about sums it up. Most neighborhoods are being forced to one extreme or the other. So what, you might say? Aren't many cities like that? The difference is that Baltimore's geography works against it. Unlike DC, Philly and other areas, where the lively and liveable districts spread out in quadrants, in Baltimore, these areas are concentrated in a narrow strip about 8-10 blocks wide and about 50 blocks long running from downtown to the city line. On each side, are major expressways and then slum after slum. This impediment of geography means Baltimore lacks a multiplier or spillover effect, where improvements branch out over greater territory bounds. Instead, they're always confined to these limits. Of course, there are exceptions, but as a rule this rule holds here. Having said that, the most liveable bohemian areas are Mt Vernon and Charles Village (along this downtown strip.)The Inner Harbor is a pricey, gentrified, garrison, sterile and undistinguished. For those with a little money, Roland Park and Mt Washington are leafy, large Victorian housing dominated. Pockets exist elsewhere. You have to look. A plus in Baltimore's favor is that it's a city composed of small villages. It lacks the transience and cosmopolitanism of other NE cities, but makes up for stability (or stagnation, depending on your viewpoint) Myself, I plan to leave within the next year.

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Smalltimore is Fine - 3/15/2007

It's neither a "sh**hole" nor "wonderful", but it's somewhere in between. It's a classic boom-bust east coast city still reeling from the decades-long bust starting in the 50s. Huge tracts of neighborhoods boarded up (pop. in 1950 was 950K, today is 650K). Thanks to the "DC effect" some neighborhoods have experienced a turn-around. The people are quite provincial in their tastes, preferring comfort food to gourmet experiences which leads to a a derth of high quality restaurants; this is no urban mecca, so don't expect anything avant garde. Speaking of provincial, ask someone in Baltimore what school they attended and you'll get the name of their Baltimore high school alma mater whereas a DC resident will offer the name of a distant college. People are friendly for a mid-Atlantic coast city, which was a pleasant surprise for an outsider and there a ton of museums owing to Baltimore's rich cultural and financial history.

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paradise for lifelong students - 2/23/2007

There are many high-quality colleges in the Baltimore metro area, and that is my favorite thing about living here. I have access to excellent professors, libraries, and classes. Most area universities give their full-time employees tuition remission for themselves, their spouses, and their children. It's a wonderful deal if you're looking to avoid the cost of higher education. Johns Hopkins, UMBC, University of Baltimore, Goucher, and Loyola are just a few of the schools in the area.

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Be careful - 2/23/2007

My husband and I bought a rowhouse 14 years ago expecting the neighborhood to improve in many aspects. We've seen areas of Baltimore, like Canton, blossom into a very nice community over the past 14 years. Unfortunately ours has not. We didn't know that we would be "on the wrong side of Baltimore Street" and that the pizza places wouldn't deliver to our house after dark! Three blocks away, the streets are well lit, clean and welcoming. However, on our street, we can't get rid of the drug house and prostitutes. Our police department seems to be overwhelmed in general and can only do so much. Be very careful about the neighborhood you choose to move into. One block is completely different than the next!

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Great Place to Live/Work/Play - 11/22/2006

Have been here 7 years and loved every minute of it. Fantastic place for singles (especially Federal Hill and Canton). People are down to earth and even the pretty people are approachable. Baltimore Sports and Social Club is, as the name states, an excellent outlet for weekend warriors who like sports and socializing. It's how I met my wife. Living in Federal Hill has become a popular option for parents of young children. Having a 6 month old son has been a joy in the city. There are many "mommy" groups (at churches, libraries, coffee shops) within walking distance. There's no need to pack up all that baby gear in the car. It's out the front door we go. Federal Hill also has an excellent K-8 "prep" school. However, the city high schools are not good and we'll be forced to move eventually. I would highly recommend Baltimore as a place to live.

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Why is Baltimore Great? - 10/20/2006

Having moved to Baltimore over 20 years ago, I can truely say that it is one of the greatest cities in the states. Neighborhoods deemed unfit for living 20 years ago are now progressing at a phenominal rate. The architecture is beautiful with close-knit homes on narrow streets. It is a model for progressive change that other cities need to look at a bit closer. Sure, there is still a lot to be improved--the murder rate is way to high, the city schools need to do better,there are still many scary neighborhoods, and they need to extend the metro to other areas. But, how many other cities can claim the amount of progress Baltimore has made in the last 40 years? Not many... It is not a NYC, nor a DC, nor a Chicago---but as far as cities it's size, I can't find many better. Oh, and the earlier poster who mentioned it is not a sports town: hmmm---The Orioles, The Ravens, Pimlico, soccer, La Crosse, --the dink must be living in a cave. Thirty years ago, homes in my neighborhood were selling for 10 grand---now up to 400 grand. That spells demand and interest in the city--and that is progress.

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Great City - 10/12/2006

Every city has unsafe neighborhoods. If you want to be safe, do not go to the unsafe neighborhoods. I lived in the city most of my life and never saw anything out of the ordinary. There are plenty of safe neighborhoods in Baltimore with great culture and lots of entertainment. The people are real too. Go Ravens!

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Small town feel - 9/19/2006

Baltimore does not have the feel and energy of major city; within that lays its charm. Having more nightlife, culture, and energy, DC is definitely more of a "city". Nevertheless, Baltimore has nightlife without the big city price tag. You can find places to go out and not pay $5 for a beer. Parking in Fells, until recently, was free. And even now, it's a nominal charge, unlike most big cities - including its neighbor DC. Housing is also way more affordable than alot of bigger cities. You can find a place in Canton, or even Federal Hill, that is far more reasonable than say...Georgetown or Adams Morgan. There are also many activities that take place in Patterson Park. I read many comments about people that don't want to go out and drink, what's your problem? Just kiddin'!. With what activities do you want to be involved? PP has cultural festivals and also offers an array of outdoor sport leagues. Plus, geographically speaking, Baltimore has an ideal location. If you do want the "feel" of a bigger city, DC is 45 mins away. NYC is also not a bad drive, except for the tolls. So, basically, is what I am saying is the town has a "small town" feel and price tag. There are activities to do, the key is to go out and find them.

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