Tell me about Baltimore city MD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have lived in Baltimore, have since moved away. Here are neighborhoods I would recommend exploring and some related resources:

1. https://livebaltimore.com/ - They are a non-profit that manages homebuying incentives for the city; offers workshops and tours of neighborhoods and guides individuals through the various neighborhood options. There is a lot of info about schools on their website, and Kim Wiggins is the point person/expert on this (a map of school zones are here: https://livebaltimore.com/resident-resources/schools/).

2. Neighborhoods I would explore include Reservoir Hill (adjacent to Bolton Hill, similarly beautiful large/historic homes. Not as walkable as other neighborhoods, but extremely neighborly. There's lots of families with young children. Check out Dovecote Cafe which is a really beautiful, black-owned cafe in this neighborhoood: http://dovecotecafe.com/). Another one worth looking into is Pigtown. Very affordable; there's a wonderful new bookstore there called Charm City Books and as well as a number of other anchor businesses that have continued to thrive. https://www.charmcitybooks.com/. Lastly, along the NE Corridor: Lauraville/Hamilton and further north towards Cedonia. This area is also quite diverse, with many Black middle class families. There are a few walkable, charming streets of the neighborhoods; the houses are gorgeous (large, single family with yards and greenery). There's a number of school options here too - including a montessori, I believe. Koko's pub is known for crabcakes; Red Canoe for children's books; Zeke's Coffee is headquartered here.

3. Among the neighborhoods you mention, here are my thoughts: Federal Hill, Canton and Butchers Hill all have a lot of nice, walkable retail, but also a "preppy" vibe. Highlandtown is great -- it is a predominantly Hispanic community these days, with a strong art scene supported by the local CDC (community development corporation) - they also have a fun basement bar "tour" each year. Patterson Park is adjacent and is a huge asset, and the library is wonderful. Abell has wonderful architecture and tightknit, with an annual neighborhood festival; an active neighborhood association, and adjacent to lots of amenities including the 32nd St Farmers Market and lots of small businesses nearby (my favorites are Peabody Brewery, a co-op; Book Thing for free(!) books; Local Color Flowers; Normal Records; Bird in Hand for books/cafe). The only possible negative is that the "zoned" school has a weaker reputation, but I also think this is improving. It's generally a safe neighborhood as it's adjacent to the Hopkins Homewood campus. I don't personally love Little Italy - it has lost much of its authenticity, but that's of course my opinion. Fells Point is both walkable to a lot of amenities (and the waterfront) and quite diverse. The re-development of Perkins Homes will have an impact on this area - this is a huge project. But people here complain about parking and the houses are more compact than other neighborhoods.

Good luck!!

Thanks so much! I’ll continue to do my homework on the aforementioned. The homes are just gorgeous and the prices seem no brainer.

[Anonymous]

I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Rule #1 about Baltimore is making sure you have a school path that works for you. I know people who have lost a lot of money on houses in Baltimore because they needed to move for schools. They started with an idea they could buy in an up and coming area (Reservoir Hill or something comparable) and make charters work for them, but when the reality hit, the house was dumped on the market at a loss for a quick sale and they moved, either to the Roland Park school zone or to the suburbs. The good news is that you can get a great education in the Baltimore City schools, the catch is that you have to work and plan carefully for it to happen.

Different people have different comfort levels with different schools in Baltimore, so it's hard to say what OP would be happy with. If I picture you correctly, someone who is educated and urban oriented and wants a great education for her son, then the best option in Baltimore is likely Roland Park EMS. It has diversity (is probably at least a quarter AA and has other racial minorities too). Roland Park is a liberal area and while large parts of the zone is expensive, there are affordable options if you keep your eye open for it, both in rentals or to buy. Move quickly, however. Many kids at Roland Park will move on to private schools at some point, but others will stick with the city schools through high school. School for the Arts is fabulous and one of the best in the country, and both Poly and City have excellent track programs. And with a glut of private schools it may be possible to wing some financial aid, so don't rule it out either.

Another school that might work are Mount Washington Elementary. Mount Washington is a lovely area too although it doesn't get the same attention as Roland Park, and strongly Democratic and has a diverse housing stock (zip code 21209). It's close to Roland Park but has its own school zone. It was regarded as one of the best in the city for a long time, along with Roland Park, but I haven't heard a lot of talk about it lately so I don't know what the status is these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also property taxes are crazy. We still own and rent our approx 300k rowhouse in fed hill and property taxes are [more] than they are on our 550k county house on nearly an acre.

those mayor's kids books aint gonna buy themselves....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rule #1 about Baltimore is making sure you have a school path that works for you. I know people who have lost a lot of money on houses in Baltimore because they needed to move for schools. They started with an idea they could buy in an up and coming area (Reservoir Hill or something comparable) and make charters work for them, but when the reality hit, the house was dumped on the market at a loss for a quick sale and they moved, either to the Roland Park school zone or to the suburbs. The good news is that you can get a great education in the Baltimore City schools, the catch is that you have to work and plan carefully for it to happen.

Different people have different comfort levels with different schools in Baltimore, so it's hard to say what OP would be happy with. If I picture you correctly, someone who is educated and urban oriented and wants a great education for her son, then the best option in Baltimore is likely Roland Park EMS. It has diversity (is probably at least a quarter AA and has other racial minorities too). Roland Park is a liberal area and while large parts of the zone is expensive, there are affordable options if you keep your eye open for it, both in rentals or to buy. Move quickly, however. Many kids at Roland Park will move on to private schools at some point, but others will stick with the city schools through high school. School for the Arts is fabulous and one of the best in the country, and both Poly and City have excellent track programs. And with a glut of private schools it may be possible to wing some financial aid, so don't rule it out either.

Another school that might work are Mount Washington Elementary. Mount Washington is a lovely area too although it doesn't get the same attention as Roland Park, and strongly Democratic and has a diverse housing stock (zip code 21209). It's close to Roland Park but has its own school zone. It was regarded as one of the best in the city for a long time, along with Roland Park, but I haven't heard a lot of talk about it lately so I don't know what the status is these days.

This, and all the good schools are in North Baltimore so a commute from the waterfront neighborhoods you are talking about. Mt. Washington is still very well regarded although suffers some from overcrowding, as does Roland Park public.

That’s definitely the path if you want to do public— rp or mw public for elementary/middle than Poly/City/School for the Arts for high school (these three are application required).

There are also a good number of catholic school options than are far cheaper than the independent schools but perceived as better than most of the public options.

[Anonymous]

Roland Park if you want to be in the city. Homewood. Guilford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

This post makes so much sense to me. I’m signed up for the live Baltimore virtual neighborhood trolley. I can fully afford a beautiful row home with a 95 walk score and send my son to private. My business would offset the tax issue but I’m craving something that DC isn’t giving me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

This post makes so much sense to me. I’m signed up for the live Baltimore virtual neighborhood trolley. I can fully afford a beautiful row home with a 95 walk score and send my son to private. My business would offset the tax issue but I’m craving something that DC isn’t giving me.

Give it time. The post has lived in Baltimore for two years or less only. Baltimore slowly grinds you down. I lived in Baltimore for almost a decade. It didn't seem that bad at first. Then the crime and quality of life issues slowly chop you down. When I lived there, we had a home invasion. You don't know what scary is until you live through one and you come.to the reality you may have to fight for your life at any moment. And no, it wasn't a bad neighborhood, but Canton. Another time when I was driving home late from work, a kid standing out in the street pointed a gun at me for no reason other than to get a scare out of random driver apparently for kicks. Not a bad neighborhood, but on a major artery road in the city. Then I ha soooo, sooooo many co-workers and colleagues who had been robbed at gunpoint at least once over the course of several years. Both men and women. It is truly mind warping how many people I know who have been robbed at gunpoint while living in Baltimore. And they lived in areas like Mt. Vernon and Butcher's Hill. Quality of life issues ran the gamut from incessant package theft, constant tire slashings, and car break-ins to the annoying and super aggressive panhandlers and squeegee boys. At one point, I think I counted almost 020 panhandlers bothering cars in less than a mile on Martin Luther King Blvd.

Baltimore just isn't safe. There's a reason why the property values are at the prices they are in Baltimore. Not even the 'good' areas are immune to crime. Roland Park/Guilford borders the Greenmount area which is SCARY. My Vernon/Butcher's Hill border tough neighborhoods, and criminals come from the bad areas to prey on the better areas. Charles Village borders the same Greenmount area.

We just got tired of it all after a while and left. Leaving the city was also like a huuuuuge salary raise after cutting my car insurance almost in half for not living in Baltimore, and for drastically reduced taxes. Property values also don't go up very fast or stay stagnant in Baltimore. There always seems to be a huge glut of homes on the market.

[Anonymous]

We live in Mt Washington! Much less precious than Roland Park, but just as safe. Very neighborly- kids go to school, play soccer, swim together. It’s a lovely, quirky, diverse community with tons of spirit. We have 4th of July parade, and the pool opens its doors 2x/week to all residents whether or not they are members. It’s that kind of place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

This post makes so much sense to me. I’m signed up for the live Baltimore virtual neighborhood trolley. I can fully afford a beautiful row home with a 95 walk score and send my son to private. My business would offset the tax issue but I’m craving something that DC isn’t giving me.

Give it time. The post has lived in Baltimore for two years or less only. Baltimore slowly grinds you down. I lived in Baltimore for almost a decade. It didn't seem that bad at first. Then the crime and quality of life issues slowly chop you down. When I lived there, we had a home invasion. You don't know what scary is until you live through one and you come.to the reality you may have to fight for your life at any moment. And no, it wasn't a bad neighborhood, but Canton. Another time when I was driving home late from work, a kid standing out in the street pointed a gun at me for no reason other than to get a scare out of random driver apparently for kicks. Not a bad neighborhood, but on a major artery road in the city. Then I ha soooo, sooooo many co-workers and colleagues who had been robbed at gunpoint at least once over the course of several years. Both men and women. It is truly mind warping how many people I know who have been robbed at gunpoint while living in Baltimore. And they lived in areas like Mt. Vernon and Butcher's Hill. Quality of life issues ran the gamut from incessant package theft, constant tire slashings, and car break-ins to the annoying and super aggressive panhandlers and squeegee boys. At one point, I think I counted almost 020 panhandlers bothering cars in less than a mile on Martin Luther King Blvd.

Baltimore just isn't safe. There's a reason why the property values are at the prices they are in Baltimore. Not even the 'good' areas are immune to crime. Roland Park/Guilford borders the Greenmount area which is SCARY. My Vernon/Butcher's Hill border tough neighborhoods, and criminals come from the bad areas to prey on the better areas. Charles Village borders the same Greenmount area.

We just got tired of it all after a while and left. Leaving the city was also like a huuuuuge salary raise after cutting my car insurance almost in half for not living in Baltimore, and for drastically reduced taxes. Property values also don't go up very fast or stay stagnant in Baltimore. There always seems to be a huge glut of homes on the market.

Roland Park doesn't border Greenmount. You have to go some distance from Roland Park.

But I do think your post is useful too. For every city lover there are people who get worn out from living in the city, whether through crime or high taxes/insurance. It's not an easy place and people make Baltimore work by either being comfortable with the hassles or having enough money to avoid it. But for the right person and right mindset, Baltimore still offers a great lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

This post makes so much sense to me. I’m signed up for the live Baltimore virtual neighborhood trolley. I can fully afford a beautiful row home with a 95 walk score and send my son to private. My business would offset the tax issue but I’m craving something that DC isn’t giving me.

Give it time. The post has lived in Baltimore for two years or less only. Baltimore slowly grinds you down. I lived in Baltimore for almost a decade. It didn't seem that bad at first. Then the crime and quality of life issues slowly chop you down. When I lived there, we had a home invasion. You don't know what scary is until you live through one and you come.to the reality you may have to fight for your life at any moment. And no, it wasn't a bad neighborhood, but Canton. Another time when I was driving home late from work, a kid standing out in the street pointed a gun at me for no reason other than to get a scare out of random driver apparently for kicks. Not a bad neighborhood, but on a major artery road in the city. Then I ha soooo, sooooo many co-workers and colleagues who had been robbed at gunpoint at least once over the course of several years. Both men and women. It is truly mind warping how many people I know who have been robbed at gunpoint while living in Baltimore. And they lived in areas like Mt. Vernon and Butcher's Hill. Quality of life issues ran the gamut from incessant package theft, constant tire slashings, and car break-ins to the annoying and super aggressive panhandlers and squeegee boys. At one point, I think I counted almost 020 panhandlers bothering cars in less than a mile on Martin Luther King Blvd.

Baltimore just isn't safe. There's a reason why the property values are at the prices they are in Baltimore. Not even the 'good' areas are immune to crime. Roland Park/Guilford borders the Greenmount area which is SCARY. My Vernon/Butcher's Hill border tough neighborhoods, and criminals come from the bad areas to prey on the better areas. Charles Village borders the same Greenmount area.

We just got tired of it all after a while and left. Leaving the city was also like a huuuuuge salary raise after cutting my car insurance almost in half for not living in Baltimore, and for drastically reduced taxes. Property values also don't go up very fast or stay stagnant in Baltimore. There always seems to be a huge glut of homes on the market.

I had to laugh reading this post - I lived in Bogota, Colombia for several years and saw many of the same things (everybody got robbed at some point). Of course the upsides for living in Colombia are likely a lot higher than they are for Baltimore and Bogota is probably a little safer. Now I'm just incredibly bored in expensive, sterile DC. I do love visiting Baltimore on occassion though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Baltimore in 2018 and love it. I rented for a year in Station North, literally across the street from Penn Station, and then I bought a place in the same neighborhood when my lease was up.

I don't think I traded anything to live here actually. I also own a place in Silver Spring and when I lived there my commute to work on the Hill was like an hour or more give or take. It may sound odd, but my commute from Baltimore to Union Station on MARC was actually a little shorter and a much easier commute. Last fall I transitioned to a city govt gig so my commute is like 10 mins now tops.

I don't have any kids, so I can't comment on the schools.

Frankly, I'm baffled as to why more people, especially upwardly mobile people, but who are clearly priced out of the DC/MoCo/NoVa market don't take a hard look at Baltimore. Yes, the property taxes are staggering over a certain a price point, but you can get a moderately priced and nice home here for under $250k in a safe and walk-able community. You just can't do that anywhere near DC.

Honestly, my standard of living has increased tremendously living in Baltimore City. This place is great! I was able to purchase a second home up here and not feel stretched financially at all. In fact, my rental profit in silver spring more than covers my entire mortgage payment in Baltimore. I'd really encourage you to consider moving up here.

Good luck!

This post makes so much sense to me. I’m signed up for the live Baltimore virtual neighborhood trolley. I can fully afford a beautiful row home with a 95 walk score and send my son to private. My business would offset the tax issue but I’m craving something that DC isn’t giving me.

Give it time. The post has lived in Baltimore for two years or less only. Baltimore slowly grinds you down. I lived in Baltimore for almost a decade. It didn't seem that bad at first. Then the crime and quality of life issues slowly chop you down. When I lived there, we had a home invasion. You don't know what scary is until you live through one and you come.to the reality you may have to fight for your life at any moment. And no, it wasn't a bad neighborhood, but Canton. Another time when I was driving home late from work, a kid standing out in the street pointed a gun at me for no reason other than to get a scare out of random driver apparently for kicks. Not a bad neighborhood, but on a major artery road in the city. Then I ha soooo, sooooo many co-workers and colleagues who had been robbed at gunpoint at least once over the course of several years. Both men and women. It is truly mind warping how many people I know who have been robbed at gunpoint while living in Baltimore. And they lived in areas like Mt. Vernon and Butcher's Hill. Quality of life issues ran the gamut from incessant package theft, constant tire slashings, and car break-ins to the annoying and super aggressive panhandlers and squeegee boys. At one point, I think I counted almost 020 panhandlers bothering cars in less than a mile on Martin Luther King Blvd.

Baltimore just isn't safe. There's a reason why the property values are at the prices they are in Baltimore. Not even the 'good' areas are immune to crime. Roland Park/Guilford borders the Greenmount area which is SCARY. My Vernon/Butcher's Hill border tough neighborhoods, and criminals come from the bad areas to prey on the better areas. Charles Village borders the same Greenmount area.

We just got tired of it all after a while and left. Leaving the city was also like a huuuuuge salary raise after cutting my car insurance almost in half for not living in Baltimore, and for drastically reduced taxes. Property values also don't go up very fast or stay stagnant in Baltimore. There always seems to be a huge glut of homes on the market.

Roland Park doesn't border Greenmount. You have to go some distance from Roland Park.

But I do think your post is useful too. For every city lover there are people who get worn out from living in the city, whether through crime or high taxes/insurance. It's not an easy place and people make Baltimore work by either being comfortable with the hassles or having enough money to avoid it. But for the right person and right mindset, Baltimore still offers a great lifestyle.

Station North poster here. I agree with the poster above. Baltimore City is a place where you either have to be "comfortable with the hassles or have enough money to avoid it." And honestly, it doesn't take THAT much money to avoid the hassles, especially when compared to a place like DC. Honestly, a lot of what you're describing are the same plights that people use to describe about D.C., before gentrification. Granted, DC and Baltimore are very different cities, but the common denominator in both cities, I think, is rampant gentrification. The only major caveat is that unlike DC, Baltimore is very much still a block by block city.

Where I live in Station North it's quiet, people are friendly, and its a place I feel safe in. But, to your point, two blocks away from me is Greenmount and it is very much a place of abject poverty. So I don't go over there and the folks that reside over there don't come this way either. But, again, people said the same things about Shaw in DC and U Street. Folks that bought homes in those areas in the 90s certainly looked like utter fools to their peers back then, now they're all millionaires (on paper at least). Now mere mortals couldn't dream of buying anywhere near those areas.

If you're a young professional and want to actually own a home in an urban setting, I think Baltimore should be an option. When I was in law school, my contracts professor told all the 1Ls that life will become a whole lot easier once 90% of us realize that we aren't going to be in the top 10% of the class, and adjust accordingly, lol. I think the same holds true for the DC housing market. Life will become a whole lot easier for most people that rent in the DC area when they realize that its highly unlikely that they'll ever own there. I can concede that Baltimore City isn't for everyone, but it should at least be on your radar if you want live in an urban setting in this area.

[Anonymous]

I’ve lived in Baltimore for two decades and never been the victim of crime. Maybe just lucky but street smarts and common sense help. Don’t live in Guilford, Reservoir Hill, or Bolton Hill, are beautiful but surrounded by pretty bad neighborhoods. Locust point, Harbor East are very safe. Fed Hill, canton, fell’s point, and my. Washington are safe as long as you aren’t on the edges of the neighborhood.