Tell me about moving from DC to Baltimore with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Homeland from Glover Park years ago with my family. I went from a $900k 3/2 rowhouse with one of the two baths in the basement to a gorgeous $650k stone 5/4 mini-mansion. Our kids are in private school, but we would have probably done private in DC anyway, and the Baltimore independents are $25k instead of $45k.

We absolutely love it here. We regularly walk to the lakes, the library, the Senator theatre, and the restaurants in and around Belvedere Square. If I could walk to Eddie's, my life would be perfect! Even in a private school environment, there is no trace of the typical D.C. competitive parenting. Our neighbors and the other parents at our kids' school are wonderful, with few exceptions.

On crime: with the exception of the horrible stabbing of the woman walking her dog (which I believe was not random. Why would anyone stab a person out walking her dogs in a residential neighborhood if they were looking for a random person to rob?), the crime in this part of the city is petty property crime with an occasional house break in. Yes, if you leave a bag in plain view in your car and forget to lock the doors, it will probably be stolen. That was also true in every D.C. neighborhood I ever lived in. We have an alarm on our house, and we use it.

On insularity: it is true that, unlike D.C., most people who live in Baltimore grew up in Baltimore. I think it could be very hard to move here as a young person with no kids. But I think it is pretty easy to get to know other parents once you have kids. We have met really fun, nice people in our neighborhood and through our kids' school. Im not going to be elected president of the Junior League or whatever any time soon, but we have a few other families we socialize with often, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

All that said, the PP who warned about the job situation is right. We moved here because my husband has a great job here, and I have a job that is a relatively easy commute by MARC. I would not have moved here if we were both commuting or if my office in DC was any farther from Union Station than it is. And I would never dream of trying to commute regularly to D.C. or MoCo by car.

As others have said, Baltimore is not perfect. The divide between the haves and have-nots is disturbing, but that's true in DC too. The school budget issues are terrible. But I am so much happier raising a family here than I would have been in DC.

Huh? No, just no. I've lived in Baltimore (very close to the section you mention, in fact). I'm not a squeamish, pearl-clutching type, but I would not walk to Belvedere Square or the Senator after dark. Period. If you are talking about walking there in the afternoon, broad daylight, you need to make that clear. Otherwise, you are greatly misleading people.

I love Baltimore. It will always have a place in my heart, but I don't think it's fair to mislead people.

I agree with the Roland Park poster who says that a lot of people seem to have a vested interest in keeping the crime quiet. I had a similar experience in another neighborhood. People said up and down how great it is, that there is only petty crime that you'd find anywhere, etc., but that was not the reality. And it was not at all walkable. I consider walkable to mean I can walk around the neighborhood in the early morning or in the evening (when it's not quite dark) and feel safe. But that is not the case, unless you have a large, intimidating dog. Even then, it's questionable.

so she is misleading people if she walks to the square at the times people actually go there vs. in the middle of the night? okay.

The sun goes down at 5pm in the winter. So she's not seeing any movies that let out later than that at the Senator or walking there to have dinner and a drink and then walking home.

I lived in Baltimore. And it was frustrating not feeling safe to go on a walk when I got home from work. As I said, I'm not a pearl clutcher. I actually live in PG County now. And my suburban neighborhood is far more walkable in any real sense of the word than my Baltimore neighborhood was.

I'm not a Baltimore hater. But I think it's misleading to say that area of Baltimore is truly walkable. Maybe at noon. But outside of that, not really.

on the days the sun sets at five it's too cold to walk anyways. my kids' school is less than 10 minute walk from my home. it's very safe. yet during the winter i drive them. it's too cold and often windy and/or rainy. i am not sure there are many people anywhere (regardless of safety) who enjoy long walks during winter days.

Lots of people like to be able to take a walk at 5pm in January or at 7pm in March. Or when they say they want something "walkable," they mean they actually want to be able to walk to a restaurant and not have to leave by 4:30 to get home while it's still safe to walk.

That's what I mean by saying that that section of Baltimore really isn't walkable in the way people mean that word when they say they are looking for a "walkable" urban area.

But whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Homeland from Glover Park years ago with my family. I went from a $900k 3/2 rowhouse with one of the two baths in the basement to a gorgeous $650k stone 5/4 mini-mansion. Our kids are in private school, but we would have probably done private in DC anyway, and the Baltimore independents are $25k instead of $45k.

We absolutely love it here. We regularly walk to the lakes, the library, the Senator theatre, and the restaurants in and around Belvedere Square. If I could walk to Eddie's, my life would be perfect! Even in a private school environment, there is no trace of the typical D.C. competitive parenting. Our neighbors and the other parents at our kids' school are wonderful, with few exceptions.

On crime: with the exception of the horrible stabbing of the woman walking her dog (which I believe was not random. Why would anyone stab a person out walking her dogs in a residential neighborhood if they were looking for a random person to rob?), the crime in this part of the city is petty property crime with an occasional house break in. Yes, if you leave a bag in plain view in your car and forget to lock the doors, it will probably be stolen. That was also true in every D.C. neighborhood I ever lived in. We have an alarm on our house, and we use it.

On insularity: it is true that, unlike D.C., most people who live in Baltimore grew up in Baltimore. I think it could be very hard to move here as a young person with no kids. But I think it is pretty easy to get to know other parents once you have kids. We have met really fun, nice people in our neighborhood and through our kids' school. Im not going to be elected president of the Junior League or whatever any time soon, but we have a few other families we socialize with often, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

All that said, the PP who warned about the job situation is right. We moved here because my husband has a great job here, and I have a job that is a relatively easy commute by MARC. I would not have moved here if we were both commuting or if my office in DC was any farther from Union Station than it is. And I would never dream of trying to commute regularly to D.C. or MoCo by car.

As others have said, Baltimore is not perfect. The divide between the haves and have-nots is disturbing, but that's true in DC too. The school budget issues are terrible. But I am so much happier raising a family here than I would have been in DC.

Huh? No, just no. I've lived in Baltimore (very close to the section you mention, in fact). I'm not a squeamish, pearl-clutching type, but I would not walk to Belvedere Square or the Senator after dark. Period. If you are talking about walking there in the afternoon, broad daylight, you need to make that clear. Otherwise, you are greatly misleading people.

I love Baltimore. It will always have a place in my heart, but I don't think it's fair to mislead people.

I agree with the Roland Park poster who says that a lot of people seem to have a vested interest in keeping the crime quiet. I had a similar experience in another neighborhood. People said up and down how great it is, that there is only petty crime that you'd find anywhere, etc., but that was not the reality. And it was not at all walkable. I consider walkable to mean I can walk around the neighborhood in the early morning or in the evening (when it's not quite dark) and feel safe. But that is not the case, unless you have a large, intimidating dog. Even then, it's questionable.

so she is misleading people if she walks to the square at the times people actually go there vs. in the middle of the night? okay.

The sun goes down at 5pm in the winter. So she's not seeing any movies that let out later than that at the Senator or walking there to have dinner and a drink and then walking home.

I lived in Baltimore. And it was frustrating not feeling safe to go on a walk when I got home from work. As I said, I'm not a pearl clutcher. I actually live in PG County now. And my suburban neighborhood is far more walkable in any real sense of the word than my Baltimore neighborhood was.

I'm not a Baltimore hater. But I think it's misleading to say that area of Baltimore is truly walkable. Maybe at noon. But outside of that, not really.

on the days the sun sets at five it's too cold to walk anyways. my kids' school is less than 10 minute walk from my home. it's very safe. yet during the winter i drive them. it's too cold and often windy and/or rainy. i am not sure there are many people anywhere (regardless of safety) who enjoy long walks during winter days.

Lots of people like to be able to take a walk at 5pm in January or at 7pm in March. Or when they say they want something "walkable," they mean they actually want to be able to walk to a restaurant and not have to leave by 4:30 to get home while it's still safe to walk.

That's what I mean by saying that that section of Baltimore really isn't walkable in the way people mean that word when they say they are looking for a "walkable" urban area.

But whatever.

you are totally exaggerating and holding baltimore to some crazy standard that doesn't apply anywhere. it's not like the city becomes much more dangerous the moment the sun sets. the danger is not in darkness itself, it is in the kind of people who are out when it's dark outside. 1 am is much more dangerous than 6 pm irrespective of darkness. i lived in many cities here and abroad there is no city, town or village where i would feel 100% safe in the middle of the night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to Homeland from Glover Park years ago with my family. I went from a $900k 3/2 rowhouse with one of the two baths in the basement to a gorgeous $650k stone 5/4 mini-mansion. Our kids are in private school, but we would have probably done private in DC anyway, and the Baltimore independents are $25k instead of $45k.

We absolutely love it here. We regularly walk to the lakes, the library, the Senator theatre, and the restaurants in and around Belvedere Square. If I could walk to Eddie's, my life would be perfect! Even in a private school environment, there is no trace of the typical D.C. competitive parenting. Our neighbors and the other parents at our kids' school are wonderful, with few exceptions.

On crime: with the exception of the horrible stabbing of the woman walking her dog (which I believe was not random. Why would anyone stab a person out walking her dogs in a residential neighborhood if they were looking for a random person to rob?), the crime in this part of the city is petty property crime with an occasional house break in. Yes, if you leave a bag in plain view in your car and forget to lock the doors, it will probably be stolen. That was also true in every D.C. neighborhood I ever lived in. We have an alarm on our house, and we use it.

On insularity: it is true that, unlike D.C., most people who live in Baltimore grew up in Baltimore. I think it could be very hard to move here as a young person with no kids. But I think it is pretty easy to get to know other parents once you have kids. We have met really fun, nice people in our neighborhood and through our kids' school. Im not going to be elected president of the Junior League or whatever any time soon, but we have a few other families we socialize with often, and I'm perfectly happy with that.

All that said, the PP who warned about the job situation is right. We moved here because my husband has a great job here, and I have a job that is a relatively easy commute by MARC. I would not have moved here if we were both commuting or if my office in DC was any farther from Union Station than it is. And I would never dream of trying to commute regularly to D.C. or MoCo by car.

As others have said, Baltimore is not perfect. The divide between the haves and have-nots is disturbing, but that's true in DC too. The school budget issues are terrible. But I am so much happier raising a family here than I would have been in DC.

Huh? No, just no. I've lived in Baltimore (very close to the section you mention, in fact). I'm not a squeamish, pearl-clutching type, but I would not walk to Belvedere Square or the Senator after dark. Period. If you are talking about walking there in the afternoon, broad daylight, you need to make that clear. Otherwise, you are greatly misleading people.

I love Baltimore. It will always have a place in my heart, but I don't think it's fair to mislead people.

I agree with the Roland Park poster who says that a lot of people seem to have a vested interest in keeping the crime quiet. I had a similar experience in another neighborhood. People said up and down how great it is, that there is only petty crime that you'd find anywhere, etc., but that was not the reality. And it was not at all walkable. I consider walkable to mean I can walk around the neighborhood in the early morning or in the evening (when it's not quite dark) and feel safe. But that is not the case, unless you have a large, intimidating dog. Even then, it's questionable.

so she is misleading people if she walks to the square at the times people actually go there vs. in the middle of the night? okay.

The sun goes down at 5pm in the winter. So she's not seeing any movies that let out later than that at the Senator or walking there to have dinner and a drink and then walking home.

I lived in Baltimore. And it was frustrating not feeling safe to go on a walk when I got home from work. As I said, I'm not a pearl clutcher. I actually live in PG County now. And my suburban neighborhood is far more walkable in any real sense of the word than my Baltimore neighborhood was.

I'm not a Baltimore hater. But I think it's misleading to say that area of Baltimore is truly walkable. Maybe at noon. But outside of that, not really.

on the days the sun sets at five it's too cold to walk anyways. my kids' school is less than 10 minute walk from my home. it's very safe. yet during the winter i drive them. it's too cold and often windy and/or rainy. i am not sure there are many people anywhere (regardless of safety) who enjoy long walks during winter days.

Lots of people like to be able to take a walk at 5pm in January or at 7pm in March. Or when they say they want something "walkable," they mean they actually want to be able to walk to a restaurant and not have to leave by 4:30 to get home while it's still safe to walk.

That's what I mean by saying that that section of Baltimore really isn't walkable in the way people mean that word when they say they are looking for a "walkable" urban area.

But whatever.

you are totally exaggerating and holding baltimore to some crazy standard that doesn't apply anywhere. it's not like the city becomes much more dangerous the moment the sun sets. the danger is not in darkness itself, it is in the kind of people who are out when it's dark outside. 1 am is much more dangerous than 6 pm irrespective of darkness. i lived in many cities here and abroad there is no city, town or village where i would feel 100% safe in the middle of the night.

Give me a break. Baltimore is one of the last cities in this country where I'd want to be walking around in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

locust point is one of the safest urban neighborhoods anywhere in the states. also it doesn't border digital harbor high.

the rest of the neighborhoods are very safe except maybe around edges which are reasonably safe. no one really needs to go there.

if safety is your primary and only concern, then no city will be safe enough for you. you are even questioning the safety of locust point. inner harbor is as safe as it gets in an urban area.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the helpful replies.

We are still in DC. While we are still considering Baltimore we think downtown Frederick may be a better fit.

We are also considering chucking it all and moving to Calvert County for the beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

locust point is one of the safest urban neighborhoods anywhere in the states. also it doesn't border digital harbor high.

the rest of the neighborhoods are very safe except maybe around edges which are reasonably safe. no one really needs to go there.

if safety is your primary and only concern, then no city will be safe enough for you. you are even questioning the safety of locust point. inner harbor is as safe as it gets in an urban area.

Digital harbor high is on Key Highway between federal hill and Locuat Point.

There absolutely are crime issues in the harbor neighborhoods. Upswing in muggings, car jackings, etc. . I personally know three people who have been victimized since the start of this year.

[Anonymous]

Upswing in homicides in Baltimore's Southern district.https://www.google.com/amp/www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/bs-md-ci-southern-district-homicides-20170310-story,amp.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

locust point is one of the safest urban neighborhoods anywhere in the states. also it doesn't border digital harbor high.

the rest of the neighborhoods are very safe except maybe around edges which are reasonably safe. no one really needs to go there.

if safety is your primary and only concern, then no city will be safe enough for you. you are even questioning the safety of locust point. inner harbor is as safe as it gets in an urban area.

Digital harbor high is on Key Highway between federal hill and Locuat Point.

There absolutely are crime issues in the harbor neighborhoods. Upswing in muggings, car jackings, etc. . I personally know three people who have been victimized since the start of this year.

okay... this is a totally minor thing, but it is annoying that you insist on something that is patently not accurate. just because the school is near key highway and the key highway ends in locust point doesn't mean that the school is on the border of locust point. for one, there is a neighborhood between locust point and federal hill. the school is maybe, 400 m from the big sign that says "welcome to locust point" on the crossroad of e fort ave and key highway.

nobody said there is zero crime - just that the crime is the harbor is a typical urban crime. people who like urban life (like myself) are used to that level of crime. your friends must be really unlucky to be victims in like a third of reported crimes. or these are just some alternative facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

locust point is one of the safest urban neighborhoods anywhere in the states. also it doesn't border digital harbor high.

the rest of the neighborhoods are very safe except maybe around edges which are reasonably safe. no one really needs to go there.

if safety is your primary and only concern, then no city will be safe enough for you. you are even questioning the safety of locust point. inner harbor is as safe as it gets in an urban area.

Digital harbor high is on Key Highway between federal hill and Locuat Point.

There absolutely are crime issues in the harbor neighborhoods. Upswing in muggings, car jackings, etc. . I personally know three people who have been victimized since the start of this year.

okay... this is a totally minor thing, but it is annoying that you insist on something that is patently not accurate. just because the school is near key highway and the key highway ends in locust point doesn't mean that the school is on the border of locust point. for one, there is a neighborhood between locust point and federal hill. the school is maybe, 400 m from the big sign that says "welcome to locust point" on the crossroad of e fort ave and key highway.

nobody said there is zero crime - just that the crime is the harbor is a typical urban crime. people who like urban life (like myself) are used to that level of crime. your friends must be really unlucky to be victims in like a third of reported crimes. or these are just some alternative facts.

What is this fictional neighborhood betwen Locust Point and Federal Hill?

Guess you didn't bother to read the Sun article upthread that said the Harbor neighborhoods, as you called them, have the most homicides of any district in Baltimore so far this year, as well as dramatic increases in all violent crime

You live strangely oblivious to all the crime around you apparently or you dont live in Baltimore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who used to live in Baltimore (different neighborhoods at different times) here.

I have friends who still live in Baltimore and won't leave. But even they wouldn't describe it as "walkable" in the way OP mentions.

Public transit in Baltimore is horrible. There are a variety of systems (light rail, subway, metro), but they don't link up, so there really is no equivalent to the D.C. metro.

And even just walking around the neighborhood, most long-time Baltimore residents I know don't walk around when the sun starts to go down or even in the early morning (when the sun is up). They just don't.

OP says she wants a walkable urban feel but without the stress of the city. Baltimore isn't the same kind of stress as D.C., but it is a different kind of stress (and with far less walkability).

I think that is the point people are trying to make. If OP is not bound to any particular location, there are other areas (like Frederick) that may even be cheaper than Baltimore (esp. in taxes) and provide more of what she is looking for.

frederick is not a city.

i live in baltimore, in one of the harbor neighborhoods. some parts are very walkable (walk scores in the nineties); the least walkable parts have walk scores in the sixties. all the harbor neighborhoods are safe, most are pretty. water taxi works pretty good.

personally i much prefer the harbor area to roland park, which is beautiful to drive through but houses are a mess inside and it's not that walkable or urban.

Definitely not true that all the Harbor neoghborhoods are safe, only one that is safe Locust Point and even there, some crime where it borders Digital Harbor high. Otherwise, lots of crime.

locust point is one of the safest urban neighborhoods anywhere in the states. also it doesn't border digital harbor high.

the rest of the neighborhoods are very safe except maybe around edges which are reasonably safe. no one really needs to go there.

if safety is your primary and only concern, then no city will be safe enough for you. you are even questioning the safety of locust point. inner harbor is as safe as it gets in an urban area.

Digital harbor high is on Key Highway between federal hill and Locuat Point.

There absolutely are crime issues in the harbor neighborhoods. Upswing in muggings, car jackings, etc. . I personally know three people who have been victimized since the start of this year.

okay... this is a totally minor thing, but it is annoying that you insist on something that is patently not accurate. just because the school is near key highway and the key highway ends in locust point doesn't mean that the school is on the border of locust point. for one, there is a neighborhood between locust point and federal hill. the school is maybe, 400 m from the big sign that says "welcome to locust point" on the crossroad of e fort ave and key highway.

nobody said there is zero crime - just that the crime is the harbor is a typical urban crime. people who like urban life (like myself) are used to that level of crime. your friends must be really unlucky to be victims in like a third of reported crimes. or these are just some alternative facts.

What is this fictional neighborhood betwen Locust Point and Federal Hill?

Guess you didn't bother to read the Sun article upthread that said the Harbor neighborhoods, as you called them, have the most homicides of any district in Baltimore so far this year, as well as dramatic increases in all violent crime

You live strangely oblivious to all the crime around you apparently or you dont live in Baltimore

The name if the neighborhood is riverside. the article talked about south Baltimore not (only) harbor area. I don't like the rise in crime and i feel sorry for the people in the article (who are very hopeful btw because despite crime there is a lot of development going on and they think their areas will improve, too) but it happened in areas where a person living in say fells has no reason to go.

I live in the harbor and love it!. We are so lucky that our jobs allow us to live here and have short commutes. It's great and an amazing bang for a buck. We just had a phenomenal egg hunt at the federal hill organized by the nonexistent riverside neighborhood association. srsly.

[Anonymous]

Strange how Riverside homeowners market their homes as either being in Federal Hill or, most frequently, Locust Point.

In any case, I started off saying Locust Point was the only Harbor neighborhood that had low crime. Your experience doesn't contradict that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Strange how Riverside homeowners market their homes as either being in Federal Hill or, most frequently, Locust Point.

In any case, I started off saying Locust Point was the only Harbor neighborhood that had low crime. Your experience doesn't contradict that.

not true. they almost never market it as locust point. the boundary of locust point is very clear. the boundary between riverside and fed hill is a matter of discussion.

you keep saying "low crime" and locust point is the only neighborhood which has crime-free suburbia level of crime. it is also the most suburbish looking and least walkable.

on the other hand, i keep saying "low urban crime". urban areas have higher baseline crime. that's just the price of living among a lot of people and it's true everywhere. harbor neighborhoods have crime levels comparable to urban neighborhoods in "safe cities". but no city is safe for you, clearly. only very low density can produce very minimal levels of crime.

it is very clear that you are, at the bottom, afraid of cities. no crime (oops) in that! it's just a personal preference. but for those who love urban life, harbor area is safe (also: much more urban than roland park + even the dingiest row houses look better inside than most of the beautiful roland park mansions).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strange how Riverside homeowners market their homes as either being in Federal Hill or, most frequently, Locust Point.

In any case, I started off saying Locust Point was the only Harbor neighborhood that had low crime. Your experience doesn't contradict that.

not true. they almost never market it as locust point. the boundary of locust point is very clear. the boundary between riverside and fed hill is a matter of discussion.

you keep saying "low crime" and locust point is the only neighborhood which has crime-free suburbia level of crime. it is also the most suburbish looking and least walkable.

on the other hand, i keep saying "low urban crime". urban areas have higher baseline crime. that's just the price of living among a lot of people and it's true everywhere. harbor neighborhoods have crime levels comparable to urban neighborhoods in "safe cities". but no city is safe for you, clearly. only very low density can produce very minimal levels of crime.

it is very clear that you are, at the bottom, afraid of cities. no crime (oops) in that! it's just a personal preference. but for those who love urban life, harbor area is safe (also: much more urban than roland park + even the dingiest row houses look better inside than most of the beautiful roland park mansions).

Good grief, I've lived in Baltimore for 20 years and my husband is a native, neither of us has ever heard of Riverside nor are we afraid of the city. But we have also lived in other larger cities on the east and west coast, and the crime is much worse in Baltimore, even in the so-called safer neighborhoods -- not sure how anyone actually living and working here would not be aware of that, but apparently you are. People considering moving here for the lower cost of living should be aware of that. Can you live in the city with kids? Of course, but far fewer people chose to do that then in other cities, mostly because of the quality of the schools, relatively high property taxes, and high crime rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Strange how Riverside homeowners market their homes as either being in Federal Hill or, most frequently, Locust Point.

In any case, I started off saying Locust Point was the only Harbor neighborhood that had low crime. Your experience doesn't contradict that.

not true. they almost never market it as locust point. the boundary of locust point is very clear. the boundary between riverside and fed hill is a matter of discussion.

you keep saying "low crime" and locust point is the only neighborhood which has crime-free suburbia level of crime. it is also the most suburbish looking and least walkable.

on the other hand, i keep saying "low urban crime". urban areas have higher baseline crime. that's just the price of living among a lot of people and it's true everywhere. harbor neighborhoods have crime levels comparable to urban neighborhoods in "safe cities". but no city is safe for you, clearly. only very low density can produce very minimal levels of crime.

it is very clear that you are, at the bottom, afraid of cities. no crime (oops) in that! it's just a personal preference. but for those who love urban life, harbor area is safe (also: much more urban than roland park + even the dingiest row houses look better inside than most of the beautiful roland park mansions).

Good grief, I've lived in Baltimore for 20 years and my husband is a native, neither of us has ever heard of Riverside nor are we afraid of the city. But we have also lived in other larger cities on the east and west coast, and the crime is much worse in Baltimore, even in the so-called safer neighborhoods -- not sure how anyone actually living and working here would not be aware of that, but apparently you are. People considering moving here for the lower cost of living should be aware of that. Can you live in the city with kids? Of course, but far fewer people chose to do that then in other cities, mostly because of the quality of the schools, relatively high property taxes, and high crime rate.

you haven't heard of riverside because you never lived in the harbor area. that's fine just don't lecture us who live here.

i grew up in Europe (big city in eastern europe), and lived in downtown Philly Pittsburgh Boston (cambridge), arlington and new york (manhattan for seven years). I think i have a pretty good sense about urban kuving in the west coast, thanks.