Outside of North Baltimore and a few islands sprinkled lightly in the city. The city is very much ghetto, backwards, and extremely corrupt. It's like every local leader there is like Marion Barry. After working in social services there, the only time I step foot in Baltimore is to attend events at Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore is what DC was 20 years ago with the crime, drugs, and so many other social ills. Besides rural Mexico, Baltimore is the only place that I've feared my life. It's like a third world country in so many ways. You basically have to live like a soldier in combat by watching your back at all times to make sure that you don't become a victim of a crime. Another weird thing about Baltimore is that it also has some people who remind me of southern hicks. The mentality there is more southern than southern cities like Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte. Racism is rampant there from both whites and blacks. It's not a cosmopolitan or a diverse city at all. So, between the hoodrats, southern hillbillies, and the corrupt politicians I would avoid Baltimore at all cost. The things that I saw and experienced there through my old job were deplorable on so many levels. I kept wondering, "Is this really the United States of America or a third world country?" It's really different than Washington DC. I mean REALLY different!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HATED it - it's the most atrocious place I have ever lived. It's so ghetto - most of downtown is boarded up or not occupied. You cannot walk 1 block at night without being approached but drug addict bumbs. Some hodl onto signs screaming and spitting all over themselves. Others pass out standing up (heroin is my guess) and have sores all over them. Ugh! And every block smells like bum pee. A lot of the locals have no teeth and sit on their stoops talking about their trip to the wound center (for diabetic sores). I had to kick junkie hookers off my stoop in the morning and people used the area in front for their make shift flea markets every day selling black market rap CD's and one heroin addict who lived on our block would keep his spoon out my window and sleep in the storage behind the rowhouse and one time he burned the whole thing down. And I didn't even live in a bad neighborhood. I could go on, and on, and on. It's just atrocious. Trust me. Just move to someplace cheaper like silver spring and give your kids a chance.

So true!

Outside of North Baltimore and a few islands sprinkled lightly in the city. The city is very much ghetto, backwards, and extremely corrupt. It's like every local leader there is like Marion Barry. After working in social services there, the only time I step foot in Baltimore is to attend events at Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore is what DC was 20 years ago with the crime, drugs, and so many other social ills. Besides rural Mexico, Baltimore is the only place that I've feared my life. It's like a third world country in so many ways. You basically have to live like a soldier in combat by watching your back at all times to make sure that you don't become a victim of a crime. Another weird thing about Baltimore is that it also has some people who remind me of southern hicks. The mentality there is more southern than southern cities like Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Charlotte. Racism is rampant there from both whites and blacks. It's not a cosmopolitan or a diverse city at all. So, between the hoodrats, southern hillbillies, and the corrupt politicians I would avoid Baltimore at all cost. The things that I saw and experienced there through my old job were deplorable on so many levels. I kept wondering, "Is this really the United States of America or a third world country?" It's really different than Washington DC. I mean REALLY different!

To the OP,

Yes, Ruxton, Roland Park, and North Charles Street areas (North of Johns Hopkins University) have some of the best neighborhoods in the city. At least I will admit that Baltimore does have some great private schools.

If you do choose to relocate there, then choose areas outside of the city like Towson, Ellicott City, or North Baltimore County. These areas have great public schools. In Towson you have Towson High, in Ellicott City you have Centennial High, and in the Cockeysville/Hunt Valley area you have Dulaney High which are all great schools. The elementary and middle schools that feed into these high schools are also great. There are some really pretty communities in North Baltimore County. However, if you prefer a walkable area, then Towson may be your best option. You could walk to shops, restaurants, the mall, the library, and to some schools depending on where you reside in Towson. Keep in mind though that Towson does have spill over crime from Baltimore.

I'm not trying to scare you. I just want you to be aware that you can't be naive or laid back about the crimal elements in Baltimore. You must be alert at all times even in your own backyard. Please read The Baltimore Sun and spend a few weekends there to get a better feel of the city.

Anonymous wrote:HATED it - it's the most atrocious place I have ever lived. It's so ghetto - most of downtown is boarded up or not occupied. You cannot walk 1 block at night without being approached but drug addict bumbs. Some hodl onto signs screaming and spitting all over themselves. Others pass out standing up (heroin is my guess) and have sores all over them. Ugh! And every block smells like bum pee. A lot of the locals have no teeth and sit on their stoops talking about their trip to the wound center (for diabetic sores). I had to kick junkie hookers off my stoop in the morning and people used the area in front for their make shift flea markets every day selling black market rap CD's and one heroin addict who lived on our block would keep his spoon out my window and sleep in the storage behind the rowhouse and one time he burned the whole thing down. And I didn't even live in a bad neighborhood. I could go on, and on, and on. It's just atrocious. Trust me. Just move to someplace cheaper like silver spring and give your kids a chance.

Anonymous wrote:Are you saying that you already have a job?

I'm from Baltimore. And I can tell you firmly that the job market in Baltimore is not good *unless* you are in the medical field (Hopkins). Otherwise, it's a crapshoot.

If you have a job offer there, though, then it's not a bad idea. But just be sure it's a solid offer, because if you were to get laid off, you'd probably have to move back toward DC to get a decent white collar job.

If you're definition of a safe neighborhood is limited to Bethesda/N. Arlington, then you probably will not like Baltimore.

You see, in Baltimore, the wealthy upscale neighborhoods are ALL in close proximity to the really bad areas. It's not like the D.C. area, where the wealthier/upscale sections are like little enclaves all to themselves.

Roland Park (not Roland Hill), for example, arguably one of the wealthiest, most upscale sections of the city, is near some very undesirable sections that you have to drive through to get to Roland Park. That's why there is still a lot of crime even in the good neighborhoods in Baltimore -- because they're sort of interwoven with the bad neighborhoods.

And Roland Park is not very walkable. It's on the outskirts of Baltimore, bordering the suburbs.

I'm not saying that Baltimore is bad. I'm saying that even the fancier sections are not at all like Bethesda/N. Arlington. I suspect you'll be disappointed.

I would suggest that before you pick up and move, you spend a lot of time in Baltimore, at different times. Drive around.

Roland Park is nice, but you go a few blocks down York Road, and it's really rough. In order to go anywhere, you'll likely be driving through really rough areas.

I'm not saying that is necessarily bad. It's a unique feature of Baltimore -- really upscale one block and then vacant buildings one block over. Some people looking for a cheaper version of DC have been very disappointed when they moved to Baltimore.

And I can emphasize enough the job market. If the job offer is strong and with a stable company, great. But part of why I moved down to the DC area is because the job market was more robust down here. And the cheaper cost of living in Baltimore didn't make up for not being able to find a job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Live in MoCo or PG and commute to Baltimore. It's an easy trip 97% of the time.

The OP isn't talking about moving FOR THE JOB. The OP and spouse already have jobs in the DC area. The OP is talking about taking a different job in Baltimore in order to move there for a cheaper COL than the DC area.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all of the threads and they've given me a ton to consider. Only one of us has a job offer and we would not move unless both did, so we'll see how that pans out. This has also made me realize that we'll need several more trips there to check out specific neighborhoods more closely before we consider moving. We planned to do this anyway, but reading your posts has made me realize I was probably idealizing it a bit. Thanks again to all for all of the very helpful info!

Anonymous wrote:OP, you'd do better to post this query in the off-topic forum. People in the DC real estate forum may be more invested in staying in the area.

Anonymous wrote:Live in MoCo or PG and commute to Baltimore. It's an easy trip 97% of the time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loyola Blakefield is most certainly in the 25k range, if not more.

And in Baltimore, public transportation really isn't an option within the city. The bus options aren't the same as the bus in D.C., and the light rail is nothing near the metro.

Of course, all of these things can be dealt with, but the OP needs to be aware and accept it if she/he decides to move to Baltimore.

Loyola Blakefield is $17,660. A chunk of change, no doubt, but not $25k.

http://loyolablakefield.org/page.aspx?pid=476

there are always additional expenses on top of the quoted tuition and fees.

Not to split hairs, but $7,000 worth of additional expenses?