Hey now. VA isn't that bad. I quite like it. We have Norfolk, which is a small city compared to a lot, but it's cool nonetheless. Also, there are very few actual CITIES that are 15 mintues from the oceanfront. Rarely can you find a place to live on the relaxed calm and quiet oceanfront and work in a city.

I have nothing against VA..parts of it are beautiful but the arguments that most seem to raise against Baltimore is that its not very cosmopolitan. VA is even less so. really though...i was just playing on KPH's saying he'd rather live in VA.

Also, there's The Block.

Real city= NYC, LA, London, etc


Ive lived in Baltimore.. born and raised in NYC.. thats why it isnt a real city

i'd like to check out baltimore some day - sounds pretty cool to me. one of the few cities I've never been to.

That doesn't really answer the question "how".

Being I'm from Balto. and living 70 miles away from it, I have this to add to the discussion. It is most definitely a city, but I can't agree enough with Billy G with his likening it to a "smaller" feeling. Like any city, Balto has its bad points, but once you move into a more urban area, its gonna happen, and to judge Balto unfairly on this alone is a crock of crap. The culture of the city is amazing. Not only is there a million things to do in the area--from city style stuff (ie-Aquarium, Inner Harbor, Ft. McHenry, etc), but also not far away is tons and tons of great outdoor activity, which can't be said for too many places. Fell's Pt. is a great social area, as is Towson. I would stay away from living close to JHU as its a hole, and wouldn't trust my life outside of the JHU perimeter. I would move to the outlaying areas. Baltimore Co. or Harford County are great places to move, and surely you could find something in your price range in both of those places.

Sporting front, fans in this city are crazy about their teams. Obviously the O's and Ravens rule the house, but we have indoor soccer/lax and newly created outdoor lax team which rocks. DC of course is there too.
On the musical front, Baltimore has a bunch of top notch clubs and is visited by most touring bands. Even if they aren't, DC is a hop skip and a jump away. Plus, if you want big corporate shows Merriweather, Nissan, WolfTrap, and Pier 6 are all close by. Record store wise, best places in town are Reptilian and Sound Garden. Both within walking distance of each other in Fells Point. Biggest indie chain is Record and Tape Traders whose Towson store has everything.

PM if you want more stuff, just don't want to bore everyone.

Baltimore's not exactly a tourist friendly city. I still don't understand why tour buses even stop there. It's sort of has to grow on you to really get it.

BTW, Of course if we're gonna mention record stores, I gotta shout out Once.Twice. POW! ^_^

It is also "The Greatest City in America". Says it right there on the benches.

yes, it does

Charm City/The City That Reads...come on, its great!

I don't know many a city that are "tourist friendly", most of the time people just want you to get out of their way. Plus, if you are going to refer to NYC, you can also say that NYC gets about 1 billion more vistors a year than Baltimore, and therefore is more used to people wanking around town not knowing what the hell is going on. Not to mention the post-911 "we love everyone" mentality that was surely not there before.

i always have a good time in Baltimore. I would live there way before DC, and about a million years before northern virginia.

Dude, Baltimore is totally awesome if you're into smoking crack.

unfortunately, bands rarely play there.

I don't think this is true anymore.

Anyway, to add a little to Flying Rabbit's comments, anything around JHU's public health school (which is down by the medical school and hospital) is a hole. There's some decent places around the undergrad campus, and the school has a free shuttle from there to the medical campus.

completely false.

yeah Baltimore gets shows.. not as much as DC but bmore gets them...

I've lived here a bit under a year, and I like it.

Things I like about Baltimore:

Just about every time I go out I meet a cool middle-aged woman (this may or may not apply to you).

All four seasons.

Cheap, cheap, cheap for the NE corridor. See my home buying thread.

Good local bars. Good local beer. Quite a few good restaurants, too, though my fave just closed.

Lovely old architecture everywhere.

Still has some manufacturing (I am always happier in a town that makes stuff).

Friendly as all get out.

Plenty of art/culture stuff. Bands play here or DC (DC is seven bucks on a train, or you can drive to a DC suburb metro stop for even more bargainacious transport), a fair few here, often in tiny friendly venues.

Diverse.

Lots of good food.

Like me, a southerner ambivalent about the south.

Harbor town.


Not so great:

Estimates range from 5-10% of city population as addicts to crack or heroin. This is sad.

Concomitant pervasive minor crime, leading to middle class flight, leading to shitty schools, leading to blighted lives, rinse and repeat.

Neighborhoods with more than half the houses boarded up.

Public transit could be a lot better.

That said, it's one of the best places I've ever lived and I have moved around a lot.

Also, for your specific concerns, note that if you can avoid buying or selling drugs or sex, or becoming a cop, or living in a few of the really awful neighborhoods (Sandtown-Winchester, say) I don't think it's more dangerous than any other american city.

JHSPH is in a pretty shitty area but is undergoing a big gutting and rebuilding of about the 20 closest blocks. If you want to bet on it working, buy yourself a cheap rowhouse and wait for gentrification. Otherwise the suggestion to live near the Homewood campus and take the shuttle might be a good one. Check the crime maps if you're worried (or ask).

is the JHSPH in greektown?

all I can say is Pacino's cafe.. I forget the other name for this place, but egyptian pizza... my ex lived near there, I forget now.. Mt Vernon I think.. anyhow, there are plenty fine places to live and plenty of blocks you dont want to drive through.. essentially being inside by 12 pm increases your life span by 80%

I miss the Ottobar though

Is Hammerjacks still there? I'm still amazed that wasn't a gay bar.

The original Hammerjacks is now a parking lot by the stadiums. There's a new one up on Guilford, not far from the new Scores is, I think.

It's NNW of Highlandtown and that strip of Greek joints, if that's where you're talking about.

I can walk to Pacinos from home and the Ottobar from work. Truly, I live the dream.

JHSPH is in Middle East or Butcher's Hill by most definitions (realtor's, mayor's, and local usage can vary a good bit - I live in Bolton Hill, Druid Heights, Upton, or Marble Hill, depending on who you ask).

http://www.livebaltimore.com/nb/list/greek/

The move-to-baltimore website reckons Greektown it is.