Tell Me About Baltimore

It feels like a series of small-town neighborhoods instead of a big city. The “downtown” areas will feel pedestrian to people used to bigger cities. It would be tough to move there as a single person not knowing anyone—but can be a great place to be with a family or if you have friends already there. ZERO pretension or snobbishness. Flip side of that is not a lot of elegance, even the fancy restaurants are somewhat low key.

My understanding is the "L's" are "Hot" and the ladies there make lousy cake.

Isn't Baltimore pretty divided? The rich white people and then the poor black folks?

(Pronounced "balt'murrrrrrr")

R3 it is definitely segregated by race (although less so than some other places, like Chicago), but it doesn’t feel as segregated by wealth because there isn’t a super-rich area like in San Francisco. There are very poor areas and then mostly working class to upper middle class areas mixed together.

I like that the official dish of Baltimore is shit on a shingle.

At least it's an easy escape to DC.

My brother lives there - I am shocked at how much I've enjoyed visiting him and his family. I always assumed Baltimore was a dumpster fire of a city, but in reality there are great restaurants, nice stores, interesting neighborhoods and the housing is much more affordable than the DC area. You also have a lot of smart people there with Johns Hopkins

The surrounding suburbs in Baltimore County (vs Baltimore City) are really green and beautiful.

Just know where you are going. I've spent time in Fells Point, Roland Park, Mt. Washington, Hampden, Canton and Mount Vernon. There are some great places to discover but if you wander off course, it can suddenly get very rough very fast.

Baltimore does have some nice neighborhoods, but you are never far from absolute shithole areas and that bleeds over. Lots of poverty in Baltimore. Still it is a better place than it gets credit for.

It is affordable for east, and has a MARC train to get to DC.

Is it New Orleans type of beautiful home right next to a shithouse?

What’s your income level OP? It’s a city that is wonderful for one that does well. The poor have a whole other experience. It’s glaringly so. Yet one can’t avoid the poor there (as one does in DC, Philly or etc...

It is awful. In the 50s it's population peaked at 949,000 people. Today it has 585,708. As recently at 1970 it had over 900,000 people in the city limits alone so the decline is marked.

It is not part of Baltimore County, which hurts it as it has little tax base left. It's about 28% non-hispanic white and 70% black, meaning it's not at all diverse.

After New York City, Baltimore was the second city in the United States to reach a population of 100,000. From the 1820 through 1850 U.S. censuses, Baltimore was the second most-populous city in the country. It also had the 2nd most immigrants pass through it, after NYC.

2020 census is the first time neighboring Washington DC (38 miles away) is larger than Baltimore, but each has its own TV/Radio market.

R10 it has that mix like New Orleans, but none of its Southern mystique, spooky vibe, music, etc. Instead it’s a lot of Maryland forthrightness and bluntness plus a seaport culture.

I live in Baltimore.....The poor areas are very poor and rundown.....I live in Canton and it's much more mixed than one would think...Baltimore is a predominantly AA city so there are all sorts of class levels...DC is an easy trip for a weekend...Also you can Amtrak to Philadelphia in a little over an hour....I've lived in Chicago and San Francisco and you can get a lot of home for 400,000.....The gay scene is a bit of a downer

R13 I thought Baltimore had a spooky vibe too? Gargoyles, Edgar Allen Poe, hauntings, etc.

We think it's wonderful...

Yeah pretty much all the gay bars closed except for the Eagle right r14? Sad it's a decently major city with one gay bar.

Guilford is a very nice, upscale part of Baltimore, near Johns Hopkins.

[quote]A nationally registered historic district, homes in Guilford are a luxury item and come with a hefty price tag, ensuring the neighbors are predominantly well-to-do professionals, often with families.

Sure, I've got 3 minutes to kill.

Bump.

I was Zillow stalking Baltimore last night.

There's an area called Harbor East/Little Italy/Fells Point that has a Whole Foods and some trendy stores and restaurants and lots of restored row houses in the $300K-$500K range.

That's a very good price for what appears to be a gentrified neighborhood in the Northeast.

What's the catch?

The catch is that it's Baltimore r20.

Housing is cheaper compared to other northeastern cities because there isn't as much demand. Not a lot of people want to move to there, it's a rough and high crime city.

Ev'ry day's like an open door!

Ev'ry night's like a fantasy!

Ev'ry sound's like a symphony!

Good morning, Baltimore.

Baltimore is an old city with nice neighborhoods that have character (Mount Vernon, Fells Point, Federal Hill). There are also some really rundown areas in the city. An issue in some areas is that you can live on a really nice block, but if you go up a few blocks and around the corner, it is a totally different vibe (rundown and questionable). R1 is correct. The people are not pretentious. They are pretty down to earth. There is a certain charm to the city in some ways. I think it would be okay to move to Baltimore if you were going there for a purpose (job or school) or if you were moving there with someone (family or significant other). I live in Maryland, and I like to visit Baltimore in the spring and fall. The Inner Harbor is nice.

pretty people live there

What if I were to move there from Houston?

I live here. I'm from here. Like anywhere, it all depends on what part of the city you reside.

[quote] even the fancy restaurants

I don’t know if I’d call Popeyes fancy per se.

It has a lot that I like - neighborhoods of beautiful old housing, unpretentious, affordable. But I find Philly to be the better alternative - bigger and not that much more expensive. Many similarities though.

Ask Francine Fishpaw and Babs Johnson.

If I am a Houston lawyer looking to start over in Baltimore, is that realistic?

That filthy whore Dottie Hinkle lives there.

I have nothing positive to say about Baltimore.

Go anywhere else.

R31 I would recommend choosing another place, though I wouldn't call moving unrealistic. Maryland in general is crowded and boring and outside Fells point I never cared that much for Baltimore. It's not *quite* as snobby, nasty and cunty as Montgomery County but then again almost nowhere is.

What does unrealistic mean r31? If you want to move then move. I don't know how a move is realistic or unrealistic If you are looking for a place that isn't super expensive then Baltimore is a good candidate. Go spend a few days in Baltimore and be your own judge.

As has been brought up, one good thing is it is along that Northeast corridor. Trips to DC, Philly and NY are very easy from Baltimore.

Baltimore will feel absolutely tiny to you after Houston. But I could see you liking Baltimore or Philly (a little bigger and more legal jobs) if you like the Montrose area of Houston.

OP, have you always lived in Houston? If you've been in Texas all your life, Baltimore (and the northeast in general) will be a real culture shock. Not to mention, the harsh winters will be unlike any you've ever experienced.

If you're serious about possibly moving there, why not book a weeklong trip, scout around and see how you like it? That's the best way to gauge whether it's a viable option.

Baltimore is smaller, but conversely more urban than Houston r37. It's far more dense and walkable. Like if OP moved to Mount Vernon he would probably be surprised that though he is a much smaller city, he feels like he is living in a much more city like environment than anywhere in Houston.

R36*

In Cherry Grove, all seems to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils

The issue, OP, with any smaller non-destination city like Baltimore is that not many people move there from elsewhere. So the people you meet will likely be natives, still in touch with friends and family they've known since high school and likely to be less welcoming to newcomers.

Or they might fight over you because they are bored silly with the same people.

But it won't be like moving to someplace like DC or SF

Yeah a Houston to Philly move makes much more sense. Closer in size but with the history and architecture of the Northeast.

I like Baltimore, but it has the worst of the seasons: broiling hot and humid in the summer, snow in winter, and the occasional hurricane or flooding situation.

Come take a shit in the new John Waters Restrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art!

[quote]“Maybe people will come from all over the world to eliminate there,” he said after the museum agreed to his request. “That will be something that the Maryland Tourist Bureau can push.”

[quote]As might be expected with anything associated with John Waters, this wasn’t a standard ribbon-cutting. After Waters and Coffey made brief remarks in the museum’s Fox Court, Waters invited the guests down one flight to see the new restrooms and watch as Coffey became the first official user. Coffey stepped into the second room from the right, one with a magenta-colored accent wall, and closed the door behind her as photographers captured the moment for posterity. She emerged a minute later, holding the toilet paper she used. After that inaugural flush, other guests were invited to relieve themselves as well, or head back upstairs to the reception.

You can look at John Waters' house at 10 W Highfield Road.

It has a really good theme song

[italic]She said the prettiest place on earth was Baltimore at night

I visited Baltimore for the first time in the early 2000's. The head office for the company I was with at the time was located there. I was young and dumb and knew nothing about the city. Hadn't even heard of The Wire. Anyway, one beautiful day I decided to walk to the office from my hotel in the Harbor rather than take a cab. It was a distance, but I wanted to stretch my legs. The looks on the faces of the people at the office when I told them I had walked there... They literally turned ashen. Apparently, I had walked through some rough neighborhoods. I was told on no uncertain terms never to do that again. I still wonder if they were being dramatic. Sketchy neighborhoods or no, it was 7am ish and rush hour.

It seemed like an okay city but one that would get boring in no time flat.

One of the cruisiest cities I've ever been to and Vacarro's. And fresh seafood. That's all.