Tell me about Baltimore, Maryland.

[HardDrive]

My wife might have an opportunity at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Very early, but they asked her to apply, so who knows. We live in Columbus, OH, have a child in school, and would not be moving. So she would likely sign on a for a 2 year gig, and would 'commute', coming home on weekends.

Quick access to the hospital would be important, and safety is clearly important as well. Can anyone recommend areas of Baltimore to look for housing? On a map, it looks like the areas south of Orleans St near the hospital would be a good.

Any input would be appreciated.

[87911jon]

Sent you a private note... Give me a call. Jon

[BK911]

Grew up in balto and worked downtown for many years. Aren't many safe areas near Hopkins. Before I moved the city started tearing down the ghettos and replacing with nice condos. So things may have changed since I left.

Personally I would want to live in towson, hunt valley or cockeysville and take the light rail down to Lexington market then hop on the metro to johns Hopkins.

[Seahawk]

A good friend of mine live just south of Towson (near the Country Club of Maryland) in one of the neatest, most interesting neighborhoods I have ever been in...he lives off of Chumleigh Rd.

Baltimore is like a lot of East Coast cities: A 1/2 a mile can mean the difference between beauty and blight.

[vmb]

I live in Catonsville, 15 minutes from downtown and also very importantly an easy 12 minutes to BWI airport. C'ville, is a great little town for us, with great families and we border on Patapsco State Park which has an extensive hiking and mountain biking trail system, if you ever decide to visit here instead of your wife going back home.

I went to OSU and have family in Columbus. That drive can be painful so if the commutes will be flying in and out of BWI I'd say staying the south/west side of Baltimore would be nice.

That being said, a more adult, "cool" downtown place with new trendy shopping and restaurants is Harbor East. I know a couple empty nesters who can't say enough about that area.

[BReif61]

You couldn't pay me enough to live in the neighborhood around Hopkins. Harbor East seems to be the go-to place to transient doctor types.

[Steve Carlton]

She's gonna need a Mustang.

[tcar]

A friend's wife (an MD) did that.

She had an armed guard walking her to/from her car when she went to work.

Hopkins is in possibly the worst neighborhood in the entire country... her words.

Got old very quickly.

[Rikao4]

JH, is one of the best Trauma centers in the US / world..
there's a reason for that..
the quality of their staff is but one of them..


Rika

[Joe Bob]

JH is a combat zone. Good luck.

[Laneco]

You really need to spend a few days in the neighborhood to decide if you want to go there or not...

I spent two weeks working in the Baltimore area in some shall we say "lower income" areas. Let me be clear. Hell will freeze over to a solid block of glacial ice before I go back. That was six years and counting. Not enough money can be paid to make me go back.

Areas vary - sometimes greatly and there are definitely charming neighborhoods. But the terms I've often used for the places I had to visit in that area are riddled with quaint sayings such as "festering sewage hole" "crack den of iniquity" and "pustulous boil of poverty."

Spend the time on a visit and make absolutely sure you are going to be happy living there. No amount of money is worth living miserably. Absolutely none.

angela

[FLYGEEZER]

Just say no! The second coming of Christ could not get me to live in "Balmoor"

[motion]

I had an enjoyable stay in downtown Baltimore a few years ago. Now, getting there and back to the airport was a different story...

[gogriz91]

John Hopkins is an exceptional facility, cost of living in MD is extortion rate and your commute to work from a decent neighborhood will be like the final scene in Escape from New York except your wife will be going the wrong direction.