Potentially moving to Baltimore

Submitted by psychissick t3_11liyif in baltimore

Hi guys! I recently got accepted to graduate school in Baltimore. I also got accepted to a school in Boston. I have never been to either city, and I’m wondering what I can expect if I move to Baltimore. Also, would you guys recommend Baltimore over Boston?

For context, I am a small woman and safety is very important to me. I am a foodie (specifically seafood, which I know is amazing in Baltimore), I love nightlife and concerts, I don’t mind cold weather, and I would prefer to live somewhere that is easy to make friends.

I plan to visit both cities later this month to get a better sense of where I’d like to be, but I would love to hear from locals of Baltimore what I can expect. Thanks everyone!

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Lopsided-Phase722 t1_jbcr1hw wrote

Hi! I’m familiar with both cities and I live in Baltimore. I love Boston but it’s so expensive that many people can’t afford to live there. I think Boston is otherwise the better city but I’m happy in Baltimore. I’m also a small woman and I’ve never been the victim of a crime here. I think more people would move here if they knew what Baltimore offers.

Baltimore pros: affordable, quirky (go to Hampden), something for everyone, cool museums, great food scene for the size of the city, and I think people are friendlier here than in MA - very welcoming and open-minded.

Baltimore cons: the summer humidity sucks, city leadership is bad, history of racial segregation that is still very present, you hear a lot about crime even if you’re not affected, and we have limited and unreliable public transportation. You’ll prob need a car

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nemoran t1_jbcwkx4 wrote

I’d think of it this way: what do the two cities have in common, and where can I tilt the scales.

Both cities do seafood well. Both have a lot of bars where you can meet people at the various schools in the region. Both have high concentrations of schools so there are a lot of young people around.

Here’s where they differ, however:

Boston is close to NYC prices; Baltimore absolutely is not. Boston is on the far end of the Amtrak corridor (can only really go down to NYC) while Baltimore is more central (can go to Philly or DC equally easily); Boston has an insufferable accent, Baltimore… ah, Nevermind. In all seriousness, Boston has a moderate crime issue while (some neighborhoods in) Baltimore have more serious crime issues.

Long story short I think it just boils down to: Baltimore is more affordable and you’ll have an easier time being an adult here with your own space than you will in Boston.

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Thisteamisajoke t1_jbcx747 wrote

I went to grad school in Boston, and live in Baltimore now. Boston is so insanely expensive. All things equal though, I love Boston. Baltimore is great, Boston is an all-time city. Either way, you'll be in a great place.

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Bravesfan043 t1_jbcqm5b wrote

I prefer Baltimore to Boston but there are a lot of similarities between the two cities. Safety, fun things to do all depend on what neighborhood you choose to live in, I’m sure for either city.

Both cities have great food scenes. Bostons coffee scene is atrocious though whereas Baltimore’s is really great if you’re into cafes. Boston is really weirdly into Dunkin Donuts and great local cafes are harder to come by. The one I found had no idea what a pour over was. I know I spent a lot of my college years studying in cafes so hopefully that’s worth something.

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styrofoamboats t1_jbcsre2 wrote

What are some of your favorite cafes in Baltimore?

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Bravesfan043 t1_jbcv3sj wrote

Ceremony, Onedo, Atwaters are all great spots to work from. Ceremony honestly makes the best coffee I’ve ever had. There’s plenty of other great coffee spots in the city besides these 3.

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shaneknu t1_jbenkmi wrote

We were visiting Philly a few years ago, and immediately tied into this fantastic little cafe called Function in South Philly. When they found out we were visiting from Baltimore, they were sure to mention that all their baristas had trained at Ceremony.

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dickpickdan t1_jbe6pkf wrote

I moved here for grad school 7 years ago. Own a house here now. Live in it, too.

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PleaseBmoreCharming t1_jbcom1n wrote

Which schools? It doesn't help when you don't give us any detail, OP.

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psychissick OP t1_jbcrulv wrote

Loyola and William James College in Boston.

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PleaseBmoreCharming t1_jbct7k6 wrote

Okay, well that's very helpful and may make some of the other comments so far seem a little bit inaccurate in the comparisons since (as far as I can tell) William James College isn't in Boston proper where Loyola technically is in the city and much closer to downtown Baltimore.

Both seem to be fairly similar in terms of leafy suburbs, but not sure if you are intending to live on campus or not.

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psychissick OP t1_jbeua8u wrote

I am not intending to live on campus. I’m not a huge fan of the suburbs, and both schools seem to be in them.

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un-panino t1_jbgphfg wrote

Loyola isn’t in a suburb—it’s more north in the city and can sometimes feel suburban, but there’s a good amount to do in the area. If you live a bit closer to Hopkins, there’s tons to walk to. I’ve lived in the area for almost 7 years and went to Loyola for undergrad—it’s a nice place to be

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psychissick OP t1_jbl2fxs wrote

Thanks! I’ve been thinking about scheduling appointments too see some apartments in Locust Point. Is that a nice area?

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un-panino t1_jblbq4o wrote

It’s a pretty nice area—decent number of young people and has shopping and things in the area. I have a friend who works at Loyola and lives down there—she likes it. The only thing is that it’s not super close to campus. It would be a TREK to go from LP to campus without a car.

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Sea_Yesterday_8888 t1_jbdexud wrote

I moved here for school and loved it, bought a home here. Crazy easy to make friends (compared to NY where I was before). Safety is a concern, learn some street smarts. But I as a female still walk and jog everywhere. Keep valuables out of sight, don’t walk around on your phone, etc. Super fun and cheap, love it!

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S-Kunst t1_jbdv95t wrote

If you like the arts (not pop culture arts) Boston should be your choice. If you like grit & quirky, Baltimore is the place.

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jcarlomars t1_jbe9uy9 wrote

I went to grad school in Boston and moved to Baltimore the day after graduation, could not get out of there fast enough. For me, only thing that Boston had over Baltimore was good public transit. I’ve been in Baltimore almost 10 years now (live about 2 miles from Loyola) and can’t say enough good things about the food and art scene. It’s an amazing place for creatives and no where near the levels of pretentious as Boston.

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psychissick OP t1_jbeun6g wrote

Ahh I strongly dislike pretentious people. I’ve heard Boston is like that, and I’m definitely not into it. Thanks for the info!

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dopkick t1_jbcozo5 wrote

Cost of living is better in Baltimore. Pretty much everything else is better in Boston.

Weather is going to be personal preference. Proximity to stuff will also be personal preference. Both places have seafood and it will also boil down to personal preference.

Friends is going to be luck plus your ability to put yourself out there. If you’re going to school that’ll likely be a non-issue wherever you go.

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KingBooRadley t1_jbcq3ba wrote

>Pretty much everything else is better in Boston.

Not the weather. Not the extreme racism. Not their garbage food. Not their baseball team. Not the accent. Not their cursed airport. etc. etc.

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dopkick t1_jbcqmfm wrote

Weather is personal preference. If you like cooler weather and snow sports Boston is vastly better. If you hate snow Baltimore is vastly better.

Racism is everywhere. There’s plenty here in Baltimore and MD at large.

Lobster vs. crab. Six of one, half dozen of another. Both can be great, both can be meh.

I will give you that BWI is a much better airport. I probably wouldn’t factor that into my decision as a student. If OP had a job with tons of travel it would be a consideration.

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HorsieJuice t1_jbeffay wrote

lol yeah, I never thought I’d see anybody in r/Baltimore downplay our hometown racism.

re: airports, Boston is fairly close to both Manchester and Providence and depending on where exactly you live, either could be easier/quicker to get to than Logan. I’ve never been to Manchester, but TF Green is pretty similar to BWI. Personally, I’d rather drive to Providence than try to wrangle luggage on the blue line.

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dopkick t1_jbeit0n wrote

Wait, you mean those semi-regular posts with totally not racist white savior types treating black folks as interesting specimens to subject their children to in school are not indicative of racism? Or the consent decree that was issued in response to the discovery of a systemic, deeply-ingrained racist policing policy? Or the dog whistling on apps like Citizen/Neighbors?

I really question if half of the people on this sub actually leave the house. Seems like the "Reddit reality" is quite often at odds with "actual reality." A great example there is Atlas. On Reddit they are the worst thing ever, worse than Hitler and Putin's love child. In practice the Atlas clientele is often composed of many folks that they allegedly (according to Reddit) discriminate against.

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KingBooRadley t1_jbffwl7 wrote

I'm not downplaying it. It's just that racism is pretty much Boston's brand. They are often regarded as the most racist city in America. It's probably fair to factor that into a decision whether to move there or not.

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jewsustchristo t1_jbeh8t6 wrote

LMAO at the idea there isn’t racism in Baltimore. You are absolutely mad.

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KingBooRadley t1_jbfe92e wrote

I don't believe I said that. And, if you're honest about it, neither do you.

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psychissick OP t1_jbcrrb9 wrote

I agree their airport is cursed. Had a SUPER bad experience with a layover there.

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KingBooRadley t1_jbff6tt wrote

I've spent time in Boston and it earns its reputation as a cold east coast city. I don't know why, but people seem uptight and unfriendly there.

Baltimore is extremely welcoming. People say "hey" to you on the street here.

If I were trying to choose between JHU and Harvard I would talk to some people at both universities. How happy they are will say more to what you can expect at each place than what a bunch of reddit weirdos like me have to offer. The answer will almost certainly depend on the culture of the program at each.

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Alternative_Fig3039 t1_jbcvokd wrote

Strong disagreement on that one. Food scene is better in Baltimore especially when you factor in that DC is 30-40 minutes away and has a world class food scene. Baltimore benefits from many great chefs opening their second or third restaurant up here or moving to Baltimore entirely because costs are much better. I don’t dislike Boston, been a ton of times but its reputation far exceeds its reality as a noteworthy city. Baltimore is also not a world class city but neither is Boston.

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dopkick t1_jbcwwh9 wrote

I think Boston is pretty bad value. I’d never consider living there post-school as there are so many better options available. However, attending school for 2-4 years… maybe. Would depend on the strength of program, class sizes, advisor (if grad school), etc.

Ultimately, OP is going to be a student and likely won’t be taking advantage of the world class food scene anywhere. Personally, in addition to the aforementioned I’d factor in things like financial aid. If I can graduate with $50K less debt from one school I’d be keen to pick that over a specific city. The $50K would go a long way in getting your life started after graduation.

Ignoring the pragmatic school stuff, Boston is easier to get around without a car. And definitely safer. If you’re in school I feel like the friendliness of people is irrelevant as you WILL make friends at school.

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Alternative_Fig3039 t1_jbcxr34 wrote

If you need or rely on public transportation than its Boston by a mile. Baltimore’s public transpo is so awful.

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