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needleinacamelseye t1_j0a1yjr wrote

Vibrancy: it's definitely residential. I describe it as being close to a lot of things without being next to them. You're close to Mount Vernon and Station North for all your culture wants - most of the city's cultural institutions and a fair number of its restaurants/bars are within a twenty-minute walk - but you're very much not in the middle of it all. With the exception of when MICA classes let out, the sidewalks are never very busy, and they're pretty much devoid of foot traffic by 8pm.

Walkability: Most of the things I need for daily life are within walking distance, but they're never on the corner of the block and there might only be one walkable option. There are three restaurants, a café, and a kick-ass dive bar, but those are your only entertainment options. There's a Save-a-lot discount grocery store in the neighborhood as well as a pharmacy, but beyond that most of your shopping will be found fifteen to twenty minutes away by foot in Mt Vernon. As said before, lots of cultural institutions and restaurants/bars can be found in Mt Vernon and Station North. Druid Hill Park is also within a slightly longer walk, as is most of downtown. There's also great transit access - the light rail and the subway both stop on the edge of the neighborhood, as do several bus lines.

Safety: It's not bad, but it could be better. Bolton Hill is a fairly wealthy neighborhood that sits very close to one of the city's poorest areas. MICA has their own safety patrols that keep eyes on the street at all hours. However, there have been a rash of muggings and carjackings this year, and property crime (including catalytic converter theft) is always a concern. I would feel OK walking around past midnight (fellow white guy here), but I would absolutely not wear headphones or walk around with my face in my phone. You absolutely will not have a problem being LGBTQ+ here - there are plenty of non-straight folks around. Overall, I don't think crime is much worse than, say, Mt Vernon, but it's definitely not as safe as Roland Park or Locust Point.

Please don't let the above make you think I don't like it here - Bolton Hill is a wonderful neighborhood in a great location filled with lovely people. I met a guy a few months ago who had lived in the same house on Park Ave for eighty years - this is definitely an area people commit to. I'd love to stay as long as I can.

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ames2k20 OP t1_j0a5vnf wrote

Thank you for addressing each point so well! It definitely like there is solid access to urban life (even if not in the center).

I’m trying to determine whether I’d be mugged in broad daylight just walking around or if it’s a little more easygoing than that.

Thrilled to hear it’s queer friendly and that there are other long term neighborhood residents - I’m definitely looking to nest and put down roots. So this is encouraging.

Would commuting once or twice a week to DC be doable? My office is not far from union station.

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needleinacamelseye t1_j0bhncf wrote

I mean, it's Baltimore, and occasionally bad things happen in good areas. If you adjust your crime reference frame to Baltimore standards, Bolton Hill is a safe area. I'm not saying you'll never be mugged in broad daylight just walking around, but I don't think of Bolton Hill as the sort of place where that's more likely to happen than any other part of Baltimore. In terms of how crime impacts you on a daily basis, package theft will dwarf the rest.

The MARC commute to DC is long but doable if you minimize the distance you have to travel on each end of the train. Bolton Hill is a five to ten minute walk from the train station. If your work is near Union Station, the DC commute would be plenty doable. I know plenty of folks who live here who commute to DC on the MARC train. Lastly, as part of the infrastructure bill that got passed last year, there are plans to rebuild the tunnel under West Baltimore to allow trains to go faster into Penn Station - the idea is that when it's done (in ten years) a BAL->DC express train would take just half an hour.

Edit: About the other commenter's real estate agent recommendations - I swear Jessica Dailey sells half the houses in this neighborhood. I'd agree with them solely based on the volume of business she does here - she's obviously doing something right.

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SilverProduce0 t1_j0bj1aw wrote

WOW, half an hour for an express train to DC would be incredible.

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ames2k20 OP t1_j0cz6qf wrote

So glad to hear about the commute. Sounds easy enough to do once or twice a week. Let’s hope for the express train.

So as long as I keep my wits about me, it seems the risk of crime there isn’t disastrous. Thank you.

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MultipleSnoregasm t1_j0b98tl wrote

The commute is very doable. I go twice a week from further away in Baltimore with no issues. The train takes an hour (thought there's a 45 minute express train coming back) and is very comfortable and reliable.

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ames2k20 OP t1_j0cz972 wrote

Seems like a nice time to listen to podcasts or read!

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NoImpact3813 t1_j0g9eir wrote

I don’t live there, but I drive through Bolton hill to get to work every day. It seems like a very charming space… parents walking their kids to school or pulling them in little plastic wagons. MICA students walking alone.

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