I have a single gay friend about your age who lives on Arnold St in Fox Point. He walks home from the downtown bars quite often, using the pedestrian bridge. I would say that the Atwells Ave part of Federal Hill has had more issues, because of a few bars there. Those issues may have been solved. It's a lot gayer as you go towards Broadway and towards the Armory neighborhood. The distance to your job is still walkable from west of I-95, but it's not as convenient as downtown or Fox Point would be.