Howdy Everyone
I’m aware this was already asked but got burnt out with impertinent info. So I’m moving to Baltimore from Houston, TX for work I would rather not have to drive more than an 30m to an hr to get to work mainly because of traffic unless it. I’ll be working near “N. Hartford park” area and plan on buying a vehicle up there so that’s a temporary problem I may room with a coworker but would rather not if I can find a place. I’m half Guatemalan and black so I know it’ll be a culture shock. Also I’ll be finishing college for computer ENG, I’m 23, single, active/athletic , drink socially. So far my impression is that the neighborhood and city are horrible because everyone here is saying I’ll get shot. Lastly could someone dumb down the gun laws I have a few. Moving between 9/25 and 11/15.
Interested in: commutes, safe neighborhoods, social , ENG colleges….
I grew up in Baltimore but I haven’t lived there in over 40 years, and I have no idea what “N. Hartford park” refers to. Harford county is north of Baltimore, and you can get there on Harford Road.
And while the city does have some dangerous areas, my sister has lived in East Baltimore for nearly 20 years with no problems, so the whole city isn’t a war zone, despite what the news may show.
Maybe you’ll get some answers if you provide more specific information.
I grew up in WV and moved to Baltimore when I was about 22. I lived in Arbutus for a while, moved back to WV for a bit, moved to Chase (Carrol Island area), then moved to PA, where I live now. I have about a 45 to 50 minute commute to Owings Mills currently.
30 minutes to an hour will get you pretty far. When I lived in Chase (northeast Baltimore), I worked in Columbia, which was about a 40 to 50 minute drive down 895.
There are parts of the city that aren’t too bad, and there are parts of the city that I don’t even like to go into, let alone consider living there. It’s been about 20 years since I lived down there, so I’m a little fuzzy on where the good areas are. A friend of mine used to live on Harford Road in the city and was killed by a druggie who stabbed him to death while stealing a set of tools maybe worth a hundred bucks. I have a couple of other friends who live on the west side, one just north of Rt. 40 and another closer to Catonsville, and their neighborhoods are both fine.
Things are generally better out in the County, but again some areas are kinda hit and miss.
UMBC in Catonsville is an excellent school for computer engineering. There’s a lot of housing in the Catonsville and Arbutus area that caters to UMBC students, so it’s reasonably affordable and reasonably low crime. When I lived in Arbutus (close to 30 years ago) it was pretty nice.
Beltway traffic sucks.
I also have no idea where N. Hartford Park is. According to google maps, there’s a N. Harford Park close to Northern Parkway and Harford Road. That’s not too far from where my friend was murdered. You can probably guess my opinion of that general area.
Maryland gun laws are extremely restrictive. Maryland is a “may issue” state, which means that even if you qualify to get a handgun permit, the state can still decide whether or not to give you one, and the state pretty much never decides to give you one. Handgun permits are almost non-existent. Maryland does not allow open carry of firearms. Rifles and shotguns do not require a permit.
Fell’s Point and the Inner Harbor are great places for young and single folks to meet other young and single folks.
Many of my friends live in Baltimore. All of them like it, some absolutely love it. It’s gritty and had its bad areas, but it also has lots to do, great food, history, nightlife and more hipsters than you can shake a stick at. A HUGE advantage is that rents are very reasonable. While my friends in DC were paying out the nose for tiny studios in bad areas, my Baltimore friends were renting or even buying adorable townhouses in charming neighborhoods.