You commented on the size of the houses in only 3 neighborhoods. (Canton, Federal Hill, and Fells Point. Much of the reason that these places are not the safest is due the very reason, that you said most people under 30 would like them and that is the social/bar scene. Wherever you have drunks roaming the streets late at night after a night of parting, you are going to have some problems. You said that Baltimore is not like NY. Baltimore has plenty of history. You may have to do a little research on the matter, but if you want to look for some cool date things to do, check the City Paper or the Baltimore Times.
During the warmer months, there are many outdoor festivals to hit. You forgot to mention the Lyric, the Meyerhoff, The Arena Stage, and about a half dozen other little theaters that host shows of all kinds.
Scattered Throughout the city, there are plenty of small club/bars that would provide a safe fun time. You may not like, because they cater more to dancing and with you date rather than trying to see how hammered you can get with her.
What do you mean that Baltimore is not that nice? The architecture of many of the buildings here is some the best. A lot of the neighborhoods here are diamonds in the rough, but that the epitome of urban life. Anytime that you watch House Hunters on HGTV, the buyers that buy in urban settings know that they may have to put a couple of dollars into the space to make it right, but that is part of the charm. That is why they call Baltimore Charm City. If you do not know why that it is, then you definitely do not belong here. It would probably be best that you go out to one of the surrounding counties like Howard.

1) There are more than 3 hubs of social activity in Baltimore. You obviously have never been there… Mount Vernon, Charles Village, Bolton Hill, Hampden, Midtown, Patterson Park, the Inner Harbor, and the Govans areas come to mind… There are others if you aren’t a wealthy white person.

2) You are never 100% safe anywhere. Yes, Baltimore – like most big cities – has crime. But most people aren’t affected on a daily basis. The threat of crime is always the tradeoff with urban living. If crime avoidance is your top priority, you definitely aren’t an urbanite.

3) Property taxes are always higher in the city because of white flight. Wealthier white people avoid the city (perhaps upon recommendations like yours) and limit its tax base. The counties have a lower property tax rate, but higher revenues than the city as a result of more rich people.

4) There are numerous tax credits and incentives to buy into Baltimore if you investigate that make it worth it.

5) It’s hard to compare Baltimore or any city to NYC or New England in terms of history, but compared to other non-east coast cities, Baltimore has a lot to offer.

6) Homes are too small for too much? Welcome to the city. Baltimore is the most affordable metropolitan area in the Northeast.

7) Not every Baltimore school is bad, you just have to investigate your options. Oftentimes, “Bad schools” is really just code for “Black kids”. If you want to raise a coward, head for the suburbs.

Not everybody is buying a home to sell it for a profit. This is one reason why we’re in this housing mess.

I’m not even going to discuss the race/class assumptions about this post.

I wasn’t saying Baltimore is worse than any other city, just that it lacks some of the cultural and historical aspects found in older cities. I bet if I lived in NYC I’d have the same complaints (minus the cultural/historical aspects) because crime, expensive homes, and other factors are indicative of a large city.

“Last night at 7:30 PM, a Tuesday, a young man was held at gun point, mugged, and kicked in the face for not cooperating fast enough. This was someone I know and it was across the street from my house at 107 East West Street! This area has been poorly lit in front of the church and at 11:30 PM last night ONE lamp post had been lit. Upon talking to detectives this has become a more common occurrence in the recent weeks throughout Federal Hill, even in front of the older folks home on Hamburg and William Street there was an attack, as well as on Randall Street and in front of the West Street Garage, all within a week or so and around 7:30/8:00 PM.

I am sure most people have heard a lot of police helicopters as of late and last night there were 2 other instances right around the same time in Federal Hill. Please, please, please, be aware of your surroundings, this person thought that it was just a couple walking behind him. There were two African American males in their 20’s, no facial hair, one was about 6’ and the other 5’10 and one was carrying a revolver! The detectives believe they are coming from an outside neighborhood. Although the detectives said these 2 men are not exactly the same description (height), there are still 2 men believed to be behind several muggings and violent attacks.

Make sure if you are on a cell phone you are still aware of your surroundings, do not walk alone and walk in the street instead of the sidewalks. Please let your friends know that live in the neighborhood, these attacks are not in the news and the police said, those living in Federal Hill do not know the frequency and likelihood of attacks. These attacks are not happening in the middle of the night; they are happening when people are coming home from the gym, from work or meeting friends in the neighborhood. PLEASE BE SAFE! “

I believe that finding a place in the city requires knowledge about neighborhoods and streets. Basically, I feel if you were moving into the city after graduating college or from another city you would be at a disadvantage. You have to experience Baltimore for a while in order to learn which areas are good and “not so good”. That is why young professionals assume Feddy Hill, Fell’s, and Canton are the only places to live that are “cool”. I recommend that anyone that comes to Baltimore do extensive research if they really want to buy right away, otherwise, live in the city for a while, then figure out where, and if, you want to buy.

Anyways, I agree with your points Jim. The hidden cost is that super high property tax. My biggest concern is who is going to buy these super nice townhomes 5 years down the road if people are paying upwards of $600K for some in Federal Hill? I think it is impossible for those THs to increase in value at the same rate as the lower priced houses in the area. My feeling is that the Baltimore market will plateau very soon possibly even drop a bit.

Did I make a point or did I just ramble?

Yes, I think we do agree. When I see $400k+ homes in Federal Hill that barely crack 1400 sq. ft., it makes me sick. The flippers probably paid $150k, put in $100k in renovations, and will pocket $150k (and good for them! without them, neighborhoods of Baltimore wouldn’t improve as quickly as they have, personally I salute them.) because someone who doesn’t understand fundamentals has the cash to make that mistake.

I haven’t been to livebaltimore.com in a while but I poked my head in after reading your comment, it looks a lot better (less commercial and ad-driven) then it used to.

It’s not inappropriate to post it, in general I don’t have a problem with people posting links (even to their own sites) if it provides some sort of added benefit. I dispise those “Great blog! Check mine out!” type posts though.

Actually, I think we basically agree – Fells Point etc., are overpriced and Baltimore is more of a “second tier” city in the vein of Pittsburgh and anyone expecting a ton of “city life” would probably be disappointed. The term “flipping” pratically originated in Baltimore, so I have to agree with you on that as well. But hopefully people will see websites such as yours, and become inspired to educate themseleves financially and avoid major pitfalls (such as ignoring the basic fundamentals of any market: real estate, stock,…)

I hope it’s not inappropiate to post it here, but livebaltimore.com has lots of useful info for people thinking of moving to Baltimore (I’m not affliated with them, I think they push the whole “city life” thing a little too much, but it’s still a good resource).

1. My concept of crime is biased in that it’s based on only statistics, my general “feeling,” and the number of crimes my friends have witnessed, heard about, or been a victim of.
2. I’ve actually have been traipsing around the woods at night (I can walk to the grocery store within a few minutes) and I feel at ease even walking in the dark with a flashlight. Of course, I think believe I’d be okay walking around Patterson Park 99% of the time at night … I just don’t like that 1%. Plus, I quoted a friend’s opinion specifically because I think I’m biased. (since I bought in the suburbs)
3. I didn’t know about those tax breaks, thanks for the tip.
4. Yes, Columbia in all its planned glory doesn’t have much more than Baltimore but I do believe it does have more. Many people equate living in Baltimore with the joys of “city life” (maybe just my friends) and I would argue that a lot of “city life” just isn’t there in Baltimore.
5. I totally agree with you on this one, I just believe (perhaps incorrectly) that it’s safer in the suburbs where you have the protection of good schools, lower crime, etc.
6. The point of \#6 was that you would have fewer buyers, not that you wouldn’t have any buyers whatsoever.

I think my numbers are all skewed because my friends only consider buying in Federal Hill, Canton and Fell’s Point where there are no $87/sq ft homes. Many neighborhoods in Baltimore are more affordable and are great for young professionals. At my company, we snag a lot of college grads and most of them are taught to believe (by accident) that those three neighborhoods are where all the action is.

I really do like Baltimore, it reminds me a lot of a younger aged Pittsburgh (where I went to school), but I see the constant flipping of property as a dangerous entry point when buying your first home.