Opinions on Baltimore Area

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hey Guys, I have been offered a position with a company in the Baltimore MD area. I have all sorts of opinions from people in Arizona about how bad life is in that part of the country. I figured that someone on this forum could probably offer an unbiased opinion so please enlighten me as to the pros and cons of life in that area. The main reason I am interested is they are offering me a reasonable wage, health care and a retirement plan. I am a diabetic so the health care is really important.

Thanks, Joe

If you think your railroad is small, try packing it up [:S]

2

http://www.city-data.com/forum/

The city data forum would be a better place to ask your question.

This is a model railroad forum. The good news is you could be closer to MB Klein (modeltrainstuff).

3

They have a really big train show at the State Fairgrounds in Timmonium, MD 4 times a year. It’s has a stop right at the gate on the light rail line from Baltimore.

I lived in Laurel, MD which is not far from Baltimore 45 years ago. It was a nice area then. Can’t say how it is now.

4

Baltimore is a large metropolitan area. There is a lot of traffic and congestion on the roads and beltways. If there is a chance that you could take a trip out this way, I would do it just to check it out. Some areas are better than others, as in any place. However, they do have a light-rail system. I know a couple of guys that live in PA, drive down to the Timonium light-rail station and then take it into the city. Also, you do get used to things over time, so it may not be that big a deal.

You should do as much research on the internet as possible. Look at housing prices, taxes, where the company is located, and where you think you could live, etc. If there is a light-rail station within walking distance from your work location, that is going to be a plus.

In my opinion, you will need more than a ‘reasonable’ wage to live there. I grew up in the North East section outside the beltway. After I retired from the Navy, I worked in Bowie for a few years. I now live on the Eastern Shore and wouldn’t go back if I was rich. I just like the easy and simple living better.

5

I’m not a fan of living in cities at ALL, but there are plenty of area outside of Baltimore city proper that are quite nice. It’s a hotbed of Model Railroad activity, too. There are the Timonium shows, and you have MB Klein right there as well (modeltrainstuff.com on the web - but they have a physical presence too). Then there’s the activities of the Inner Harbor area, the B&O Museum, and more. Plus it’s not all that far from DC and there’s plenty to do there.

–Randy

6

The last time I was in D.C. I found plenty to do, #1 finding a place to park, #2 avoiding getting mugged, and #3 avoiding getting car jacked.

Although I live in Missouri if I were you they couldn’t pay me enough to live in Baltimore or anywhere around there. I’m sure it’s fine if you have leaved there a long time or grew up there but coming from Arizona where it’s warm & “dry” year round to Baltimore? It always brings up the question in my mind, “why would anybody spend so much money to stay warm”? And it is “very” expensive to live on the east coast…and congested.

Mark

7

I’ve lived most of my adult life on the East coast, either in New England or the Mid-Atlantic area, e.g., Maryland, West Virginia and North Carolina. While there is congestion, there’s also a lot going on in the area. You’d be close to M.B. Klein which is north of Baltimore and there is a lot of train-related activity in the area. I would not want to live in Baltimore City proper, but there are some very nice areas outsibe the Beltway that would be good. My impression is that the north side of town up near the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus is a nice area with apts. and single family homes. I don’t know how the cost of living in Baltimore compares with Arizona. You can get this info. on Internet. You should check with the company that’s offering the job for information about the city and surrounding area. Usually, when companies get to the point of offering a job they also invite you to come for a visit to their location. How did they interview you for the position, via phone?

Since medical care is important to you, I should point out that the Baltimore/Washington area has some of the best MD’s and hospitals in the world. Johns Hopkins Hospital is rated as the best hospital overall in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report’s Annual Hospital Survey. In 2010, Johns Hopkins was rated #3 in Diabetes and Endocrinology after the Mayo Clinic #1 and Massachusetts General #2. There are a number of other excellent hospitals in Baltimore. I had both my knees replaced at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. It was a two hour drive from where I live in Martinsburg, WV, but was well worth it for the quality of the care.

Hope this helps.

Bob

8

Baltimore has lovely weather in fall, winter, and spring. Summers can be a bit hot, hot enough to make you want an air conditioner in the bedroom. It’s a real city with major league teams, art museums, shopping and such. Being only 30 miles from DC, Baltimore has trouble competing with Federally financed cultural events in DC. But it’s an easy drive to DC should you want to take one in.

Downtown Baltimore can be a bit dodgy, there is a lot of unemployment, and some tough neighbor hoods. A little farther out things are better. My daughter attended Johns Hopkins and was able to find a comfortable little row house for rent, just a block off campus. She and friends lived there for two years with no trouble. Even farther out, by the beltway, things are very nice indeed, although a bit more expensive. Outside the beltway things get quite rural, it’s possible to find a colonial farm withing reasonable commuting distance.

Its great railroad country. The B&O museum is spectacular. The PA railroad museum in Strasburg is just as good and only a short drive. It’s also great civil war country. All the big battlefields are close enough for day trips.

9

I grew up in Maryland and it has its good and bad points like everywhere else. A great feature is that you can drive to the mountains or the beach, depending on which way you point your car. It is also easy to visit NYC, Boston, Pittsburgh, Richmond, and other places that were (and are) so vital to this country’s character.

It’s a real city, and that can be a hassle. We all know those problems. It also provides a vitality and energy and history missing in more modern, “Disney-fied” metro areas. Along with that comes real railroading, as well! Depends on what you’re looking for.

However, if you don’t like people, and the real hassles of living in close proximity to millions of them (seems to be a theme on this thread) then don’t move there.

FYI - I live in a small city in Colorado now, but if I couldn’t live here I would live in Chicago, so I’m probably a bit of a strange case…

10

Then you haven’t visited DC in 25+ years, or you were hanging out in the wrong parts of town. Except #1 that is. Taking a car to a large city is a rookie mistake. But DC currently (and for the last 10 yrs or so) has one of the LOWEST crime rates in the country. The SE part of the city has been completely rejuvenated by the relocation of several DoD and DoT activities to that area.

However, that’s not really what we’re talking about, and yes, it’s kind of OT for an MR site, but here goes.

So many people comment on climate, congestion, etc. etc. but these really are personal tastes. I’m not trying to influence you, but the counterpoint to “Why would you want to live where it’s cold and wet for part of the year?” is “Why would you want to live somewhere the weather never changes?”. For my money, I LIKE all four seasons, with all their advantages and drawbacks, and wouldn’t want to live in Arizona or Florida.(or elsewhere) if I had the choice.

The OP needs to understand the different climatic conditions, certainly, and definitely the cold and wet are harder to take as you get older (although my 77 yr old mother lives happily in central PA). Metropolitan areas are a tradeoff – you get easy access to activities, events, cultural sites, shopping, medical treatment, etc., but you pay for it with having to share with more people. The I-95 corridor between Washington DC and Boston is one of the most densely populated areas of the planet. I’ve managed to find a small, rural enclave just outside of this area, so I enjoy a quiet home in a forested area with easy access to all sorts of outdoor activities and where my kids

11

Well, as a life long resident of central Maryland, I will offer a few thoughts.

First, like most major US cities, there is the “city” proper, the close in suburbs and the more “rural” suburbs.

As a rule, the city proper is populated by two groups, the rich who live in 120 year old upper class areas and the poor.

The middle classes live in the suburbs where property taxes are a lot lower, schools are better, crime is minimal and traffic is terrible.

A one hour drive from Baltimore in almost any direction puts you in the middle of farms and rural country side - how far are you willing to commute?

The Mid Atlantic is a great place for recreation, bay, ocean, mountains, culture, history, and lots of it.

It also has lots of people, as others have said, if you don’t like people, don’t move here.

Politics leans to the Domocrat, libral side, but gets more conversvative as you move away from the city center.

As others have said, it is model train heaven - lots of good shops, many with good prices, clubs, train shows, famous modelers who have open houses, Strasburg, B&O museum, trolley museum, etc, etc. You can go to a train show almost once a month if you want to.

The cost of living is actually about average for the whole country, not as low as the midwest, south or southwest, but no where near as high as Boston, Chicago, NYC, LA (or almost anywhere in CA), D.C., etc.

The economy tends to be stable because of DC being nearby. Lots of government workers live in central Maryland and commute to DC. They bring their paycheck home and spend it in Maryland.

As others commented, the weather is nice most of the time, but summer can be oppressive with high heat and humidity - It is defenately a place with all four seasons and lots of variety in the weather. Winter can be cold for a month or two, but snow is usually light. Rarely we get a “big one” or two, but usually it snows 3" today and melts the next

12

Having lived all of my 53 years in the Baltimore area, I’d say it better be a pretty good and secure job before I would pull up stakes and move to “Mobtown”. That being said, Baltimore and the surrounding areas aren’t too bad a place to live. Like any city there are good areas and dangerous areas. There are plenty of things to do. Sports teams, good food, lots of parks to hike or bike ride or enjoy yourself anyway you see fit. We’re not too far from the beach if you like that. Good train stores close by. Lots of places to watch trains and Baltimore has a long railroad history that is very interesting. We have some of the finest hospitals in the country in the Baltimore area if that is a concern. The weather can be terrific or it can be a real pain. You can have winter days where you have a foot of snow and three days later the temperature will rise to fifty degrees and it will be gone, and it can get hot and humid and stay that way for weeks. Without getting into details, being from Arizona you may not care for the political climate in Maryland, but that is for you to decide. If the job you are offered is a good one and something you want to do, give Maryland a try.

Jim

13

Not at all. There are so many personal tastes and preferences. Some people seem to think that those of us who live in the NE (or really, anywhere THEY wouldn’t like to live) must do so under duress. And that’s just not the case.

14

Hey Joe:

As an member of an old Maryland family, now living in the Low Country of SC, there is much to recommend about the Baltimore area - including proximity to DC as well. Yes, as with any large city metro area there is the good and the bad - that you should be able to sort out for yourself. The hobby is strong in the Baltimore-Washington area with great modelers, great layouts, great hobby shops, railfan opportunities and train shows of all sorts. And oh yes, if you can work it out you can have a railroad with a house upstairs (we don’t have basements in this area, so railroading is done in garages, spare rooms, out buildings and what not).

Charles

15

Thanks for all the info. I figured I would get a better point of view from you guys than forums catering to complaints. Just so you all understand, I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, lived in northern Virginia for one year, Detroit for 2 years and Arizona for 30 years. I don’t know which is worse, me working outdoors in 110 degree heat or indoors in an air conditioned office. I believe that at 57 years old I will take the AC. The cold I will adapt to. I have heard many opinions on this area and was really indecisive on taking the job, but at my age the offers are very few and far between. I am in a terrible situation with work now and a change is necessary just for my own good. I don’t have to leave Arizona but I am tired of the desert and dirt it brings. I also did notice that a lot of homes have basements and I can expand my layout in time. I have packed up all my rolling stock and I swear they must breed like rabbits when I am not looking as I don’t remember where all this stuff came from.

The employer is part of the BWI transit system and flew me in for the interview last weekend. I did not have a lot of time to look around the area and I honestly did not get a warm fuzzy feeling about the interview anyway. Their home office must have because the first day back in Phoenix they called with their offer. I have seven days to accept or refuse the offer so with the input I have received I think I will be relocating.

Thank you guys, Joe

16

You mention the importance of health care and the fact that you are diabetic. I’m sure that you know this, but I’ll mention it anyway…many health care plans don’t cover pre-existing conditions. You might want to ask this question of your prospective employer if you haven’t already.

17

Yes the healthcare question was asked already. I have told I was uninsurable by myself but they have group coverage as they are a large company and I guess they have to absorb it.

Thanks, Joe

18

My knowledge of the Baltimore area is dated, because the last time I was there was in 1971 when assigned to the U.S. Army Intelligence School at Fort Holabird. Holabird is now closed, but was in the southeast corner of Baltimore, bordering on the Dundalk area. At that time, it was not a bad area to live in.

Johns Hopkins medical center, supposedly one of the nation’s leading hospitals, is in Baltimore.

19

Joe,

Yes, a large precentage of homes in this part of the country have basements, and homes of all sizes and price ranges are included in that group.

If your job would be near BWI airport, that is a developed, but yet very “suburban” area and is surrounded by lots of nice housing in a wide range of prices. The airport is not in the city, it is about 4-5 miles south west of the city line and is outside the “beltway”.

Several of our best hobby shops are in that general area, as is at least one well known club.

I live on the north east side of Baltimore, near Bel Air, about 20 miles north of the city, still pretty much “suburb” type living out here as well.

Good luck with your move.

Sheldon

20

Atlantic Central…

Glad to hear of your possible job offer - it sounds like it might be a great move for you. I worked in the Metro Baltimore(Timonium and Columbia) area and lived in near by Frederick, MD for a while, so I’m familiar with that area.

Having lived and worked there, it’s like any other metropolitan area - it has +'s and -'s.

The pros would be that you could live within a commuting distance and choose to take the MARC to work via connecting transit lines. (taking the train to work would be cool)

Baltimore has a lot of rich history and many spots you could take the family - like the Inner Harbor, B&O Railroad Museum, Chesapeke Bay, etc.

You’re also within an hour or two of Gettysburg, PA, Harper’s Ferry W.VA, Washington,DC, Altoona and Horseshoe Curve( a little further away), etc.

If you like trains(and I know you do), you’ll love having access to all the railroad action there is for you in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. … B&O , WM, NS, Reading, Pennsy, Southern, Amtrak…it’s all there or started in that area.

Great hobby shops in that region too. The best is probably M.B.Klien in suburban Baltimore - but another one similar in terms of discounts and stock, is Mainline Hobby Supply in Blue Ridge Summit, Pa, near Gettysburg, Pa - about a 50 minute drive from Baltimore. Owned by Brian and Bonnie Wolf, they know the ropes and have a fantastic inventory of just about anything you can think of.

As far as negatives, the cost of living there vs. what you get for the money, is not attractive, compared to where you are now. I live in TX and the economies and standard of living here are similar to what you have now in AZ. On the other hand, moving there you may find the cost of a house like what you have now, may cost twice as much. The BIG issue is taxation - taxes were always very high in that part of the country.

I disqualify myself on that count is I have not lived there fo