Baltimore's Neighborhoods

Baltimore, MD is a city of distinct neighborhoods. It is city of contrasts, from gentrified Federal Hill to dilapidated Sandtown. In some neighborhoods, 3 br rowhouses in decent condition can be had for 60K while in other areas 60K would get you a doghouse.

Rundown row of rowhouses in Uptown

Lovely rowhouses in trendy Butcher's Hill

To find out more information about Baltimore's many neighborhoods check out Live Baltimore. According to Wikipedia: "Baltimore is an independent city located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of 2005, the population is 636,251, up from 628,670 in 2002."

Crime is a large problem. Crime is a large factor in slowing down the gentrification of Baltimore.

According to crime statistics, there were 278 murders in Baltimore in 2004. Though this is significantly down from the record-high 353 murders in 1993, Mayor O'Malley had promised during his 1999 campaign and the first two years of his first term that he would bring murders down to 175 a year by 2002 — a goal that has yet to be met. The murder rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles.

While murders have been relatively static, other categories of crime in Baltimore have been declining. However, Baltimore still has much higher-than-average rates of aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, and theft. Though the crime situation in Baltimore is considered one of the worst in the nation, city officials are quick to point out that most violent crimes, particularly murders, are committed by people who know their victims and who are often associated with the illegal drug trade.

The public school system is severely lacking and that certainly puts a damper on prices in Baltimore City. Despite all this in the past 25 years Baltimore has undergone a tremendous amount of revitalizationn. Neighborhoods that used to be run down now have 3br row houses selling for 450K with rooftop decks.