I've lived in MD (suburbs of Baltimore) for most of my life. Some things I love about Maryland:
-Ocean in the east, mountains in the west... whatever you want!
-Fun social scene downtown
-Lots of active/healthy people- running groups, sporting events, gyms, etc.
-Nicknamed "Smalltimore"- everyone seems to be connected and you'll always run into people you know
-Lots of options for schools- big private school scene from K-12, many local colleges
-Reasonable cost of living. I bought a house on a single person's teacher salary.
-Doesn't matter who you're talking to, the entire city is united by the sports teams. From Friday to Sunday, you'll see Ravens jerseys wherever you go.
-Saying "B-more... why be less"
That being said... there are some things i dislike. For instance, parts of the city are terrifying. Let me know if you have specific questions!
Aww Maryland! I'm from between Annapolis and Baltimore, and most of my family lives in the DC suburbs. Between those three cities, there is a lot to do. It's close to the water and not too far from the ocean. The cost of living is not very expensive. The weather is nice - not too hot or cold.
PM me if you have any questions!
Thank you very much! I will probably pm both of you eventually when I get my bearings a little more - meaning, what specifically I'm still interested in learning about.
I'm from Maryland and I miss it soooo much!!! So much to do, melting pot of cultures, close to DC and VA, and the people are awesome! I'm in Southern California now and it is so different here. You will love it!
I live north of Baltimore and love that we're so close to DC and NYC. Taking a bus to NYC for a day trip is always fun. I also like that it doesn't get too hot in the summer and we usually get some snow in the winter. Having grown up in the South, I don't think people are as friendly here as back home, but that may just come with the bigger city territory.
Are you only interested in what is good about Maryland? I've lived here all my life, but traveled a good amount, and my fiance and I wish we could move =/
@BoiledPNut: I could have written this post. I live just north of the city and I'm from the south originally.
I really like it up here and have been here for over 11 years now. Lots to do, close to NYC, DC, and so many other places. Can be in the mountains or at the ocean in a couple of hours. Worst thing is the traffic. I commute to work about 40 miles one way and it's brutal but my sirius radio helps me get through it.
The only thing I would suggest is that you avoid moving into the city. Pick a suburb...you'll be happier and safer.
I know a blogger from Baltimore and she is a riot. If you're into design and decorating, check her out. Heck, check her out even if you aren't. She does a "Tour de Baltimore" for bloggers (guided trip around town to great home shops) that I've been meaning to go on.
http://pigtown-design.blogspot.com/
So Baltimore is basically an oversized small town. It's a rather blue collar, down to earth town that embraces its own quirks. Where else can you celebrate Hon Fest AND the writing of the Star Spangled Banner?! Baltimore has lots of places where you simply should not wander, even in broad daylight. Seriously, The Wire wasn't lying. But it also has some hip, fun neighborhoods and decent suburbs, too. As PP's stated, you are close to DC and get to enjoy it's museums and restaurant scene. And if kids are in your future, just go a little south of Baltimore to Howard County for one of the premier school systems in the nation (and a really nice mall, too!).
BTW... If someone asks you where you went to school, they are asking about your high school, not your college or grad school. And you will definitely get asked this question because we're not used to out of towners (see the oversized small town comment above). Baltimoreans can tell soooo much about a person by where they went to high school. haha
Edit: I don't live in Baltimore anymore. You couldn't pay me to live anywhewre near the city. I just can't deal with the traffic, steady outward creep of city crime, noise, etc. anymore. But the great part is that within an hour's drive you can be in lovely countryside where the sound you hear is the owls and the traffic you encounter is getting stuck behind a harvester on a country road. It's wonderful!
I LOVE Baltimore. It's an awesome city! FI and I are both from different states but moved here and live downtown near the harbor. It's beautiful, an we love that there is tons to do here but it's not overly touristy. There are tons of different neighborhoods and each with their own vibe, so it's neat to explore and find the place where you "fit" best. Lots of festivals and wineries closely too.
Balimore is close to a lot of other major cities: 1 hr from DC, 40 min from
Annapolis which is pretty, about 3 hrs from NYC, 1.5 hrs from Philly, and about 2 hrs from the beach (at least the Delaware beaches where we go).
The city has horrible schools. Until we have kids though I am definitely staying in the city, because I love it! Columbia, Ellicott city suburbs are great with awesome schools.
Good luck!
I too am from Baltimore and I think everyone has given you some great guidance. Granted I haven't lived there since I graduated High School, but I would honestly love to move back; I am currently living in Brooklyn. Crabs cakes, National Bohemian, Berger cookies, Orioles + Ravens games and Artscape: things you need to experience as much as possible.
The architecture in Baltimore is mostly like any other colonial city. Beautiful brick homes with fenced in backyards and stoops. As you move further away from the core of the city homes are built in the gorgeous Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. And they are supremely affordable. Unfortunately, the city has experienced negative population grown but it is aggressively changing as new life returns to the city.
@hollyberry4: I just wanted to address this piece about Baltimore having terrible schools. The school system in Maryland is actually the best in the nation, and Baltimore City has great schools to offer (article from Washington Post). I went my entire life in public schools and then went to a private school for High School. Poly Technical, Fallstaff Middle, Roland Park City Middle, Western High, Pikesville High, Dunbar High Academy, Baltimore School for the Arts (where MANY a actor have graduated from), and those are just a few schools off of the top of my head. Some of these schools are in predominately black neighborhoods, some a little grittier than others, which is something you'll just have to get over quickly living in the city. My city isn't perfectly polished and coiffed. It's real, it's beautiful, and it continues to transform itself and strive even under the worst of circumstances.
@misspurplepurl: I didn't mean to offend anyone by saying the public school system is not very good. Obviously some schools are better than others. I work for Baltimore city public schools and work in 3 of them across the city. I would not send my kids to. Any of the schools I work in, nor most of the schools my colleaugues work in. The schools outside of Baltimore city are wonderful for the most part, and the schools in the city have a lot of room to improve, which they are aware of and working on. One of my schools does not even have an IEP chair, several in te district don't have a principal. Staff is severely lacking across the board. I don't think it's fair to say that public schools in Baltimore city are awesome when they are very much behind their counterparts in the surrounding counties. I love working in the city and am very passionate about the schools here and the future of the schools, but I would definitely want to know a out the reality of the schools before moving there. And it's good to know those specific schools you listed because tha would be a determining factor of what part of the city to move to to get into that school.
Edit: sorry about the typos! I-phone typing
@hollyberry4: I don't think it's fair to say that public schools in Baltimore city are awesome when they are very much behind their counterparts in the surrounding counties.
Hey Holly. No not offended at all, honestly. I just wanted the original posting Bee to know that there are good ones in the City because others had only mentioned the not so favorable side to the City schools. But I don't think that I was misleading in saying that Maryland schools are the best, hands down, and a few are within the city boundaries.
It's one of the reasons, along with the budget management, that there are whispers of O'Malley running for the presidential ticket in 2016 along with some other highly qualified contendors.
Agreed. OP should definitely move to Baltimore because it's pretty awesome! AND the Orioles are doing pretty awesome so that's another incentive!
Wow guys, thanks so much for the very informative responses! I'm at work now and just logged on to look at a PM and I saw I had so many responses. I'm going to reply a little more in depth when I get home!
Alright I'm home now... drinking a Smirnoff Ice at 4:00 in the afternoon. Can ya tell its Monday?
Anyway, right now my husband and I live in South Florida. I've lived here, like I said in my OP, since I was 6. My husband moved down from New York in December. He is originally from New Jersey, but was living in Queens for a few years while in school, etc. The only places I'm really familiar with are South Florida and the New York/New Jersey area. Plus Texas because my mother was born and raised there and we used to spend every summer there, but my husband - being from New Jersey and all - won't consider it. I guess the people there are too nice for him. 
Oh, almost forgot.. I'm also very familiar with Chicago. I am originally from Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) but spent a lot of time in Chicago these past few years. For a myriad of reasons though I think I have officially crossed Chicago off my list.
We really want to hear good things about Baltimore because since my mom is going to be moving there - her fiance is a doctor there with his own practice and so he won't be relocating - I want to know the positive aspects. Of course, if we do feel that it ultimately isn't the right place for us we will choose to move elsewhere. However, I do think it could be great for us and getting the dream of moving out of Florida PLUS having it be with my mom (we're very, very close, as are her and my husband) would be fantastic.
As far as what people mentioned about the schools. Education is actually very important to me since I'm a teacher, as is my mother. Of course education is important to most people looking to be parents, but as an educator myself, it's obviously a priority for both my career and my children. (Although see the Smirnoff comment above to find out how my day went today.) Growing up in Florida I've actually been exposed to a horrible educational system since I was a child - I don't think it's a secret that Florida does not have the best education department. I always went to private schools actually for religious reasons, but the private schools aren't all that much better than the public ones. Of course, there are some fantastic schools (like university school) but overall the standards are the same across the board and that affects everything - whether private or public. It gives me hope to think I could be raising my kids in a state that actually cares a little bit more about education and where my children can be held to more rigorous standards, whether public or private.
I also love that everyone for the most part really mentioned the whole "small town in a bigger city" kind of feel, or the "all American" feel of having the mountains and ocean available, etc. That is so my type of area. You know, when you grow up in a place like Florida you kind of end up craving what you don't have. I love charm and history and Baltimore sounds like such a mecca for both of those things. One other reason my husband and I (plus my mother, the super educator) love the idea of Baltimore is the ease to which we can take our children to see and experience different places. South Florida is actually very isolating. In Baltimore our children can experience DC from a young age, and go into NYC and NJ (to visit grandparents), and also places in Virginia, etc. I just really feel that it is so importnat, and I know my mother will relish being able to take her grandkids to DC (she's a history teacher, totally obsessed). I also totally have this vision in my head of taking my kids to NYC when they're old enough and not just going to the museums and the library, but also going to a Broadway show at night and really opening their eyes up to different people and places, culture and the arts.. it makes me really excited to picture it!
Sports-wise, my husband is a die-hard Yankees fan and NY Giants football fan.. so I don't know how we're going to do sports-wise! Can't be worse than here though where the Marlins and Dolphins are just not worth going out to see!
One last thing, as far as the neighborhood we would choose, I'm not 100% sure yet. Silver Spring was in the list, but we'll probably choose Baltimore because we want to be close to my mom. I know nothing about the way the city is actually laid out, but I do know we are thinking more suburban so hopefully we'll have a chance to look things over in January for the first time. We are definitely going to be renting an apartment to begin with, but the house will follow in a few years time after that.
The one thing that I feel so relieved to hear is how down to earth Baltimore is. I come from a family with a strong work ethic, I believe in working hard to pave your own destiny, and I feel that I get that vibe from the population in Baltimore, as well.
My FI is a die-hard Yankees fan too! But he has become an "Orioles sympathizer", as he calls it. Although the Orioles did awesome this year so that term may soon be outdated! Definitely check out Columbia/Ellicott City areas as far as suburbs. Also Towson has some very nice areas (just north of the city). If you are looking in the city definitely check out Canton area, which has some really nice townhomes. If you need any recommendations for restaurants, things to do, etc. defintely ask. I'd recommend Matthew's Pizza in Canton for some awesome pizza! And Balitmore is like Crab Capital so you will definitely have to try some crabs!
There are some good opportunities for theatre too here. I live within walking distance to the Hippodrome which has some wonderful plays. My family came up to visit a couple weekends ago and we saw Wicked there. The Aquarium is very awesome as well.
In regards to traveling between cities, the bus and train systems are very convenient and make for easy travel. It's also nice being so close to an airport!
Good luck OP!
HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO MENTION CRAB FEASTS?!?!
Fellow Marylanders, I am ashamed of myself.
I live just outside oF DC. The high-time traffic is terrible but there's so much to do here!
I've lived all over the U.S. (Northern CA, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio) and I really love Maryland and Baltimore. I've lived in Baltimore for about 7-8 years now. I lived in the city for about 5-6 of those years, in neighborhoods like Fells Point and Mt. Vernon. I love that Baltimore has so many neighborhoods, each with their own vibe (like NYC in that way). It definitely is a city with character and it does have a big city/small town feel. Very charming - thus the nickname, "Charm City." If you are thinking about starting a family, a neighborhood like Canton, Mt. Washington, or Roland Park (pricey though) might be good. If you live in the city, you do have to be careful about crime, but I always felt it was worth it. There are definitely parts of the city that you want to avoid at all costs, but there are plenty of nice areas in Baltimore city. In terms of suburbs, there are lots of great choices... Towson, Ellicott City, Columbia, Catonsville, Bel Air, Fallston, etc. Maryland in general is a wealthier state and does have great public schools... maybe not everywhere, but if you look carefully, you can definitely find them. I currently live north of the city, in Harford County, and there are some excellent schools near us.
Anyway, here's a brief list of some of my favorite things about Baltimore: down-to-earth residents, quirky neighborhoods, character, history, pride in local sports teams, good schools, excellent hospitals, pretty good shopping, great restaurants, decent weather, beautiful parks, access to bay/ocean as well as mountains/skiing, and within day-trip distance to NYC, Philadelphia, or DC. Plus all the fun things other people mentioned... festivals, crab feasts, Berger cookies, Natty Bo, etc!
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions! Good luck!
I live in Baltimore and all of these posts just made me so happy lol. While some of them I disagree with, many are very true things that I never really thought of. To be honest, I wouldn't mind moving to a different state but that won't happen as SO is terrified of change. I gotta say, I love the location and proximity to so many different places like DC and NYC. You can go to the ocean or the mountains easily, food is great - hello crab cakes. I'm from the county though, not the city. I avoid the city - or at least driving there due to parking and everything, but the harbor is gorgeous. Fells Point is my favorite area. After thinking about it, MD is a fantastic state after all :)
I live in Frederick MD, about 30 mins east of Baltimore. I LOVEE it here. The only downsides are the traffic and cost of living. But this area is great b/c you get all the awesomeness of living near big cities and you can take advantage of DC/Baltimore/Ocean City b/c they are all fairly easy to travel to.
@star_dust: Let's break away from the cities, Garret County is the most beautiful place I know. Gorgeous mountain sides and so much to do! Deep Creek State Park is hands down my favorite location for skiing, kayaking, hiking, picnicing, and everything in between :)
I lived in Northern VA for most of my childhood and really loved it there. The great thing about the East Coast is that VA, WV, DC, MD, and PA are all very close together and if you live near the boarder you can easily travel among them. Moving from the south (which we did) everything is huge and far apart, but thinking X is a whole state away is decieving. I really wanted to visit Gettysburg PA and so my family set aside a whole day after planning for months to take the trip, even going through the whole state of MD it is only 1.5 hours--very close. Hop on Google Maps and check out driving times to interesting destinations. Even NYC is driving distance for a long weekend, my Dad still lives in VA and takes cruises from NYC a fair amount since they can just drive to take the train to the port.
The next best thing about the East Coast is the history. If you love history or plan to have kids, it is so fun to live near VA/DC because so much of US history is based there and you can just go see it to enhance the learning. <3
I lived in MD for a while, in Bethesda, which is just outside of DC, and I can't recommend it enough! For a more affordable cost of living, Rockville is a good option (yet still in the most expensive county in MD). I recommend it mostly because it's safe, quiet, and very close to the DC mall (where there are free museums galore) and other fun things to do.
Baltimore, where my FH is from, and where I have spent a lot of time is a fairly nice decent depending on where you live. Federal Hill is one of the more affluent, nicer parts of Baltimore, and is close to the inner harbor with their fabulous malls, water views, and food. Fells point is nice, too.
As for suburbs of Baltimore -- Ellicott City is a very nice place to live, great for families. Columbia is great, as well.
In the city itself, when you get down towards the stadium and MLK, that is where Baltimore is really "creepy" for the lack of a better word. You don't want to live there, I assure you.
I LOVE Baltimore! I grew up in MD and went to college in Baltimore. :) It's really a great city. I love how artsy it is, there are a lot of cute little restaurants and boutiques with a lot of personality. The inner harbor is a nice place to spend a day walking up Federal Hill for the beautiful view, going to the aquarium or over to Harbor East for a fancy dinner, or hitting up one of the many museums. There are some GORGEOUS historic homes in Baltimore too, especially north. Towson, Timonium, and Cockeysville/Hunt Valley (just north of Baltimore) have lots of good shopping and there are lots of jobs. ALSO, big plus, there are some of the best hospitals around, and lots of options for doctors/specialists. There are many colleges in the area too :) I grew up around Bel Air, a suburb northeast about 40 minutes outside the city, but there are lots of other decent suburbs with all the amenities of the city close by. Even in the city limits there are some nice quiet neighborhoods (though they may be pricey like Roland Park, but worth it I'd say). Yeah I know this was a little all-over-the-place, but I love baltimore/maryland! :) I live in Delaware now and I go back to MD at least once a month haha only thing better about DE is no sales tax!
Baltimore is fun. My DH and I live in Anne Arundel County in Severna Park, the best school distict in AA County. We moved here for the schools but my DH grew up here about 5-10 minutes from where we live.
I'm not sure why people think this is a lower cost of living state - it's pretty high! DH and I looked for a year and a half before finally finding a decently priced house in the one area we wanted to live.
In Baltimore and north of the city, people are extremely interested in where you went to HS, which I find hilarious. People find private schools like Gilman, McDonough, and the Friends School impressive regardless of the fact that my DH went to public school and then an Ivy college. It's weird but we don't encounter it in AA County at all.
My BIL & SIL live in Catonsville and they absolutely love it. It's a really cool area near Ellicott City but still close to the city and north Baltimore (BIL works in Hunt Valley).
As far as good things about Maryland, I'd say we are nicely centered on the Atlantic. It's quick to drive north or south but also there are beaches here and mountains too. Summers are humid and sweaty but I love the warmth. Even better are the CRABS! Nothing better than crabs and beer on a summer afternoon (even better in a screened porch). If you like boats, even better, cause boats are huge here. People really take advantage of the water.
Culturally, Baltimore has some fun and awesome museums like the Aquarium, the Science Center, Art Museum, and close access to Washington via driving or the metro. Additionally, the nightlife is really fun. On top of that, in recent years we've also had some REALLY COOL events like "Sailabration" where we had TONS of boats of all sorts docked in the harbor, vendors, tours, etc. It was really neat to see all of that. Also, over Labor Day we have hosted twice now the Baltimore Grand Prix which is absolutely amazing to see these cars speeding down the streets we drive on every day. There are a lot of gritty areas in Baltimore and surrounding areas but if you do your homework, you'll come across the right neighborhood for you.
I like Maryland, I do, but I'd go back to Colorado in a heartbeat except for the fact that my DH was born and raised here and is not moving anywhere else.
Born and raised in the suburbs of B-more. There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said, but I've lived in many different areas of Baltimore County (it's a big county), lived in Montgomery County for a few years, a brief stint in College Park, and now I live in Howard County (home of Ellicott City, Columbia, and some of the nation's best public schools). DH is from NJ and he loves it in the Baltimore area--especially in Howard County, where you get the small-town suburbs feel, basically NO crime at all, and we're about 20 minutes from Baltimore city and 30-40 minutes from DC. Maryland is called "America in Miniature" for a reason--it's pretty much got it all!
If you have any questions about the Baltimore/MD area, feel free to ask here or PM me. To be honest, DH and I briefly considered moving somewhere that's sunny and warm year-round like San Diego, but we couldn't bear to live too far from my mom and grandparents, who live about 25 minutes away. I can totally relate to wanting to live near your momma--especially if you're thinking about starting a family!
I recently moved to Maryland, from NYC, and am originally a California girl. We live just outside of DC in Montgomery county and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my neighborhood. Some things that I really appreciate about this area are:
Crabs. I love them. Growing up in California crab was a rare treat and living here it's become a very welcome part of our lives.
The Trees. There are so many beautiful trees, and the scenery is lovely in general. Coming from California, I thought nothing could rival it's beauty, and although Maryland is very different, it's lovely. There are also some great hiking trails near me.
The architecture is also really beautiful.
I happen to adore my neighborhood. I live a few block away from the downtown area, the metro, and lots of great shopping.
One thing that I don't like is that people in my neighborhood seem to be really snooty, and to take themselves too seriously. Although I'm wondering if this is maybe an eastcoast thing. They almost seem worse here then in NYC!
Also, as a PP posted, traffic is SO ANNOYING! It almost feels worse then California and NYC to me, I'm not sure why... of course I am very close to DC.
Late to the conversation- but I love Baltimore! I grew up in southern California, so moving here was a big difference. But it is home for sure now. It is a "small" big city, you do run into people you know all the time here. I have a school aged child and we live in Baltimore County. I have been VERY happy with her school and educational experience. I work in downtown Baltimore City and while it is a little sketchy, I have never really felt in danger. I can't say enough how happy I am that we moved here 12 years ago.
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I put this in the "home" area because Maryland is where my husband and I are thinking of making "our home."
Currently my husband and I live in the southern part of the US. I've lived here since I was 6 and my husband moved down here when we got married from up north. We both dislike it here and for a variety of community reasons are looking to relocate when we are ready to raise kids. My mom is most likely moving to Baltimore when she gets married in a few years and my husband and I would really like to move with her to keep our *very* small family intact (free babysitting anyone?) and create the type of family environment where our children can have a close relationship with their family - grandparents, cousins, etc. Although my husband's father doesn't live in MD, he lives within driving distance (he does not live within driving distance to us now).
So I want to hear all of the wonderful things about living in Maryland - perhaps Baltimore specifically? My husband and I are taking a visit up there in January, but we know we won't be able to find out everything we need to all at once, and I'd love to be directed by people who already live there.