relocation tidbits

Buz has had a pretty busy August and September with relocation jobs, and has found a lot of interesting places along with his clients who are moving to Baltimore---

• We've been really impressed by the newly renovated Falls Road Apartments, in a little court just off the 4200 block of Falls Road in the neighborhood of Medfield, just north of 41st street border with Hampden. (A lot of people think this is Hampden). Wow! What a deal. Now, nothing special, but you can get a nice, clean, never-lived-in-since-renovated apartment, all new appliances and systems, bright, freshly-painted, and airy; in a relatively low crime area of the city, centrally located; for one bedroom at $795/month. People moving to Baltimore are voting with their feet: you see cars from many states in the parking lot. No amenities: no gym, no pool, no biz center/concierge BS. But you get free parking on their lot, and access to their small laundry room ( 3 sets of washer/driers). You want all the exercise stuff you can pay for it yourself: Meadowbrook is up the street a bit, along with Whole Foods. And a city police officer lives here too. To top it all off, the leasing agent is moving here next week.
• I am really depressed, on the other hand, at how poorly privately-owned properties show, when compared to professionally-managed. Like, can't you, if you're a landlord make the place look nice and presentable and livable before you put an ad on Craigslist? Most can't. The places in Charles Village show especially poorly; but I guess the landlords there are so used to sucking from the Johns Hopkins trough, and charging high rents for their deferred maintenance, they have little incentive to worry about making the place they're renting look nice.
• The smart Hopkins kids moving off campus look for a decent place in Hampden.
• A recent Goucher grad just moved into a whole house, shared with several girl friends in Hampden; she told me that she doesn't worry about the Charles Village crime anymore.
• Many apartments are now adding fees on to the rent, so watch your bottom line, if it's important to you: they're charging for water, sewer, trash removal, amenities, public areas, and making you share the gas and electric bill with others. Makes me uneasy.

moving to Baltimore!? Consider Mt. Washington

Ah, a reader suggested to me that I not forget about wonderful, beautiful Mt. Washington as a place for someone relocating to the Baltimore area. Actually, it has a fair amount of positive attributes:

• It's nice old Baltimore neighborhood with a strong community association, which is pretty to look at.
• If one works downtown close to the light rail route, it's a walk or short drive, depending on where exactly you live, to the light rail station in Mt. Washington village.
• A lot of people from out of town haven't heard of it because it isn't much on the young professional circuit.
• It has a fair number of nice apartment complexes, including at least one which is gated, and at a very reasonable price--much less than you'd pay in most of , say, Federal Hill, Canton, or Fells Point. Or you can rent apartments in privately owned big old houses.
• There's only one bar in the village, the Mt. Washington Tavern, but it's pretty good.
• You are very close to Whole Foods, Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness center, and the post office. Short drive to I83 or I695, and downtown.
• A community consisting of pretty much upper middle class people, including African Americans of that socio-economic class.
• Very close to Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods which are to the north and very safe.
• Very close to Sinai Hospital for fellows, post-docs, or interns working there.
• Relatively low crime in immediate area.

A couple negatives: 

• Very close to high crime areas of Park Heights, with heavy drug trafficking.
• Not close to someone working at Hopkins Hospital.
• Traffic can be heavy during morning rush hour.
• Buz likes Belvedere Towers apartment building--a high-rise with good highway access, large apartments for the money, hardwood floors, 24-hour doormen/desk persons, a small pool, small fitness center.

(Maryland Management took over the place last year. Huh. Wonder if they got rid of Peggy or Nikki, the two great, nice Property Managers.)

Thanks, Anonymous for the tips!