How are the cities of Philly and Baltimore?

[Gleevec]

I was wondering if anyone who is familiar with the surrounding Penn and JHU med areas could describe their location, quality of life, safety, etc. How do students at these two schools enjoy their city?

Thanks

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[MacGyver]

Are you kidding me?

Baltimore absolutely sucks ass. It takes a special person to attend Hopkins--somebody who doesnt care all that much about the surroundings and just wants to get the best possible education.

You'll be lucky if you dont get shot in east baltimore--its worse than any area in philly/nyc/chicago/etc.

Cabrini Green dont have nothin on E Baltimore.

 

[doepug]

MacGyver, how do you have any idea what East Baltimore is like? Are you from the neighborhood? Didn't think so.

Long story short, Baltimore isn't a bad place to be. It has great neighborhoods, and you can live in an awesome house or apartment for a fraction of what it would cost in other cities. Baltimore has its share of cool restaurants (which are surprisingly affordable...) and has plenty of things to keep you busy.

East Baltimore is full of poverty... and there are neighborhoods just like it in any city. The Hopkins campus is safe, and the surrounding areas are safe during the day. But honestly, does a hospital's neighborhood really matter?

If you grew up in SF or someplace with a similar funk, Baltimore may be an acquired taste. Quite honestly though, it's a fine place to live.

Let me know if you have other questions --
doepug

 

[jayvee]

Originally posted by Gleevec
I was wondering if anyone who is familiar with the surrounding Penn and JHU med areas could describe their location, quality of life, safety, etc. How do students at these two schools enjoy their city?

Thanks

philly is no NYC but it's a good town. the safety around Penn is really great for an urban area. The public safety is round the clock and very effective at patrolling "University City". UPenn borders West Philly which contains some rough areas. Depending on the economy the invisible "line" pushes student housing out into the West Philly area or gets pushed back toward campus. Right now, living below 42nd St is generally very safe. Beyond 42nd houses start looking rundown fast.

The night life in Philly is good. A frequent complaint is that everything closes by 2 am which is pretty much true but there are some afterhour clubs, underground clubs, and late late late night diners. by 5 am though, the city really is dead.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

To Gleevec: I've actually had the misfortune of actually visiting Baltimore and enjoying it for the "bussling, metropolitan" area that it is. In my opinion, it was a dump and I really don't hope I ever return to Maryland (I've been to Bethesda and Baltimore). I have had the pleasure of visiting Philadelphia and I think it's a really cool town. It's a city full of historical hotspots and it has its own distinct east-coast architecture. I'm really not sure about the night life or anything like that...but I got a great vibe from the city. I didn't get the see the Penn campus though. Good luck at whichever school you choose!

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

JHU hospital is in the ghetto. Yes it is perfectly safe during the day, at night it's a different story, and if you wander too far away it only gets worse.


However, I love Baltimore and am glad I"m had JHU. It has tons of thigns to do, different neighborhoods to explore, and it's not expensive to live here at all (compared to other east coast cities). If you actually take the time to get away fromt he touristy thigns that Balto has to offer and see the charm of the city you'll be in for a real treat.

 

[Rapid Decomposition]

Originally posted by MacGyver
Are you kidding me?

Baltimore absolutely sucks ass. It takes a special person to attend Hopkins--somebody who doesnt care all that much about the surroundings and just wants to get the best possible education.

You'll be lucky if you dont get shot in east baltimore--its worse than any area in philly/nyc/chicago/etc.

Cabrini Green dont have nothin on E Baltimore.

I like MacGyver because for some reason he defends Hopkins to the death. But I have to disagree with his opinion about Baltimore.

I have been to NYC, Boston, DC, and my opinion of all these cities is the same. Great cities, lots to do, nice places, but expensive as hell and crowded as anything. Especially NYC!! In my opinion it takes a special person to tolerate that city, where it costs $1000 a month to rent a tiny cell above a noisy street. Woo! Fun.

I went to USC in LA for undergrad, and it seems like all anybody can ever talk about is the area that the school is in. Not only is the area NOT nearly as bad as people claim, but it's not as if you're captive in the ghetto - you CAN go enjoy all LA has to offer just like our friends in posh Westwood!

It's the EXACT same at Hopkins. E. Baltimore is not a great area, it's true. Campus is safe, but don't go walking off campus at night. But why the hell would you be walking around east Baltimore at night in the first place?? It's not as if you have to walk through it every day to get to class. It's hardly a reason to avoid the city.

Baltimore has a whole slew of really awesome, lovely neighborhoods, with plenty to do and not as much traffic and crowding as other "happening" cities. We have so much fun at Hopkins. Baltimore has everything a great city has, without the hype and extra expense of other east coast cities. Seriously - it's called Charm City for a reason.

 

[indianboy]

I was wondering if anyone who is familiar with the surrounding Penn and JHU med areas could describe their location, quality of life, safety, etc. How do students at these two schools enjoy their city?

Suck and suckier.

Hope that Helps.

P 'Objective and Unbiased' ShankOut

 

[arikansas]

baltimore is charm city now because someone found out it was pretty weird for a city with such poor education to be the city that reads

 

[LUBDUBB]

Gleevec,


The area around penn (west philly) is not too great, although the campus is nice. But, when you go to school in Philly (i.e. temple, penn, drexel), you don't necessarily have to live right on campus. Actually, most students don't live on campus since the areas around temple and penn/drexel are not that great. Mass transit is pretty good, no matter where you live you'll be a subway ride away. Philly is a great city, but if you come out here, try to live in Old City, it's the nicest and safest part of Philly (I'm a little biased 🙂 ). In addition, out of the ten biggest cities in the U.S, Philly is has the 2nd cheapest housing (Buffalo being the 1st). Anyway, you have a pretty tough decision: JHU is up there, but Penn is the nicest Ivy campus you can get without going to H-square. Good luck!! Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions about Philly.

~Lubdubb

P.S.
Jayvee, you must have missed the segment on NBC 10 - Penn (west of 40th st) has had a good number of robberies this year.

 

[PianoGirl04]

Philly isn't so bad as cities go, if you know where to go and where not to go. The neighborhoods change so quickly when you're going around the city...one minute you're in a nice area, the next you're in the ghetto. So the "good" and "bad" sections are small and interspersed. The Penn and Drexel campuses should be pretty safe since they're a little secluded, but the Temple and Jefferson schools are right there in center city. I should add that if you want to get fat, Philly is the place to be. It's always rated the #1 unhealthiest city in the US by health magazines.

JHU...well, I have an interesting story about that. When I was visiting the campus looking for an undergrad school, another family who also took the tour and went to the info session had their car stolen a block away from the campus. That made a bigger impression on me than anything in the campus tour or group info session did...in fact, I really don't remember anything else about the school. Granted, I don't know if the med school and undergrad college are in the same place, but I'd steer clear.

 

[deleted6669]

I spent 3 years in philly for grad school. the whole town is a cesspool. we used to go to baltimore to get away from philly to have fun. I left philly right from graduation and never went back and would not live/work there for any amount of money.

 

[Neuronix]

Uhhh, I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I'm a Penn student and I like Philadelphia alot. As others have pointed out, Penn is situated in West Philadelphia. West Philly isn't bad and it is very safe, but west, north, and south of the University it has a very residential/college town feel and then downgrades into some pretty dodgy areas.

I live in center city Philadelphia, which is a happening place. It's about 10 minute bikeride or 20 minute walk from here to class because the medical school is pretty much right next to the river that separates west philly and center city philly. I live in a nice sized apartment on a residential street, and it's easy to walk 15 minutes northeast to where all the high rises are. Some of our students do live in that part of town, but it's with parent money. I have always felt safe here at all hours. However, being in such an urban area there's tons of easy mass transit wherever you want to go.

Oh, and I still have a car. I've never had a problem finding street parking. Though this varies by which part of town you live.

When you interview at Penn and Hopkins, take a look for yourself. I'll be involved with the interview process here, so let me know if you're coming and I'll be sure to give you my spin on things.

Good luck!

PS: Jeff is in one of the best parts of the city. Temple is... err... not. Sorry 🙂

 

[efex101]

I just got back from my Jeff interview and I love were it is located! wow right in center city awesome. So much to do and the atmosphere is just plain great. Jefferson is a great school and I would love to go there, the students are happy, they pretty much run the admissions day, just great. I am going to Temple next week, and Drexel the following week. I do not like Baltimore hence I did not even consider JHU, it looks dirty and funky just by driving alone....

 

[greenie8]

I'm originally from the North Shore of Boston, which I consider the best city ever, but I've been living in Baltimore for the past five years and I love it.

I'm a big fan of Baltimore even though it is a little rough around the edges. Like the other posters mentioned, it has great neighborhoods to explore and the cost of living is amazingly low.

As for the crime, you just have to be smart and aware of your surroundings. JHMI is not in the best area of town, but it's remarkable to see the descrepancy between the squeaky clean Hopkins campus and the poverty that surrounds the area. Should make you think.

If you want to be a doctor so that you can "help people" there is no reason why you should hold your nose up to Bmore. There is a lot of poverty and crime for sure, but many of the citizens here are uninsured and need HELP. There are many opportunities for that here and as future doctors we all have a lot of work to do.

 

[28129]

I think both Philadelphia and Baltimore are underrated places. Baltimore is very happening on the riverfront during the summer time. And U-Penn seemed like it was in a decent area.

 

[thewebthsp]

Well I've had the luxury of being in both cities...

Baltimore is great in that it is extremely open to the weird and quirky -- (eg John Watersque if you like that kind of humor )

Canton, Towson, Charles Village, Fells (although it's out of commission for 2 mos due to Isabel), Little Italy, Mt. Vernon are great places to hang out, go to a bar (or a music club), etc etc.

The "touristy" areas are typical of any suburban paradise -- Towson, Whitemarsh, Anne Arundel. In Inner Harbor, ESPNZone and other shops are nice, otherwise it's too expensive for my taste.

Balitmore is 45 mins. and $15 away from DC (via MARC train) where there's tons of stuff to do.

The major downsides to Baltimore are
no metro except one line that goes from the Hospital to a mall, and another line that goes to the airport. A line going northeast will be completed in 2010. A northern line will be here probably in 2020 🙂. Also West Baltimore, and East Baltimore are BAD places and need massive economic help. Northern Baltimore is extremely nice, with lots of large mansions (typical southern style), while northwest Baltimore (Pikesville) is predominantly orthodox Jewish. Unlike most east coast cities, many Jewish people in the city are quite religious, and this can be a boon for the religiously minded person like me.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by thewebthsp

Balitmore is 45 mins. and $15 away from DC (via MARC train) where there's tons of stuff to do.

The major downsides to Baltimore are
no metro except one line that goes from the Hospital to a mall, and another line that goes to the airport. A line going northeast will be completed in 2010. A northern line will be here probably in 2020 🙂. Also West Baltimore, and East Baltimore are BAD places and need massive economic help. Northern Baltimore is extremely nice, with lots of large mansions (typical southern style), while northwest Baltimore (Pikesville) is predominantly orthodox Jewish. Unlike most east coast cities, many Jewish people in the city are quite religious, and this can be a boon for the religiously minded person like me.

$15?!? Why not drive to DC instead (like I do-and if you aren't ******ed you know not to drive there during the rush hours)? The Metro is great if you live around it. Out here in Owings Mills (or the Mall as you state it), is wonderful. THe metro makes plenty of stops, but a lot of students live fairly close to the school.

 

[jdg222]

greenie, you read my mind. I'm tired of listening to premeds saying they want to go into medicine to "help people" when they refuse to venture beyond their suburban comfort zones. Want to be a dermatologist in an upper middle class neighborhood? Guess what: you're in it for the money and life style not because you want to contribute to society.

Did any of you who held your nose up to East Baltimore talk about meeting diverse people in your personal statement? I would personally see living in a poverty stricken area as a learning experience. These are the people who need the most help in our society, and the more we learn about the neighborhoods, the less likely we just write them off as "ghetto" and the less we think of the people as lazy and dangerous.

I've spent plenty of time in the worst areas of STL (Most dangersous city in America 2003) and never felt endangered, but have had rewarding experiences. Just a thought for those of you considering schools in sketchy areas of various cities.

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by jdg222
greenie, you read my mind. I'm tired of listening to premeds saying they want to go into medicine to "help people" when they refuse to venture beyond their suburban comfort zones. Want to be a dermatologist in an upper middle class neighborhood? Guess what: you're in it for the money and life style not because you want to contribute to society.

Did any of you who held your nose up to East Baltimore talk about meeting diverse people in your personal statement? I would personally see living in a poverty stricken area as a learning experience. These are the people who need the most help in our society, and the more we learn about the neighborhoods, the less likely we just write them off as "ghetto" and the less we think of the people as lazy and dangerous.

I've spent plenty of time in the worst areas of STL (Most dangersous city in America 2003) and never felt endangered, but have had rewarding experiences. Just a thought for those of you considering schools in sketchy areas of various cities.

Just because you don't want to live in a dangerous, crime-filled area with your family doesnt mean you don't want to help those people that do live in these areas. I would hate to be your significant other jdg222, since you obviously dont care about their well-being. 🙄

Maybe you should shut your pie hole since you have no idea about my motivations, and perhaps only post when you dont have something idiotic to say jdg222? My hopeful specialty is pretty rare and 95% of patients are flown in anyway, so I actually dont have too many programs to look at. Maybe you dont care about the safety of your family, but some of the rest of us do. You help poorer populations no matter which medical school you go to, since about half of charity care is done through university hospitals that are generally located in urban areas anyway.


PS. The reason I ask is I had a friend attend undergrad at one of these schools, and she got mugged twice during the day in difference locations in a span of a few months-- I can't imagine forcing my family to live in such a locale, but I wasnt sure whether it was unlucky decisionmaking on her part or just the area itself.

 

[Steinway]

i have 2 friends at peabody and both have been mugged in the past year...

that being said, personally i believe receiving a medical education from jhu is worth living in a less than desirable area for 4 years..

 

[missmod]

The med students at Penn don't usually live where the undergrads live in West Philly. They usually live around 20th street, which is about 10 blocks from the hospital and 20 blocks from West Philly. It's a pretty nice area and Rittenhouse Square is a few blocks away, a neighborhood that some would call bourgeois. It has some nice stores and restaurants.

Public transportation sucks, but everything is pretty close by and cabs are easy to hail. The hospital and the med school are in a pretty decent area and since they're right next to the rest of the campus, it's always really busy. I'm an undergrad at Penn right now and philly kind of grew on me. I'm originally from NYC, and though Philly pales in comparison, I like that the city offers enough to keep you entertained for four years.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by jdg222
Did any of you who held your nose up to East Baltimore talk about meeting diverse people in your personal statement? I would personally see living in a poverty stricken area as a learning experience. These are the people who need the most help in our society, and the more we learn about the neighborhoods, the less likely we just write them off as "ghetto" and the less we think of the people as lazy and dangerous.

I've spent plenty of time in the worst areas of STL (Most dangersous city in America 2003) and never felt endangered, but have had rewarding experiences. Just a thought for those of you considering schools in sketchy areas of various cities.

St. Louis most dangerous?!? HA! DC and New Orleans are tops.

just cuz I say E. Balto is ghetto doesn't mean the people there are lazy and dangerous. I feel safe while walking around JHMI and have yet to meet any dangerous/lazy people. Meeting diverse people doesn't mean I have to risk my or other's safety to have a rewarding diverse experience. We already do know a lot about E. Balto, in fact what would you like to know about it? I coudl probalby rattle off quite a few things.

 

[kjharris]

Hopkins is a great school but I wouldn't suggest living in the immediate surrounding area, especially if you have a family. This comes from someone who's lived in Baltimore for almost 10 yrs. I live 2 metro stops away from Hopkins and I consider the area to be very safe. There are a lot of med students living in my building from both Hopkins and U of MD. If you'd like more details, just PM me.

 

[JM.]

Originally posted by Neuronix

PS: Jeff is in one of the best parts of the city. Temple is... err... not. Sorry 🙂

HEY! I like driving by the burnt out houses to go to class! (and the local crazy guy that tries to go into outpatiant admitting and take his clothes off) It adds character.

 

[jdg222]

Maybe you should shut your pie hole

-quote from Gleevec.

Right, what I'm saying is idiotic🙄

My post did not mean to imply that one must necessarily live there, but that one shouldn't write off an entire area as "Ghetto" and make all the assumptions that our society tells you to make.

Endanger my significant other and family? I've discovered that most (but certainly not all) crimes in "bad neighborhoods" occur to people already involved in crime, or people who flaunt wealth. Also, running away from these problems doesn't solve them, and we endanger our families even more by not solving them because it's not that hard for people to drive out to "safe" neighborhoods and commit more crime.

Anyway, this all has gotten far off topic. If you are considering/deciding between these two schools, Gleevec you should be proud. Congratulations and good luck in med school!

P.S. Not that I'm particularly proud of it or agree with it but:

http://www.homestore.com/RealEstateNews/General/Safest.asp?poe=homestore

This is an article about the crime rankings. I never say something I can't back up.

 

[Gleevec]

Hi jdg222,

I definitely agree with what youre saying about some premeds just loving the lifestyle of a doctor, but I want to be an academic anyway so for you to imply Im in it just for the money/lifestyle is really insulting. Im taking a huge paycut just to teach/do research and give charity care as a faculty.

That said, I still do not want my family to encounter any crime. I myself would put myself at risk, but I dont want to put my family at any risk. That said, I think there are parts of Philly and Baltimore that are great and safe, I was just curious about the cities themselves and what people thought of them. I didnt mean to imply I wouldnt live there or that I devalue providing care to the poor-- quite the opposite, I hope to do so, but that doesnt mean I have to live in the most crime-ridden part of town. Just because someone lives in a bad part of town doesnt make them any more able to care for poorer underserved populations than someone who lives elsewhere.

Anyway, this got way off-topic. I just wanted to know some peoples opinions on the safety of some cities, I didnt mean to imply anything else and I still hope to work at a university hospital in some urban area-- i just wanted to know if there were areas where my family would be safe-- so I can worry about taking care of patients, regardless of race or class, instead of worrying about whether my wife got mugged or my kids are safe.

So yeah, any other opinions from people who have been to these cities?

Originally posted by jdg222
-quote from Gleevec.

Right, what I'm saying is idiotic🙄

My post did not mean to imply that one must necessarily live there, but that one shouldn't write off an entire area as "Ghetto" and make all the assumptions that our society tells you to make.

Endanger my significant other and family? I've discovered that most (but certainly not all) crimes in "bad neighborhoods" occur to people already involved in crime, or people who flaunt wealth. Also, running away from these problems doesn't solve them, and we endanger our families even more by not solving them because it's not that hard for people to drive out to "safe" neighborhoods and commit more crime.

Anyway, this all has gotten far off topic. If you are considering/deciding between these two schools, Gleevec you should be proud. Congratulations and good luck in med school!

P.S. Not that I'm particularly proud of it or agree with it but:

http://www.homestore.com/RealEstateNews/General/Safest.asp?poe=homestore

This is an article about the crime rankings. I never say something I can't back up.

 

[princessd3]

I used to live in Baltimore and I would say that it does have many nice neighborhoods, but...it is true that the neighborhood immediately surrounding JHU is not the best. There is alot of poverty and drugs there. I remember when I used to commute to the hospital when I was volunteering one summer and you could see the difference in the people who boarded the bus as you neared that area. You could see drugs written all over their faces. I only lived about 15-20 minutes away from the hospital and my neighborhood was nothing like those in downtown Baltimore.

 

[DW]

Originally posted by Gleevec
That said, I still do not want my family to encounter any crime.

well....good luck with trying to find a place that completely shields you from the potential of being the victim of a crime. For instance, my college (emory) was located on a plush, flower and tree laden campus with marble buildings in THE most affluent area of Atlanta (the film "driving miss daisy" was filmed on lullwater road).....and I know someone who had their car broken into here.

point being, there are nice areas and crappy areas of the vast majority of cities, with varying ratios in some places. both cities have a lot to offer, with two excellent medical schools, and there are places to live in either city where you wont require a moat around your apt. if you are given the opportunity to do so, just interview at either place and come to your own conclusion......instead of preciptating these subjective threads 😉

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by DW
well....good luck with trying to find a place that completely shields you from the potential of being the victim of a crime. For instance, my college (emory) was located on a plush, flower and tree laden campus with marble buildings in THE most affluent area of Atlanta (the film "driving miss daisy" was filmed on lullwater road).....and I know someone who had their car broken into here.

point being, there are nice areas and crappy areas of the vast majority of cities, with varying ratios in some places. both cities have a lot to offer, with two excellent medical schools, and there are places to live in either city where you wont require a moat around your apt. if you are given the opportunity to do so, just interview at either place and come to your own conclusion......instead of preciptating these subjective threads 😉

I really didnt mean to incite anything, I was just curious about these cities from people who actually lived in them. The reason being, Philly and Baltimore have a bad rep for crime, but from what Ive read, its probably overexaggerated. That said, I guess I should see for myself at somepoint, I just didnt want to make a decision based on 1-day, at least without supplementing it with the opinions of people who have lived their for years.

I guess Ive realized it cant be that bad (as bad as the heresay and rumors), so Ill leave it at that. Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

if you wanna check out Balto for more than one day and see the sights and sounds...my place is free.

 

[Dr. Xavier]

You want no crime come to L.A. esp westwood we are surronded by beverly hills, bell air, and brentwood except for oj and the occasional frat guys giving undergrad girls roofies, its pretty crime free.

Oh yeah, one more thing the undergrads just started today and I'm telling you there are some hot girls here. With the weather so nice they show skin all year round.