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.