Thanks for the warning... what are the particular areas that you would avoid and which would you consider comfortable, safe and interesting (fun restaurants, shops, etc.)?
I would like to be near to the Homewood campus, but what do you think of the neighborhoods around there? Are there any other neighborhoods with very easy public transportation to the Homewood area that you were recommend over right-next-to-campus?
Congrats to the OP for the acceptance. I just received an acceptance letter as well, although I won't be deciding until I hear back from other programs I've interviewed at.
I was actually a Hopkins undergrad, so I'm very familiar with the area. As others have said, anything between penn station and 27th st is somewhat sketchy. The residences directly to the east of the Homewood campus are safe, affordable, and obviously convenient. Keep in mind, though, that many undergrads live around there, so come Thursday or Saturday night, there will be lots of noise on the streets late into the evening.
Directly north of campus are several nice apartment buildings that house students, and many grad students. They are a bit further out of the way, but only by about 5 minutes. If you're looking for other locations in bmore that are easily accessible from Homewood, look no further than Mt. Vernon, near the peabody campus. Lots of students live around there, and there are plenty of restaurants, shops, bars, etc. Hopkins runs a free shuttle called the JHMI (google it) that runs between Homewood and the hospital, stopping at penn station and peabody along the way. It is
the best (free) way to get around.
Hope that helps!