In defense of Baltimore

Defending my new
Home; so very proud to be
Living in Bmore

Working in the Admissions Office, I talk to a lot of prospective students about what it’s like to be a student at JHU, and after I tell them about how great it is (I may be a little biased in my opinion), the tone of the conversation will inevitably change when they ask with a note of disdain in their voices, “but what about living in Baltimore?”

Oh, Baltimore. Poor city, plagued with the same problems so many other big cities in America, yet no one can seem to understand just how cool this city is. Yeah, crime is a problem, but according to my friends who have lived here longer than I have, it’s getting better. In fact, according to a recent Washington Post article, Baltimore trumps DC. There are so many quirky, lively things about this city; Artscape, Honfest, Hampden-fest, the Creative Alliance. And the food is so great here! You don’t have to travel very far to eat some amazing food from around the globe.

To the new students who just got here, make sure to give this city a fair chance. Baltimore has an understated charm and atmosphere all of its own. This isn’t New York, Chicago, LA, or Miami. It’s Baltimore. And it’s not so bad.