BALTIMORE CITY AND SURROUNDING AREA
Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, is the center of a metropolitan area of 2.5 million people. Baltimore is a vital city long known for its ethnic neighborhoods and, more recently, for its innovations in the preservation and restoration of urban homes. The city is located on the Chesapeake Bay, and its picturesque Inner Harbor is the center of restaurant, shopping and business districts. The Inner Harbor is also the focus of one of the nation's most successful urban development programs. Baltimore is a city of contrasts; steel and glass skyscrapers that dominate the commercial district are only a short walk from residential neighborhoods that have maintained a small town charm. Many Baltimore residents live in the classic red brick row houses with which the city is traditionally associated.
Click the link to view our Bal-ti-MORE than you expect! brochure.
Each wave of immigration to the United States has added to the character of Baltimore. People of many different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds give the city a melting pot vitality that is reflected in the wide variety of restaurants, shops and ethnic festivals. Just a block from the Johns Hopkins Medical School is one of seven city markets with dozens of stalls that offer everything from Chesapeake Bay crabs to take-out Chinese food.
Baltimore also offers a rich cultural diet. Its symphony orchestra performs under the baton of Marin Alsop at the Meyerhoff Hall. The Peabody Conservatory of Music also hosts a concert series, as do several local universities. The city also supports many educational and cultural institutions, including the Maryland Science Center, Baltimore Opera Company, Center Stage, The Morris Mechanic Theater, Walters Art Gallery, the Baltimore Museum of Art, several repertory theaters, over a dozen museums, and excellent bookstores. For lighter entertainment, there are the National Aquarium and Baltimore Zoo. Baltimore is also home to the new Columbus Center, a much heralded institution for the study of marine biotechnology and archaeology with an impressive exhibition hall.
The Baltimore public library, with a book collection of 2,250,000 volumes, is considered one of the best in the country. There are more than 70 accredited institutions of higher education in the Baltimore-Washington area. The cultural opportunities of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York are easily reached by car or train.
RECREATION
Baltimore has long been a devoted sports town. In its history, Baltimore has been the birthplace of baseball legend Babe Ruth and the home of the 1958 NFL champion Baltimore Colts. That sports excellence has extended to today with Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig’s “Streak” in 1995 and the Baltimore Ravens claiming the 2000 Super Bowl Championship. Current sports teams include: Baltimore Ravens (football), Baltimore Orioles (baseball), Baltimore Mariners (Indoor Football), Baltimore Blast (indoor soccer), Baltimore Bay Lions (basketball), and the Charm City Roller Girls (Flat Track Derby).
College sports are a hit in this city as well. Johns Hopkins, home of the 2007 NCAA division I champion Lacrosse team, has won 44 lacrosse national titles. The Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame is located on the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus. There are many other Division III teams in the area that play a variety of sports.
Here at the Medical School, the focus of athletic activities is the Denton A. Cooley Athletic Center. They offer free membership to graduate students at both the Bloomberg School of Public Health and Reed Hall locations. The Reed Hall complex offers a full sized gymnasium with indoor track, squash and racquetball courts, free and machine weights, and saunas and Jacuzzis. They also offer a variety of fitness classes and personal trainers. The Bloomberg School of Public Health facility has many machines, bikes, treadmills and other new exercise equipment.
The state of Maryland has an unusual topography. It offers mountains to the west, beaches to the east, and everything in-between. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and offers a wide range of recreational options from swimming to hiking to fishing/crabbing. There are plenty of parks in the Maryland area including: Appalachian Trail, Deep Creek Lake, Elk Neck State Park, Rocks State Park, and Swallow Falls Park. Sun, surf, and sand can be found at Ocean City Maryland, a great family friendly resort/beach town on the Atlantic. Maryland is also just a short trip to Washington, D.C. home to a multitude of free public museums and the National Zoo.
HOUSING
Baltimore is an extremely affordable city. In contrast to most coastal cities, Baltimore rental prices have risen only modestly in recent years.
Most of our graduate students live near the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus in Charles Village, or the Fells Point/Camden neighborhoods just south of the medical campus. Hopkins has a free shuttle bus that connects the Homewood and Medical School campuses. Graduate and medical student housing is also available at the Medical School in the University-owned Reed Hall. At Reed Hall, the monthly rental for a single student ranges from $375 to $425. Additional housing information, and listings of non-University houses and apartments, can be obtained from the Housing Office (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/housing/Offcampus)
