Socially speaking, Baltimore is the friendliest and easiest city on the east coast to make real friends/relationship and connections imho. It’s not super transient as say DC/NYC, so it’s always better to make native Baltimore metro area acquaintances/friends to really get an understanding of how things work here and be in the “know”. People are genuinely interested in the real you here and not the pretensions/social climbing aspects you can provide that’s found in the more Type-A ‘see and be seen’ cities— cough cough DC. We’re all weirdos here, just a matter of your weird messing well with our weird and finding your tribe. There’s something here for everyone!

I love that there’s no pressure to always be “on” here. I’ve lived in other cities and that lifestyle while fun is really fcuking exhausting. I like that the going out scene here is relaxed and not uptight/showy. This a bar city with good dance floors, not to much a club city. People have money, titles, education, and accolades but they won’t throw it in your face every chance they get here and that stuff generally is not the topic of conversation when meeting people or otherwise. People will speak to you in the streets in passing or standing in lines.

Richmond is Baltimore’s little southern half-sister city. I find both cities to be similar in many ways except Baltimore is bigger. The demographics are similar. As is the city relationships with the greater county surrounding it. Richmond to me is Virginia’s only true “real” city. The others are just glorified suburban towns. I suspect you’ll do just fine here and love it as long as you keep an open mind and heart.