I did the Baltimore-Annapolis commute for several years while living in Bolton Hill (which is near-ish Mt. Vernon). It was consistently between 45 min to an hour, so if that timing doesn’t bother you, go for it. Bolton Hill was an interesting neighborhood; I was never the victim of a violent crime there (once someone sat in my car and rifled through my things after I accidentally left the door unlocked; they didn’t take anything), even though it’s near a “rougher” neighborhood.

I gave up the job in Annapolis and am purchasing a house in Baltimore’s; this is great city.

A lot of people are telling you to look at crime maps, and that’s correct. “Nicer” areas may still have lots of incidents of theft/non-violent crime reports. Google street view is also your friend; if you see a ton of vacant homes and trash, you may want to look elsewhere. It’s block-by-block, so use street view to explore around a bit.

I would look for a neighborhood that gives you easy access to 295 or 695 so you can quickly get to I-97. Good luck with your hunt and welcome to the region!