Honestly the uber flat airport rates work out to kind of what you'd pay to park but with less hassle and pretty much door to door if you're coming from the city.

Haha, as long as you understand that you are objectively and unforgivably wrong.

I'm sorry for these replies. I don't know what is wrong with the rest of these commenters. The answer is Ekiben. The answer is ALWAYS Ekiben. The rest of you...you bring shame upon your houses. Do better.

I have Erie for my car and house and umbrella bundled. At the time (2017) it was without question the best rate for me, and I called like 12 providers. I have been happy for like 6 years BUT I recently realized that while my car rates have been pretty static (and very low) my HOI has been raising dramatically over time, far more than the cost of the house. It's harder to notice because it's wrapped up in my mortgage payment which periodically goes up for property taxes anyway, so it took a while to see. Actually it wasnt until I was helping someone figure out their new mortgage that i used mine as an example and was like wait...wtf!?

Now it seems like it's going to be a PITA to switch car + house, because I will have to get the bank involved. Bleh. Good strategy on their part, I realized this months ago and the task of actually switching seems daunting so it's still there.

Sorry I didn't get a chance to answer this last night. In essence I would sum it up that Baltimore is a city of neat little neighborhoods. Apparently the whole country who hasn't spent time here thinks it's the wire. It's true the crime numbers are high, but IN the nicer parts it's lovely and safety wise comparable to most east coast cities. DC is ironically the same way. Ask your partner if when he lived there he spent time in Trinidad or Mount Pleasant, I'm guessing the answer is no and those areas were racking up some serious numbers even just a few years ago haha. I've lived here for 12 years, in many parts, and loved every minute of it. I also lived in DC for 10 and I prefer it here.

As far as appeal, citiness, walk ability, culture, etc, I'd say I can't sum it up in a reddit post. Here's what I'd do: spend a day hopping around a couple areas of interest and see how you both actually like it.

• Do NOT go to the inner harbor. It's a decaying relic of a gross 80s tourist trap but for some reason it's where everyone visits here and it gives a horrible impression of Baltimore. It's like thinking you've seen DC after going to Gallery Place/Chinatown.
• Check out historic fells point, pop into a pub or restaurant around Thames st.
• Walk around mt Vernon, especially the monument area it's really very pretty and quite a few neat spots. Mt Vernon marketplace is nice for a bite, or try Sugarvale for a cocktail
• Bolton Hill is right above Mt Vernon and is very residential but pleasant and walkable.
• Hampden is a bit above those two and just a charming neighborhood with tons to do and see. Some great restaurants.
• Federal Hill is on the South side of the city and has a big bar scene. Also very walkable

Too many to name and I suspect someone will follow this up saying I left out more (which I did!) But it's not a bad list to start with for a slice of Baltimore city.

EDIT: Forgot about public transit. This is where DC does actually shine to be fair. The metro is in the top 3 subway systems in the country it's hard to beat. We do, however have free buses that will go roughly to most of the places mentioned above, but I will admit the city is a bit more uber-y / drivey than DC. Personally though I've walked between every neighborhood above.

I read further up and it sounds like the partner is not entertaining the idea, but there are SO many reasons it makes more sense.

I was going to throw this out until I saw yours. It's probably going to be easier and cheaper and more convenient for both of you to live in Mt Vernon and commute via Penn station (walkable from anywhere in Mt Vernon) if your partner works on the Hill. Union station is a block from the hill, and the MARC train is a totally reasonable commute, I did it every day for years. There's no changing trains, its a relatively relaxing straight shot from Penn station to Capitol hill. Your cost of living will also be extremely low compared even to the suburbs.

Living in Mt Vernon you're also not sacrificing on neighborhood. It's FAR from the burbs, very dense and cultured.

There is no city part of DC that is convenient to the Hill AND an easy commute to Baltimore, but if you're REALLY set on DC I have lived in the Lincoln Park area of Capitol Hill and the jump onto 295 north out by the stadium can be a pretty painless drive. I still recommend the first option though.

Much appreciated. I'm in Fells and have pretty good drainage in this area so it might be deceptive.

Just out of curiosity, since the earlier conversation was from yesterday, it looks like the sun came out and i can't see too much moisture on the roads out my window as the temp drops. Is it safe to say we may be in better shape than expected today?

I just want to say it's very cool that BCDOT jumps onto this sub to keep us informed from an authoritative source. I did not know that was a thing. Thanks!

Speaking as someone who walks their dog up and down S Regester literally everyday, my advice would be that it's mostly fine but gets spottier the further north you go. There are some vagrants and some drug activity (not unusual for broadway area tbh) and I have known female friends who have been harassed (never robbed or hurt but definitely spoken to uncomfortably) further north on Regester.

Regarding parking, it's decent for the area, though do note that some regester blocks do not actually have parking. Also you need to be, or will quickly become, a master parallel parker because the lane is so narrow between rows of cars that it can be tricky to get the right angle.