1. You Can’t Catch Enough Of These Crabs
When it comes to chowing down in Charm City, you can’t skip the crabs. Freshly pulled from the nearby Chesapeake Bay, they’re some of the best you’ll find in the entire country, often flavored in Old Bay seasoning, another staple of the area. As you might expect, anything featuring these crabs is amazing, with dishes like crab cakes and soft crab sandwiches leading the charge around Baltimore.
If you’re not into seafood, “pit beef” is also a huge dish in this city, consisting of open pit barbecued meat served on a Kaiser roll. It’s also important to mention that while the craft beer industry has really been taking off in
Baltimore during recent years, National Bohemian (commonly called Natty Boh) is a favorite around these parts, an American-style beer that was first brewed in Baltimore in 1885.
2. Big Companies Love Baltimore
Once a town built around steel processing, shipping, and auto manufacturing, the economic landscape of Baltimore has vastly changed during recent history. As the downtown area continues to grow, now home to over 29 million square feet of office space, tons of tech jobs have come to the Baltimore area, earning it the number four spot on Forbes list of “new tech hot spots,” attracting the types of jobs that many college grads are seeking.
A few of the big companies that call Baltimore home include the famous John Hopkins Hospital, Under Armour, T. Rowe Price, and McCormick & Company.
Tourism is also a booming industry in this town, with around 25 million people visiting the city each year. I’m looking at you, tourism and hospitality majors.
3. That Degree Will Help You Lock Down A Great Job
The unemployment rate is a little high in Baltimore at 8.6 percent, a couple points higher than the national average of 6 percent. However, keep in mind that this is relatively normal for most big cities around the country and that the diverse economy and large businesses that Baltimore tends to attract makes finding a job less of a problem for people with a college degree.
4. You’ll Be A Home Owner In No Time
The housing market is relatively inexpensive in Baltimore, with the median home value resting around $160,000, $20,000 lower than the national average and 47 percent lower on average than the other markets you’ll find elsewhere in Maryland. Not only does this mean you’ll be able to pay your first home off quicker, it also means that you’ll be able to have a little extra cash for other big expenses like student loans.
5. Nightlife Is Easy To Find In Baltimore
One big American city that’s known for its vibrant bar scene, it’s always easy to find something to do in Baltimore. A few of the more notable party districts include places like Fell’s Point, Canton, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon, constantly attracting a young and vibrant crowd every night of the week to their many pubs, restaurants, and hangout spots. There’s also Power Plant Live!, a collection of bars, clubs, and restaurants in downtown Baltimore that’s been developed in recent years to much critical acclaim.
6. Getting Around This City Is A Breeze
The average commute time in Baltimore is 30 minutes, which might seem high, but it’s actually 5 percent lower than the rest of the state. When it comes to big cities, Baltimore is actually pretty easy to get around in, with access to multiple interstates, a public transportation system that features plenty of bus lines, as well as a light rail and a subway line, as well as two major airports.
It’s also home to a great bicycling infrastructure, with over 140 miles of bike lanes added to the city in the last 10 years. Whether you’re driving, biking, riding, or walking, you’ll have no problem getting around the Charm City.
7. Baltimore Is A Great Place To Stretch Your Paycheck
Scoring an 96 on the same cost of living index that puts average America at 100, Baltimore delivers a great bang for your buck. Not only is Charm City less expensive than most places in the country, it’s got a cost of living score that’s 19 points lower than the Maryland average, with most savings coming from housing costs and health care.
8. College Grads Are Flocking To Baltimore
Young adults make up a huge portion of the Baltimore population with nearly a quarter of the locals falling between the ages of 22 and 34. Over 70 of the Baltimore population is also unmarried, meaning there are tons of singles in the region.
Plus, nearly half of the Baltimore population has completed some college, with over 25 percent completing their bachelor’s degree, making it easy to find new friends that are in a similar stage of life.
9. There’s Always Someone To Cheer For In This Town
Home to two major professional teams and several minor league organizations, finding tickets to live sports in Baltimore is never too hard. They’ve got the Orioles playing baseball, the Ravens scoring touchdowns on the gridiron, a semi-professional rugby club, as well as the Preakness Stakes, the second race of the Triple Crown Thoroughbred Racing series held each year at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course.
College sports are also huge in this city, especially lacrosse, as the John Hopkins Blue Jays men’s team has won more championships than any other school, currently at 44.
10. There’s Never A Dull Day In Baltimore
Rain, shine, or snow, there’s always an awesome event going on in Baltimore. A few of the annual favorites include the Baltimore County Restaurant Week in January, the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in March, and Honfest in June, an event that honors the historic working-class of Baltimore capable of filling the streets with thousands of people decked out in ’60s-style clothing.
11. Four Seasons You’ll Fall In Love With
Baltimore isn’t just warm weather and sunshine, but the locals don’t seem to mind, they’re constantly outside doing something anyways. Experiencing four complete seasons throughout the year, summer temperatures in Baltimore tend to average a warm 78 degrees, while winter months drop to a chilly, but tolerable 38.
The summer months are also known for the presence of a constant bay breeze that provides a little relief on especially hot days. The most you’ll have to worry about in this city is the potential for minor flooding due to the remnants of coastal storms that hit other areas of the East Coast.
12. You’ll Love Life On This River
Aside from just providing an awesome source of delicious food, Patapsco River, which empties into Chesapeake Bay, also provides tons of great recreational activities on Baltimore’s many sunny summer days. You’ll need to make friends with someone that’s got a boat ASAP.
13. You’ll Never Stop Learning In Baltimore
Thanks to being a huge city of close to 2.7 million residents in the metro area, Baltimore is able to support a ton of awesome museums, along with 72 designated historic districts. A few of the cooler places to check out include the Maryland Art Place, the Maryland Science Center, and the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards.
14. Baltimore Will Keep You Cultured
Another cool thing about Baltimore is that while it does have many great bars and restaurants, that’s not the only nighttime entertainment you’ll find. It’s also home to its own symphony orchestra, a rock opera society, and several theater groups. Known for its love of the performing arts, this city is capable of attracting big names as they tour through the country, as well as being noteworthy for hosting events like the Maryland Film Festival and Artscape, a festival built around poetry and other literary arts.
15. Staying Fit Is Easy In Baltimore
A lot of college students tend to struggle with staying healthy after graduation, now thrown into the much busier and more stressful “real world.” However, with over 6,000 acres of parkland and public space found in Baltimore, it’s easy to get outside and stay active. A couple of the more popular parks here include Patterson Park and Druid Hill Park, but there are great spots tucked in nearly every corner of Charm City.
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