I walk around Bolton hill all the time and I’ve never felt unsafe. Just have basic street smarts and you’ll be fine. I know MICA has some security in the neighborhood for the students that live there.

I’ve been blackout drunk stumbling home at ungodly hours in the AM from Reservoir Hill to Bolton Hill to Mount Vernon for 7 years without problem. Keep your general good wits about you and you’ll make it. It’s a beautiful neighborhood rich in architecture and history. Welcome to charm city.

I am an ex-pat from MoCo (Colesville/Cloverly area) been in Balt city for nearly 40 yrs. Bolton hill is a great place to land. It can be a bit snooty, but there are also many regular people there. Many people who commute to DC live there as it is an easy walk to the train station.

Still you have to learn that you are in the city not the magic kingdom of MoCo. Crazy is everywhere here. Some funny, some sad, some scary. One thing I learned about Bolton Hill, from a friend who lived there for many decades. There are eyes everywhere. Don't be surprised to see a guy pushing a grocery cart down the alley full of patio furniture, on July 3d. He is just getting more chairs for a party in a nearby neighborhood. Chain your patio furniture to a tree. If you place furniture in the alley it will probably will be gone by the end of the day. Keep your car free from goodies, Parking is precious so get a permit for your area. Tickets and booting cars is the only thing the city does fast.

There are many many great sights to see and places to visit. Don't stay only in your neighborhood. Do some sight seeing. Find someone who will act as a tour guide.

Unlike MoCo. you will encounter MANY people from Baltimore City and the county, not as many from other counties or out of state, though they are here.

There exists friction between the City and the County. Local TV shows only the bad side of the city, which has tainted people in the county. Many in the county are 1st & 2nd generation expats from the city to the county. They hold a grudge against the city, claiming their old family neighborhood was like heaven until "those" people" moved in. In reality the city was very beat up after WWII and government rules aided whites who wanted to mover to the new suburbs, and walled off the poor blacks from moving to the suburbs or money & loans for renovation. Many Many non city residents own the derelict buildings, and not the poor in those areas. Hopkins Medical, Hopkins Uni, Uni of MD, and about 3 other business ventures are juggernauts in the city and get free land and do what they want, including being slum property owners and getting city leaders to carry their water.

Good luck and welcome to Charm City . It is a very quirky place.

I’m a student at MICA. We have security at the front of every building as well as patrol cars that drive/park around campus - you can flag them down if need be. Most of the area is well-lit at night, I’ve walked home countless times very late without incident. The most that I’ve heard of happening here is infrequent robbery (we get emails about crime directly around campus). Just be aware of your surroundings.

It’s a very friendly and serene neighborhood from what I’ve seen. Lots of people walking their dogs, and the Park Ave park sometimes has people selling clothes/items/furniture/etc

Bolton Hill is a great neighborhood. there is a block where half of it was turned into a park and closed to through traffic. my dream is that this city becomes less car-dominated and more places like that can exist where people can just relax and enjoy sitting on a bench. I bike over to On The Hill and then go to that block to eat.

but to answer your question: I think you hear about the crime there because most of the time it is very quiet and peaceful. in reality, there is campus security around from MICA which helps keep some of the riff-raff out, but there is always going to be some BS. the best thing is to just try to go out less when there aren't other people out and about. when driving, if someone seems to be watching you/your car in a shady way, circle the block or park elsewhere.

I’ve lived in Bolton Hill for the last two years and love it. Super quiet with one good coffee shop in the neighborhood. Really, really dog friendly as well

I’m a 4’8” woman and I’ve lived in BH for close to 20 years. Never had an issue. Just be aware of your surroundings and definitely never walk around with earbuds.

Hey there! My partner and I bought in Bolton Hill this past year and have been absolutely loving it! We made the move from fed hill, where we had lived for a couple of years. Fed became way too crazy for us, and we've been loving the quietness of BH. We're in the area you've been looking in, and honestly we haven't had any issues. We frequent the liquor store nearby in the bottom of the Marlboro, and we frequently walk to on the Hill cafe. We also attend various community activities that have us out at night with no problems.

The worst thing I've personally seen in the area is a very obviously high guy who was just kind of talking to himself/things, saw a cat and made pspspsp noises at it to say hi and kept walking.

As a woman, you already know the dangers of being basically anywhere. IME I've had less issues with street harassment in Baltimore than the suburbs I lived in previously, so take that as you will. Just be smart.

Can I ask why you haven't considered looking in Hampden?

> From what I’ve read it looks like the area can be a target for armed robberies and attacks.

No more so (probably less so) than Hampden, FWIW.

We live on the last block of a cross street before the western border. It's a little grungier over here, but not in a way that's ever felt dangerous to me. I run by myself in the early morning all the time, used to walk by myself to the hardware store when we had one. However, I'm a father of a 3-year-old so I'm never out past 9PM, and can't really speak much to what it's like at night or for a woman.

I'll say the bike commute to Hampden is dead simple, especially if you want to invest in an e-bike to give you a little boost up hills.

The one thing I would ask is will you know people in the city? If you're up by the NW corner of Bolton Hill you are far from the going-out spots in Mt Vernon / Midtown / Station North. Hampden is far enough away that you will have to uber home if you are drinking.

If you're living by yourself, Bolton Hill, especially up towards the NW, might not be the best neighborhood for your first year in the city. It's mostly MICA students (who keep to themselves for the most part), families, and retirees - not the best environment for building up a friend group.

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Thank you to everyone who has responded!! Everyone has given super tips and advice. I’m about to move forward with signing a lease. Excited to be part of the neighborhood! 😄😄