Originally Posted by
etsmyers
You are right it does, but the crime rate is out of control. Other cities are reducing crime, but it runs rampant in Baltimore.
I agree that the crime rate is out of control but it's mainly concentrated in certain areas of the city which Arundel Mills isn't a part of. Also you are evidently not up on your statistics...2008 and 2009 homicide rates in Baltimore were the lowest in 20 years. Still high but down from several years ago.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...74192.htmlpage
Not that I don't think it should be down more but the city is reducing crime if you go purely according to the statistics.
Originally Posted by
hooterbif
Discouraging people from visiting high crime areas (and cities) is opened minded, not closed minded. Why? Because it will open people's minds to superb advice from others who might know more than you. For instance, this might include people who have lived in and around Baltimore and recognize it for how dangerous it is. It might also include people who have had to deliver medical care to people who go to hotels and shoot each other. This is exactly on-topic for this thread and warns people to double-check crime statistics before visiting a city. I appreciate this information, and I know for a fact that many others consider safety when they travel.
I guess you can see it both ways and I am not going to start a back and forth discussion about the merit of the post.
The area around the hotel is not commonly known as a high crime area in the Baltimore area. It is a relatively newly built up area with a large number of hotels built up in the last couple of years due to the Arundel Mills Outlet Mall just across the street. Typically in Baltimore the majority of crimes occur in neighborhoods that you and I would not venture into during any time of the day and would definitely not stay in a hotel in. The crimes are usually gang/drug related. There are however safe areas and labelling the whole area around Baltimore and DC as an "armpit" of crime, STDs and HIV is going a little too far. In the area I live in we can leave the house with our windows open and nothing will happen. The same applies to not locking your car doors, etc.
My main point is that most large cities have crime issues that are centered around certain groups and areas of the city. If I was afraid of cities with crime and generalized about the crime being all over the city vs. just in certain areas....I wouldn't be able to travel to too many large US cities. FYI, I am not originally from the area so I really don't feel personally offended by the comments but I find that they are a little too broad based.