Hello,
My daughter is planning to commit to JHU so we visited the campus. Any feedback on safety outside the Homewood campus? Is it safe for a student to travel alone from Baltimore airport to campus during night? There were some areas outside the campus where I felt little unsafe.
She is deciding between JHU and Rice. Thanks
Taking an Uber or taxi should be fine. It would be highway most of the way and then just an exit to her dorm/housing.
There is a lightrail from the airport to downtown and places north that I took into Baltimore last summer and then used the bus system all week (right past JHU all the time) and it was fine. We even took the bus through a not so nice neighborhood from Towson to downtown and I had no issues with it. The people were all real nice, most traveling from their homes to work in Towson or at the med center just beyond the university. The bus up Charles street travels by many of the universities like Hopkins, Loyola, Notre Dame, and a lot of beautiful churches, private schools, and old homes.
My son will be attending JHU this fall. We’ve been on campus several times over the past year. In the several blocks surrounding campus, there’s a very visible security presence…lots of folks wearing neon yellow jackets. Not cops. My understanding is that those folks are around 24-7 (please correct me if I’m wrong), and provide a visible comfort zone.
@bucketDad @twoinanddone Thanks. She will be in premed. Is it safe for her to go by herself from Homewood to JH Medical Centre for volunteering/research?
Appreciate your replies.
Students told us that if you end up in an unsafe place you actively tried to go there.
While it’s a concern for myself as well, I don’t think I have ever met a JHU student who felt unsafe.
JHU runs a shuttle service from campus to the medical center. Shuttles | Transportation Services. They use an app to track so your student doesn’t need to wait outside for the shuttle.
The hospital has a lot of security around it too so I wouldn’t worry.
(We used to have a home in Baltimore so I’m very familiar with the area. I’d have no qualms sending my D to JHU).
Agree on the safety thing- it’s a non-issue with basic common sense.
The bigger question I have is - which place feels more like a good fit for her? IME Rice & JHU are chalk and cheese. I would be surprised (& interested) to hear that a student finds them equally attractive (both are great choices, with neither having any objective advantage over the other unless one is better financially)
@collegemom3717 Daughter is interested in JHU only. But as a parent I am just trying to understand and make sure she is aware and know the do’s & don’t. We live in TX and have my nephew as a Rice student. Thanks
Thanks a lot @momofboiler1
We live in TX and won’t be moving to Baltimore. Appreciate and good to know about track app. We found people very friendly during our visit.
We loved our time in Baltimore. Yes there is crime like any other city and everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings, but it’s a vibrant city and the university is amazing. Congrats to your D!
Yes, Hopkins runs a shuttle between campuses so lots of students are doing this every day.
Look up the JHU safety crime map.
Mom of a JHU student here. My son got admitted to JHU BME last year. We are also from TX. JHU provides their own security services 24*7 within the Homewood Campus. As long as the student is within the confines of the Homewood campus it is pretty safe. There is also a shuttle service that runs every 30 minutes between Homewood Campus and the Hospital. Several students stay in Homewood and frequently commute to the Hospital Campus for research jobs.
I currently live in Baltimore, the area around campus, I.e. Charles Village is quite safe. Of course it is a city and kids should take the typical urban precautions, ie, don’t walk alone at night, etc. . .
My student also chose between JHU and Rice because of the world class research and clinical opportunities literally right there. Chose JHU and has been awed by opportunities for students of all interests and majors.
I think of JHU And Rice as similar as well, research minded universities that attract serious students, although I have not been to Rice. I also live near Hopkins and walked through the campus the other evening while my son was playing little league nearby- boy was it looking beautiful in the spring. The area around Hopkins is much more lively than it used to be (in a good way- more retail and dining options) and as others have noted there is a shuttle that gets you down to the hospital and other spots around town.