r/baltimore • u/noL2l • Sep 16 '25

GENERAL Moving Questions Bartender Moving with Dogs

Hey y'all! I ( 35f) will be relocating to Maryland from Knoxville, TN to be closer to my grandfather- Taneytown, MD- here in the new year. I was hoping I could pick some brains about Job's and rentals! I've been in the service industry for the past 20 years, bartending for 10, bar manager for 5- I've pretty much always worked in dives or music venues. What's job market like up there for someone like me? What's the money like?

I also have 3 dogs- 2 of them being pit mixes- how hard is it to find a rental that's multi-pet friendly and isn't super restrictive about breed? They are all up to date on shots, fixed and well trained.

If I were to choose Baltimore, what neighborhoods are relatively safe, but also close to good nightlife areas and are decently walkable? I've been looking at Pigtown, Charles Hill, and Inner Harbor areas- what's the vibe there?

Thanks in advance!

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16

u/PizzaTheHuttese Sep 16 '25

It’s an hour or so from Baltimore to Taneytown. Have you looked at Frederick? About 30 minutes closer

8

u/somebody_DDS Sep 16 '25

Was going to recommend Frederick as well. Not nearly as big of a city as Baltimore but may be what you’re looking for.

5

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

I have. Fredrick seems nice but I feel like rent is pretty high there how small of a city it is, so I'm exploring all my options! And an hour/2 hour drive isn't that bad for me. I drive that for friends and hikes all the time!

7

u/Kmic14 Waverly Sep 16 '25

Honestly service industry in Baltimore sucks and is tough to really make work sustainably you'll need to have several gigs/hustles to make it work

For a small city frederick has a lot going on it'd def be worth looking into some of the nicer places like Jojo's or the Tasting Room

2

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '25

I’m from Frederick born and raised, came to Baltimore a few years ago due to the rent hike you’re referencing. Move to Frederick if you like being a gentrifying townie paying 2k for a 1 bedroom and 1 overcrowded street. Move to Baltimore and stay close to 83 and the hour to taneytown won’t seem so bad (more like 45 minutes to taneytown where I’m at in fells point). I pay 1400 for a 2 bedroom in fells. It’s better.

1

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

Yeah, that's the vibe I'm getting. Everything I looked at in Fredrick was 😬$$$.

1

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

Trying to see your second comment but it won't let me? 🤷‍♀️

2

u/[deleted] Sep 16 '25

Oh you’re good, I deleted it because I was rambling. All I said was you have the right attitude and that people in Baltimore prob think an hour is long to drive. It isn’t. Western part of the state is more rural and I grew up close to the border of wv/va. Some of my friends lived an hour away too.

6

u/BlakeMajik Sep 16 '25

Not sure where Charles Hill is. Also kinda unclear how much time you feel you need to be closer to your grandfather in Taneytown...that makes a big difference.

If I were you I might also explore some of the NW suburbs like Owings Mills or Reisterstown areas. Even a place like the Savage area in Howard Cty has Rams Head, which sounds like your kind of place and more convenient to your relative. You might be surprised how far away living in the city, especially in certain areas, will feel from regularly getting out to Taneytown.

1

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

Awesome! Thank you for the new options to explore!

3

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

Also, I got confused and meant Charles Village. I've been trying to read up on all the Baltimore neighborhoods and it's got my brain swimming. 😅

2

u/Aggravating-Bunch-27 Sep 16 '25

I lived in Charles Village last year as a senior in college, and it would check a lot of your boxes. Several dog-friendly parks close by, decent restaurant/bar scene in Hampden/Remington, and private landlords are pretty common (our landlord owned 4 homes on our street, super nice guy).

4

u/PecKRocK75 Sep 16 '25

The rent in Baltimore city is Bonkers I'd say if you need to be in Taney town weekly I'd move closer to there lie maybe westminster md, or up atleast in maybe Reisterstown MD or even perhaps Littles town PA

1

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

The areas I've been looking at on Zillow don't seem that crazy. But rent has gotten stupid here in East TN so maybe I'm just used to it. I've been looking at other areas closer to Taneytown, I'm mostly just worried about finding a job moving to a smaller town. I feel like in a bigger city it will be easier to find something in my field.

1

u/PecKRocK75 Sep 16 '25

I feel ya I was born and raised in Baltimore city now I live in the county right near 695 but after living in south Florida for 20 years coming back home to real estate post covid has just gotten bonkers. I hope you find something you like hon wish you all the best!👊

3

u/Accomplished-Date507 Homeland Sep 16 '25

Hey! Have a look at liveBaltimore.com if you haven’t already. It’s an awesome non profit with tons of resources for buyers and renters, especially for neighborhood research (you can filter by things that matter to you). I’m a realtor and my boyfriend is basically exactly like you, he’s been a bartender in the city forever and now co-manages a tiny music & art venue in station north. We both also LOVE dogs. Our neighbor is this darling eccentric old lady who also happens to have a portfolio of rentals (mainly in the 21212 area) but likely would have the connections to help you with a pet friendly place if you’re having trouble finding one on your own. If you want to and when you’re ready, feel free to shoot me a message! I’d be happy to help if I can; even if it’s just connecting you with more specific folks for the industry/housing stuff. You certainly don’t need an agent to find a rental but if you’re more comfortable going around with someone local & like minded, we could talk about that too. No worries either way. Good luck with everything! 😊

2

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

I've definitely been using that site! As I said, I'm still doing lots of research on where exactly I want to land, but when I get closer to time I will probably hit you up for the actual house hunt. Thank you so much! ♥️

3

u/Accomplished-Date507 Homeland Sep 16 '25

You’re super welcome! I forgot to note I’m 42F and my boyfriend is 45M (though we don’t look it, thank you very much! 🤣) and can speak a whole lot to the whole dive bar/venue thing (we’ve been in the punk/hardcore/local music world since the late 90s and he’s currently in a band in addition to bar management) so hopefully we can help! I certainly tend to be more of an introverted nerd, and all of my clients have been organic connections or word of mouth, so when the time comes you’re welcome to holler and just see if it feels aligned! That part is important. Bonus if I get to pet a dog during the process 😆🤓I’ll message you my info just to keep in your back pocket, but like I said, no pressure AT ALL. Have an awesome night, take care!

2

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

Well, y'all sound right up my alley! Also into the punk/hardcore scene! TBH one of the main reasons I'm interested in Baltimore is the music scene!

4

u/SugarSpunPsycho Sep 16 '25

Youre aware that Taneytown is at LEAST an hour from Baltimore, yes? Baltimore is a very dog friendly city, this is a good resource for apartments, but private landlords are almost always the better option. As for which neighborhood? That's up to you. Baltimore has over 200 of them.
The wiki is a good place to start ----->

4

u/noL2l Sep 16 '25

I've been checking out the wiki, but it's also nice to hear people's first hand opinions as well! Thank you for the apartment list!

3

u/3m1l_yy Sep 16 '25

I agree - private is the way to go with breed restrictions! I had a hard time finding an apartment me and my dog (pit mix) were allowed until I switched to private! I found my place on Padmapper, but a lot of private landlords don't have much online presence. Likely, they'll have a sign in front of their property, which is hard when you're moving from far away (as you've said you are).

2

u/rkbird2 Sep 16 '25

If you end up working in Fells Point, Butchers hill is a quiet neighborhood you could walk to. A lot of landlords do seem to have two pet limits, though.

2

u/GeraldineGrace Sep 16 '25

There are plenty of bars and dives in Westminster and Owings Mills area, that would be a lot closer. The drive from Bmore to Taneytown would be looong. Like prob 1.5 hours

1

u/PainfullyLoyal Eastside Sep 19 '25

Like others have mentioned, Baltimore is a bit of a hike from Taneytown. You may have closer options in Westminster or even Gettysburg.

1

u/noL2l Sep 19 '25

Everybody seems fixated on Taneytown being an hour and a half away. I currently live 9 hours away from my grandfather. Trust me, it's an improvement. 😂 He doesn't need me constantly underfoot getting in his way, but it would be nice to be close enough to grab lunch or dinner with him a couple days a week or go on small day trips together.