sthomas83

Mount Vernon place is a beautiful street. There is a lovely park in the middle where they have outdoor activities in the summer, and the monument is a nice site to see. There are some high society "clubs" on this street, and parking is impossible so it is best to park on monument or to have your vehicle valeted.

I395 is also known as Martin Luther King Blvd and is the exit off of I95 most used to enter the city. Exiting here can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with Baltimore. 395 provides the best way to get to Camden Yards and the Ravens Stadium by car, but you need to be careful while driving because when the highway ends, the streets you will first encounter in the city are one way.

Bowley's Quarters road has a decent mix of residential areas and commercial areas. Many of the side streets back to water and have nice views. There are some newer housing developments as well as older apartment complexes along the road. There is easy access to a wal-mart and other stores, and the drive in theater is nearby as well.

Joppa Road is a fairly small road that runs from Route 7, over Route 40 and ends on Trimble road. Toward the Trimble road end you are easily accessible to the schools in Joppatowne. There are houses along this road and they are probably somewhat quiet, but you wouldn't want your children to play out in the yard as people tend to speed down this road.

Eastern Avenue, through Baltimore City, is a very busy and congested road. You can easily get to Hopkins Bayview and Patterson Park via Eastern Avenue, but I'm not a fan of driving on this road.

I lived in Baltimore for years and I think I can count on one hand how many times I have been on 695 without it being either backed up or slowed down due to construction. There are also several strange exits on the road - to get off onto 43 in White Marsh you need to be in the far left lane, which usually results in people cutting you off.

Martin Blvd is a somewhat busy road going straight through Middle River. The neighborhoods on the side streets are fairly quiet, with war-era housing. In the past few years they have re-vamped the grocery stores and establishments in the area, making it a nicer place to live.

Much of route 40 in Baltimore and the surrounding area is filthy. There are some decent places to shop along Route 40, but driving past the sketchy inns and restaurants is not worth it. Use Route 40 only when you need to, as it tends to get backed up during high traffic times and when I95 is busy.

White Marsh Blvd is very convenient. The mall is nearby, along with tons of shopping, grocery stores and restaurants. The small side streets in this area seem like quiet places to live even though they are close to busy 695. I think the location and convenience of this street would outweigh the negative aspect of being crowded and busy.

Joppa Farm Road is not a bad street. It goes right through the heart of Joppatowne and has easy access to the high school, library and marina. It intersects with Route 40 where there is a large shopping center with a nice new grocery store. Joppa Farm road is convenient, but it can be a busy road. The speed limit is also low through town, so watch your speed.