I looked at craigslist, narrowing the search to listings that met my price and criteria (pets allowed). Then I picked the most promising ones and looked them up on one of the crime heat maps for B'more.

In the end, I chose to first live north of the city near Timonium as I worked in that area. It was fine, but it also felt so temporary. That may not be a bad thing for someone not planning to relocate here permanently.

Since then, I bought a rowhouse in Hampden because I wanted to live in a walkable neighborhood: parks, shops, restaurants. I've met some of my neighbors and it's been great to actually feel like a part of the city.

My advice: take your time, visit/drive through the area where the apartment/house is both day and night hours, to see whether the area changes significantly. Look for nearby amenities in your drive-bys. Talk to locals. There are great areas right beside awful ones, and the only way to find out is by paying attention.

Jaime asks: "What do you think?"

I think that it's time for Mom to park the helicopter.

Like your own experience in Iowa, even if every choice doesn't result in all entirely wonderful things... the 23yo adult involved here (and his mother too) will be far better off doing this on his own.
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If the GF has a nice apartment somewhere near JHH (medical internship?) and his intention to remain s really limited to 18months... then this fellow should be renting a room only. Look for a nice house-sharing situation for a personal base and spend most of his time with the gf at her place.

As to how to choose, start with the work location as the living location to keep commute time and expense to a minimum. If that area is unsuitable (not uncommon) then decide the actual commute times the renter is willing to put up with and draw a radius line representing that time/distance centered on his work location.

Then draw another radius line centered on the GF's apartment (or JHH). Use this Venn diagram you just created as your target area. Look there.

I lived in Mount Vernon for the first two years of my time in Baltimore. Now I live in Hampden and love it. I'd also suggest they look in Charles Village if they want to be near Hopkins (the campus, not the hospital).

Depending on where Michael's sales focus, it might be worth picking somewhere close to the highways. Federal Hill is near 95 South, Hampden is near 83.

Look into Horizon House in Midtown-Belvedere/Mt Vernon, its 975 for a studio in a nice building with easy street parking with a cheap permit, and they include heat/electric/water, etc.

You only have to pay for cable/internet.

They have a gym, rooftop pool, and a great apartment for the price in a clean, secure building.

My best friend just got a studio there this past month, and she couldnt be happier.

She also moved into town from out of the region (upstate NY).

Easy street parking in Mt. Vernon? I don't think so. It's worse in S. Balto. but if easy parking is important, Mt. Vernon is not your place unless you've got a dedicated parking pad or garage in or adjacent to the building for a reasonable price.

I think a 23 year old man should be able to find a place with out help from his mom

I moved to Baltimore (got a job) in 1977 and out in 2005. I've been through every block in the City...my suggestions.

1) Learn The History: Walk up Wash Monument, Battle of Baltimore monument Calvert & Fayette, 1st deaths of Civil War at Sharp & Pratt Street, Poe & Booth graves, Ft McHenry

2) Water Taxi - get off at Caton, Fells Pt, Fed Hill...walk, walk

3)Dollar Days ($1 admission) - 1st weekend Dec; Homewood & Evergreen (a must), Babe Ruth Flag House, B & O Museum.

4) Sat (free) Walters & Balt Museum of Art

5) Lexington Market chocolate festival Sat; Black Eyed Susan Day (Fri before Preakness)

6)War Memorial Building - have them unlock the Grand Hall upstairs. Name & Rank of every MD'er Killed in WWI engraved in marble, by County.

7)Walk the Great Fire of Baltimore route...Calvert & South (burns on old Alex Brown building) up to narrowing of Charles St.

Start with this and let me know if you get bored.

Most colleges have a student life program where a potential land lord can advertise his property & rental space. They are usually cheaper & in safer areas, and are located around others his age.
Most places in the city are too small to have a washer & dryer in the apartment, they are usually in the building, but if he is only going to be here for 18 months then a studio would be perfect. Why get an apartment if you have to buy stuff & move again w/in 18 months.

I'd recommend living in the Charles Village neighborhood. It's next to the Hopkins undergrad campus, parking is easy, and the neighborhood is pretty safe. For someone new to Baltimore, I'd stick to apartments in the area between between Charles and Calvert (east-west) and 27th st to University Ave (north-south).

Craigslist is the best place for listings, you can narrow the search by using the term "Charles Village". I'd use GoogleMaps to look up the listed address before considering taking a look.

Baltimore is pretty patchy, crime-wise, so outside of obvious places to avoid, I don't find the crime maps to be very helpful.

I find the Live Baltimore site is very helpful for renting/buying. http://www.livebaltimore.com/rent/gettingstarted/

The Neighborhoods map can help make heads and tails of the community divisions for an outsider -
http://www.livebaltimore.com/UploadedFiles/neighborhoods/region/Neighborhood%20Map%20Feb.%202010.pdf

Hopkins Homewood or Hospital? If the former, Waverly or Ednor Gardens. 2-3 br rowhouse for that money is feasible (much more of the requested 'space' for the money than Charles Village proper), parking is easy, walk to the new and nice 33rd St YMCA.

LiveBaltimore is a good resource; also the JHU Gazette often has rentals for furnished places if that's a plus for an 18-monther.

Thanks, everyone, for your sage advice. It will almost certainly help more readers than one.

The mom has every right to ask for assistance for her son. I don't blame her for trying. If this family has never even visited Baltimore on vacation one might be a bit protective still...... having said that, I think he should look for an efficiency/studio near JHU/Charles Village and live safely near students in one of the high rises that he can afford.
If he is only here 18 months, don't risk your safety 'trying to fit in'. Safety is always more important than 'your budget'.
Use the internet but also get your hands on the monthly apartment guide which is printed for leases/rentals.

***If you can afford IKEA furniture try to get some quickly. I don't know how clean or neat the furniture will be in the $850 range.

Good luck and WELCOME to B'more.
Enjoy the steamed crabs:-)

Helicopter mom??? Families are supposed to be a team! Does the fact that I have to take care of most household affairs make me a helicopter wife? What does that make my husband... a landing pad?

Guilford, Oakenshawe and Charles Village are great bets. And the housemate option is a great idea for a short term stay. Good luck

My advice to anyone trying to move to areas like Canton,Highlandtown,Fed Hill,ect, is to rent a house rather then an apartment.Charles Villiage has many apartments. But in areas like Canton and Fed Hill, apartments usually cost almost as much as rowhouses. Why rent a one bedroom apartment for $800 a month, when you can rent a 3 bedroom house for $1,200 a month and split the cost three ways with two room mates?

And at the risk of offending The Baltimore Sun, i would recomend someone looking at the apartment sections of the smaller neighborhood newspapers.Like The East Baltimore Guide.They have the best deals.Also footwork will find you the best deals.Often older people will just put a sign in the window and not advertise any other way

I would finally recomend going into a local sub shop or laundromat. I used to work at a laundromat.And i always knew of places to rent. I set up at least 10 people with apartments.

Great advice, Pete. (And no offense taken.)

My wife and I are returning to Baltimore (I've lived in Baltimore twice before, my wife once). We're planning on renting at one of the high rise buildings near the Hopkins Homewood campus, as they are pet-friendly and near the Hopkins shuttle.

Presently, we're looking at The Carlyle and The Halstead at Guilford.

Sharing a two bedroom in one of these buildings would probably hit this young man's target price; a studio, if he prefers not to do the roommate thing.

Anyone have a feel for a particular property? Any of these high rise buildings stand out? Good or bad?

A couple more points …

First, thanks to Jamie for a helpful and well-timed piece.

Secondly, after moving about the country a number of times, I've become a bit of an expert on apartment search tools. It's amazing how many of them are difficult to use, or leave out critical search parameters, e.g., pet-friendly.

The best (but not the prettiest) site I've found for apartment searches is PadMapper. That said, don't count on just one.

By the way … over 40 percent of families have a dog, cat, or both. Over 60 percent have some kind of pet. Property owners, take note: please include information on your site, even if it is just to say "no pets." It'll save everyone a whole lot of time.