Bell... where does your friend live? iIf she's driving you around, you might want to get a hotel near to where she lives. If she's in Ruxton, or north of the city, you don't want to be staying near the airport, which is south of the city. and when are you coming? The Preakness is in mid-May, so that may affect where you are, too.

Chauffer was overstating it since she has a business and family. She's going to pick us up, get us settled (including a grocery run), and deliver meals as needed. I'm going from this to looking at options. Thanks everyone!

Blieve, hon. :)

You definately DO NOT want to stay near Hopkins hospital. It is not a safe area. In Fells Point, which is only a 10 minute or so cab ride away, there is a lovely place called "The Admiral Fell Inn" Their website is www.admiralfell.com . Fell Point is a REALLY NICE area. If you stayed there, you would be taking a "lemon" situation and turning it in to "lemonade". While your husband is recuperating at the hotel, you could go out for a stroll, stop in a shop or two or get a bite to eat. It is MUCH safer and I think that you would leave with pleasant memories of a difficult situation. I live in Balto. by the way. Good luck!

We did end up staying at the Best Western Conference Center while we were in Baltimore. On the plus side: less than a mile to Johns Hopkins Bayside with an hourly shuttle; nice little excercise room on the first floor, plus a small pool, sauna, and hot tub; business center with computers so I could keep friends/family up-to-date; perfectly adequate "suite" with a 'frig/microwave/desk/two loveseats with a coffee table/king bed; pleasant and helpful staff. Negatives: not close to anything except Bayfront - which wouldn't have been a problem except we didn't rent a car (so it was quite a cab ride when I had to get a 'scrip filled for myself after hours); poor sound insulation so rooms were noisy (solved by leaving the a/c fan on - which only had one setting - high); a somewhat musty smelling room when we first walked in; the free breakfast buffet seemed to consist mainly of breads, those pancake looking egg patties, sausage,canned fruit, juice, and coffee - no fresh fruit or yogurt. I didn't try the restaurant (knew I was going to be keeping odd hours, so I had canned soup, fruit, sandwich things in the room). The bus station is attached to the back of the hotel, but you need a room key to get between the two sections - there was no noise from the passengers or the buses. Apart from the restaurant in the hotel section, there was a food court (A&?, pizza, KFC) in the section between the bus station and the hotel, plus a McDonald's across the parking lot. The next closest thing was the hospital cafeteria, which, after reading GeorgeW's post, I decided to avoid. Five or 6 blocks from the hotel were boarded up apartments, but the apartments and row houses right around the hotel was ok - no worse than where I deliver Meals on Wheels twice a week. The shuttle also runs to the Inner Harbor, but I spent my time either at the hospital (3 days) or hanging out at the hotel with hubby (less than 2 days). Would I stay there again if I had someone in Johns Hopkins and we had, the week before the illness came up, signed a contract to do what will probably be about $250,000 in remedial work to out 1924 house? For sure. If we hadn't signed the contract? Yes. If I was on vacation? No way.

I think one reason for the confusion is that your husband had his surgery at Hopkins Bayview, not the main hospital north of Fells Point so your info most people provided was for that facility. So for you others who may come to our great hospital (know it well!) the outpaitient surgery facility and cancer center etc. are several miles from Bayview. Also, many hotels have shuttles. Hope all is going well, Bellhouse.

5/17/06- if you still need info, let me know. I live in an apt bldg that also houses an 80-room Quality Inn & Suites. (500 W University Pkwy, 410-889-4500) It is often used by JH vistors, patients' families, etc. and is reasonable priced. It is across the street from JHUniv but the JH shuttle bus stops here on its route and goes to and from the JH hospital and other JH facilites throughout the day, I believe. This is a very safe area, as you've already heard (Charles Village/Roland Park), and there are many reasoonably priced and tasty eating-out options plus grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. within walking distance. I'll post more info if it is still needed.