Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the cultural center for the state of Maryland. Historically a working-class port town and one-time manufacturing giant, the city’s economy is now geared toward service-oriented businesses, finance, health care and tourism. With over 300 identified districts, Baltimore, Maryland offers an abundant array of apartment rentals to choose from for those who are moving to the city for the first time.

Renters in Baltimore, MD have plenty to choose from in terms of quality employment opportunities. The city is home to six Fortune 1000 companies and hundreds of others across a wide array of industries. Noteworthy employers include Constellation Energy, Black Decker, Legg Mason, T.Rowe Price, Grace Chemicals and McCormick Company. Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University are also in Baltimore and this duo makes up the two largest employers in the city.

Like most Eastern cities, Baltimore is in a humid subtropical climate zone that experiences generous precipitation evenly spread out throughout the year. Summer is typically humid and the city averages about 80.4 degrees with July being the hottest month of the year. January is typically the city’s coldest month with an average temperature of 34.9 degrees. Average winter snowfall is approximately 18.8 inches per year, with slightly more in the northern and western suburbs where the temperatures are seasonally cooler.

Baltimore, Maryland is a treasure trove of sights and a city that lovers of architecture can really appreciate. The city is filled with buildings designed by many of the world’s top architects, including George A. Frederick, I. M. Pei, Benjamin Latrobe, Mies Van Der Rohe, John Russell Pope and others.

Notable architectural sights include The Baltimore Basilica, the Peale Museum, the Phoenix Shot Tower, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Lloyd Street Synagogue and the World Trade Center.

Of course, some of the most popular destinations in the city are Camden Yards, the Inner Harbor and the National Aquarium, each of which welcome thousands, if not millions of visitors every year.

Baltimore renters who have a love for the performing arts have an array of resources at their disposal with such organizations as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Opera, the Baltimore Consort and the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in town. There’s also a strong selection of professional and community theater groups to choose from like Center Stage, Everyman Theatre and the Single Carrot Theatre.

As far as sports go in Baltimore, the city has plenty to offer. The Ravens (NFL) and the Orioles (MLB) each have their own stadiums in Camden Yard and the Baltimore Blast have been one of the National Indoor Soccer League’s most successful teams. The city also hosts the second leg of the Triple Crown, Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course every May.

Baltimore renters enjoy a pleasant balance of clean urban living environments and lush parklands featuring over 6,000 acres of open space. Over 300,000 trees line the city streets with many more throughout the city’s parks. Renters in Baltimore can enjoy peaceful strolls along wooded walkways, bird watching by the lake or the long, winding bike trails routed all across the city.

If you’re looking for an apartment to rent in Baltimore, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how welcoming the city is to your four-footed friend. The city has many apartment complexes where pets are accepted and there are no fewer then seven parks that openly welcome dogs and cats. These include Druid Hill Park, Canton Dog Park, Locust Point Dog Park, John H. Downs Memorial Park, Quiet Waters Park, Robert E. Lee Memorial Park and Wyman Park.

Baltimore is separated into nine geographical regions – Northern, Northwestern, Northeastern, Western, Central, Eastern, Southern, Southwestern, and Southeastern and each of these is divided into distinct neighborhoods.

Baltimore’s Central region includes downtown where rental apartments are conveniently located near the heart of the city’s main commercial area. These apartments are typically smaller, loft-style residences that feature higher than average rental prices. Near the northern edge of the Central region are the neighborhoods of Mount Vernon, Reservoir Hill, Bolton Hill, Charles North and Druid Heights. Many of the neighborhoods in this region are culturally diverse with more affordable apartments located on the outer fringes of the region.

The city’s Northern region is predominantly made up of upper-class neighborhoods that include Homeland, Roland Park, Cedarcroft and Guilford. Of course, because this region is also home to three of the area’s universities, there is also an array of inexpensive college apartments to choose from for those coming to Baltimore for higher education purposes.

Baltimore’s southern region is one that is a mix of residential and industrial. The neighborhoods in this region are working-class and ethnically-diverse, including Cherry Hill, Federal Hill and Locust Point. If you’re in need of a cheap apartment in Baltimore, then the neighborhoods in the southern region of the city are a good place to begin your search.

The residential neighborhoods that make up Northeastern Baltimore are mostly home to those who work at or attend Morgan State University. In this area, cheap apartment rentals geared to students of the school are commonplace.

East Baltimore is a lower-income region that features unfurnished and furnished apartments for those who attend Johns Hopkins University. This region is a diverse landscape of primarily academic renters and permanent residents.

The southern region of Baltimore is home to many working-class, ethnic-specific neighborhoods, including communities consisting primarily of Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, African-Americans, Greek-Americans, Latinos and Puerto Ricans.

Baltimore’s western region is home to Randallstown, Owings Mills, Columbia and other middle- to upper-class neighborhoods. The neighborhoods in this section are older and feature many historical buildings, city landmarks and metropolitan apartments.