Sophomore accounting major
Living between Baltimore and Washington, I was fortunate to have visited each city dozens of times throughout my life. I went to schools right outside of both, and my family has worked right outside of the two cities. So trust me when I say there is absolutely no question that D.C. is better than Baltimore. It is just a better place all-around, from restaurants and bars to quality of life and attractions. Though I could probably list 200 reasons why Washington is better than Baltimore, I only need two reasons to prove my point: public transportation and the national monuments and museums.
If you plan on visiting either city, driving probably is not your best option because traffic and parking are terrible (as they are in just about every city that has people). Good transportation is vital for getting around a city quickly and conveniently. While the buses of each city are comparable, most people in big cities tend to use a train system. In D.C., Metrorail is the dominant mode of transport, while Baltimore has a combination of light-rail and a subway.
Washington Metro, while not quite as impressive as New York City’s subway, is remarkably helpful in getting around. It has five access points in this state and Virginia — for students at this university, the Green Line — and has dozens of stops throughout the city and immediate suburbs. Even better, it runs as frequently as every six minutes, and though there are sometimes closures or delays, there is always a way to get from point A to point B.
Then you have the Baltimore rail systems. One Baltimore light-rail line covers a fraction of the Howard County and Baltimore County suburbs. It usually runs about every 20 minutes to half-hour (when it is on time). Inside the city, unless you just plan on spending time by Camden Yard and South Howard Street, you are forced to rely on the Baltimore Metro Subway. This “subway” has 14 stations along a 15-mile corridor that does not even compare to the more frequent stops in D.C.
So D.C. Metro is clearly a better option for travel. More stops, more trains and more reliable travel make it an obvious winner over Baltimore’s subpar transit system. But what good is a transit system if there’s nothing to see?
Fortunately, D.C. covers that too. The dozens of national monuments, memorials and museums that populate its streets dwarf the limited selection of Baltimore museums. There are government buildings like the Capitol, White House and Library of Congress for those interested in the political system. If you are interested in science and technology, many Smithsonian museums have world-class exhibits. If you just want to honor America’s past, you can visit the Jefferson, Lincoln or war memorials. You can visit the site where Martin Luther King Jr. made his iconic speech or the famous Washington Monument. The Newseum and various arts museums provide a cultural boost.
Baltimore might have some museums and the National Aquarium, but nothing can compare to Washington’s collection. Even more impressive is that nearly every single one of these places is free in D.C., but this is not the case for Baltimore’s museums.
It’s a clear choice. D.C. has the transportation systems and attractions that make it a much better city. Baltimore has its merits, but it cannot compare to our nation’s capital.
Matt Dragonette is a sophomore accounting major. He can be reached at mdragonettedbk@gmail.com.
