UMB Parking

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Hey all UMB Nursing Commuters out there! In my quest to continue trying to learn as much as possible prior to orientation, I just wanted to know how you all get to school and, if you drive yourselves, where do you park your cars? I read about parking available in the BioTech park, and apparently you catch a shuttle to the area where school is? Anybody park at Lexington Market? That's where a friend of mine parked daily when he was in Graduate school at UMB, but he told me he believes there are better places to park (not hard to believe).

I'm planning on getting to school early each day to get ahead of traffic; is that pretty common for most folks? Does that allow for any more flexibility in parking options?

Oh how I wish Baltimore had more reliable and user-friendly public transportation, but for now I am stuck on my 4 wheels. Any suggestions or opinions are most appreciated.

Thanks!

Jesse

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First of all, congratulations on getting into UMB!

Regarding parking lots, BioPark is good, Lexington garage is the main garage, with Lexington Street Market parking being an overflow location.

I'm not sure what you mean by arriving early each day. Since clinicals begin at 0630 many spots are taken by students who have clinicals long before your classes are set to begin @ 0800. Also, you can't get into the library before 0800 and can't get into the school itself or the local coffee house before 0730. So there's no point in arriving too early.

Parking is hit or miss, it all depends on how all the schedules work out that semester. Remember, you are sharing parking with students from the nursing, medical, pharamacy and dental programs as well as tenents in the nearby apartments/houses so there's no way to really predict how busy the parking garage will be until the semester begins.

Best of luck!

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Thank you so much for the good info. By "early" I meant at least 6AM, but it sounds as if I will have a tough time finding somewhere to sit and read if I get in that early? Guess I could always hang out in my car but that doesn't sound too appealing either... From what you say and what I have read, BioPark may be the best way to go. My main concern is getting ahead of traffic going downtown during rush hour; I am commuting from the suburbs and when 83 becomes a parking lot, I don't want to be anywhere near there.

Thanks again,

Jesse

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Ma'am/Sir,

The new student center will be open in august. The gym should be open by 6 am. If you come to campus early, you should been able to access the student center and the hospital cafeteria. The UMB School of Nursing opens at 0715.

I hope this helps.

D

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Wow so I can get a quick workout in and then read up on Pharmo! Thanks for the information.

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You can sit inside the hospital cafeteria 24/7, they just don't serve anything before 7am.

Lexington garage is the official student garage, with overflow (which happens really frequently, especially in the fall) to Lexington Market. Lexington Market is a very shady walk to the school - after being followed and cat-called to multiple times, I refused to park there anymore (not to mention the muggings and bicycle-jackings). If you get downtown early enough, you can sometimes get street parking, but then you have to feed the meter every 2 hours. If you want to pay really big bucks, you can park in a close garage, but don't wear your student ID until you walk away, because it's not officially allowed.

If you don't have too nice a car, you might consider crossing over MLK Blvd, and parking on the street for free.

This is all only a problem your first semester, as most clinicals are not right downtown, and you probably won't go there much after the first semester. All your research can be done via online access to the library from home, too. You won't want to lug your huge pharm book to school, either.

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Thank you for your input, *ac*. I could cut Lexington Market garage in a pinch but it wouldn't be my first choice. Maybe if I am rolling in my 98 Civic with 170K I could park off MLK with no worries. Thank you for the info about the cafeteria; I know there must be somewhere I could go and do some reading in or around the hospital at an early hour.

Just wanted to say this website is great! Where else could I go and get so much great information about almost any topic. It makes going back to school a little less intimidating.

Thanks,

Jesse

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There are actually better, quieter places to sit in the hospital than the cafeteria. For example, every floor of the Gudelsky building has a family waiting area - you can see them from the lobby if you look up near the glass elevators. If you wander around (once you have your student ID) you can find lots of nice places.

The thing a lot of people don't realize is that it's the front of the hospital and toward Lexington Market that's very shady. If you stay in the back or to the side, it's all school buildings (nursing, medical, physical therapy, etc), patrolled by school police, including cameras - it really is much safer. The nearby housing (again, in the back) is mostly student rentals.

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It sounds to me like a very easy solution to the shady lexington areas would simply to have some patrols there or some sort of security presence. I mean, I'm a dude so (hopefully) I'd be at a lesser chance of being mugged. I've also been in seedier parts of Bmore and I've found that usually if you just mind your own business, people generally don't start stuff. Unless its a bunch of adolescent teens...they're the dangerous ones. Just big enough to do some damage, but still too young/foolish/tough guyish to care.

Anyway, this makes me think twice about if I really want to bring my laptop to class.

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It sounds to me like a very easy solution to the shady lexington areas would simply to have some patrols there or some sort of security presence. I mean, I'm a dude so (hopefully) I'd be at a lesser chance of being mugged. I've also been in seedier parts of Bmore and I've found that usually if you just mind your own business, people generally don't start stuff. Unless its a bunch of adolescent teens...they're the dangerous ones. Just big enough to do some damage, but still too young/foolish/tough guyish to care.

Anyway, this makes me think twice about if I really want to bring my laptop to class.

All the crimes that I can remember being reported in that area have been against men. The most recent ones that come to mind were a doctor getting mugged and a medical student getting bike-jacked.

That area is not school property so it's not patrolled by campus police. The smartest thing to do is stay among the school buildings - then it will be fine to bring your laptop.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

I agree with *ac* I stay away from the Lexington Market overflow garage unless I absolutely have to use it. And if I do end up parking there I walk with a friend and drop them off at the regular Lexington garage.

I just remember walking by a store outside in the front where they had some really beautiful leather belts only to find out weeks later it was selling guns and the people responsible were arrested. Nice huh? Welcome to Baltimore City.

However I don't really know what the others are talking about thinking they have to get to school by 6AM. Parking can be tight but its not that hard to find...the only time I was ever turned away from Lexington was when I arrived on campus at 10AM. For first semester students good ol' Patho starts at 8:30 and Health Assessment is at 8:00, that's your earliest class. Now I might get up at six to get there and give myself plenty of time to drive- but being there by six? Unless you have a 2+ hour drive, and there are students that do I really don't think its necessary...

Try driving down one morning before school starts, you'll see what I mean.

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Hello all,

Any idea how much it cost to park at the BioPark, Lex. garage or lexington market garage?

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