Sunday, October 16, 2005

Baltimore's Neighborhoods

Baltimore, MD is a city of distinct neighborhoods. It is city of contrasts, from gentrified Federal Hill to dilapidated Sandtown. In some neighborhoods, 3 br rowhouses in decent condition can be had for 60K while in other areas 60K would get you a doghouse.

Rundown row of rowhouses in Uptown

Lovely rowhouses in trendy Butcher's Hill

To find out more information about Baltimore's many neighborhoods check out Live Baltimore. According to Wikipedia: "Baltimore is an independent city located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of 2005, the population is 636,251, up from 628,670 in 2002."

Crime is a large problem. Crime is a large factor in slowing down the gentrification of Baltimore.

According to crime statistics, there were 278 murders in Baltimore in 2004. Though this is significantly down from the record-high 353 murders in 1993, Mayor O'Malley had promised during his 1999 campaign and the first two years of his first term that he would bring murders down to 175 a year by 2002 Â— a goal that has yet to be met. The murder rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles.

While murders have been relatively static, other categories of crime in Baltimore have been declining. However, Baltimore still has much higher-than-average rates of aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, and theft. Though the crime situation in Baltimore is considered one of the worst in the nation, city officials are quick to point out that most violent crimes, particularly murders, are committed by people who know their victims and who are often associated with the illegal drug trade.

The public school system is severely lacking and that certainly puts a damper on prices in Baltimore City. Despite all this in the past 25 years Baltimore has undergone a tremendous amount of revitalizationn. Neighborhoods that used to be run down now have 3br row houses selling for 450K with rooftop decks.


  1. Great field work in Baltimore today. I used to live in that area, and you have pretty much nailed the paradox of that region. You have these well built old brick rowhouses bordering areas with high crime. They have a double risk in Baltimore for price drop, the bubble and a possible increase in crime trends.
    Why are people so fascinated with granite countertops? It is almost a cliche at this point for every overpriced house to have them....

  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  3. Thanks.

    "Why are people so fascinated with granite countertops?"

    They do look very nice. It is an obsession among certain homebuyers and owners.

  4. Great job on the B'more report!

  5. Granite countertops are the current trend in home design and in kitchens. So are wood floors and stainless steel appliances- lets hope they do not go the way of avocado and burnt orange.......

  6. Does Baltimore have a 'Right to Carry' law on the books? If they do I would move there in a split second.

  7. I am a resident of Washington Village in Baltimore which is right next to the gentrified "federal hill." What I can tell you is that the murder rate in Baltimore may be very high, but I have not been bothered by the drug dealers or thugs as of yet, they don't bother you as long as you don't snitch on them. As far as property values go, my two houses in Pigtown(Washington Village) have appreciated at least 20% in the last year and I cannot see any depreciation in the forseeable future. Once the suburbanites in Maryland understand their unsustainability they will in turn move into these pre-gentrification neighborhoods such as Pigtown. 40's are to Martinis as Hoodies are to Pin Stripe Button Down Shirts

  8. I came across this post searching for information on Washington Village. I wonder how "ralph" feels about his houses now that the neighborhood housing market is down the tubes, mostly due in part to the greedy investors.