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dobbythepup OP t1_itlt46a wrote

Reply to comment by dopkick in Advice on neighborhoods to check out ahead of potential move by dobbythepup

Yeah, this is what our friends say, too re the kid friendly vibe there - we've been roped into Halloween celebrations during our visit so I'm sure we'll get a really good sense of the vibe. We're definitely open to it - but the Under Armor campus nearby makes me think it might be a tech-like corporate bubble (and the houses I've seen are more expensive and look a bit more like generic flips or newer builds).

To add more context to what we're looking for, if we had millions and could comfortably stay in Brooklyn forever, our dream would be to buy a brownstone or limestone in Prospect Heights or Prospect Lefferts Gardens (if you have familiarity with NYC)-- ideally one with original wood details, built in mirrors, original tiling or stained glass etc. Bonus points if a little old lady lived there for 50 years. We want to get in before the flippers convert everything into monotone gray. Space is obviously a premium (something we will appreciate even more once we have kids) but after years and years in a 1.5 bedroom rent stabilized apartment in a 90 unit building, we are likely to feel spoiled quite easily. One thing I do like about Locust Point is it sounds like a ton of walking, and I love that the houses are close together (alleys kind of creep me out).

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needleinacamelseye t1_itlzwr1 wrote

The thing about the neighborhoods on the South Baltimore peninsula (Federal Hill, Riverside, Locust Point) is that, with the exception of a handful of blocks, they were built as housing for the working class. In the days before everybody owned a car, employees of the waterfront docks/factories/warehouses needed to live near where they worked. Their houses were not grand and never had much in the way of architectural details - they were two stories, six rooms, plain façade, stamped steel cornice, maybe 1400 sq. ft. if you're lucky. When the upper-middle classes discovered that living near the water was actually quite pleasant once all the industry moved away, they bought old working class houses, gutted them, and redid the interiors to match modern tastes. There are almost no houses similar to the ones in Park Slope or Prospect Heights on the South Baltimore peninsula, and those that do exist are highly unlikely to still have their original interiors.

If you want Park Slope or Prospect Heights in Baltimore, you need to look at the Charles St corridor heading north out of downtown - this has always been where the city's money lived. This is where you find the 5-6000 sq. ft. mansions for the city's elite, along with alley housing for their servants. Once you get far enough north, the rowhouses give way to single-family mansions that I would argue compare favorably to the housing stock in any East Coast city.

Just know that there are tradeoffs - for instance, the tony northern neighborhoods generally do not have great public elementary schools (with the notable exception of Roland Park EMS), as most of the residents have the funds to send their kids to private school. Canton, Federal Hill, and Locust Point have good public elementary schools - but you're not going to get the architecture you want. And this isn't even taking into account commuting, walkability, shopping, cultural amenities, etc. I'm sure you'll find something that you'll be happy with, but there will be tradeoffs - unfortunately that's how Baltimore is.

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dobbythepup OP t1_itm1itn wrote

This is extremely helpful context and makes a ton of sense based on what we’ve seen. Thank you for giving me that history. I think as much as it’s nice to fantasize about having pretty tile and ornate wood carved interiors, our values are much more aligned with public education and living in an urban environment than a cute spooky house.

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blsavarese t1_itwleoh wrote

Just moved to Reservoir Hill and I think it might have the vibe you're after. The rowhouses are larger than those in South Balto and have more of the NY/Brooklyn brownstone feel. I've spent a lot of time in Brooklyn and this 'hood feels like Brooklyn to me. In fact, an incredible place that just came on the market on the Mt Royal Crescent, which is near me (more Balto style rowhouse than brownstone style, but still incredible). I have felt so welcomed by my very diverse neighbors and can honestly say that I love my neighborhood. I think Reservoir Hill gets a bit of bad rep, but I'm not sure it's warranted.

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blsavarese t1_itwljn3 wrote

oh, and my hubs doesn't drive--only uses transit. transit here is not great, but RH is basically located at the N/S and E/W transit hub.

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needleinacamelseye t1_itxs1av wrote

For what it's worth, OP specifically said that she was looking for walkability in her post. While the houses in Res Hill are very nice, and I agree it gets a worse reputation than it deserves, I wouldn't exactly call it walkable. There are no businesses in the neighborhood save for Dovecote Cafe, and it's surrounded by parks, a busy freeway, and other staunchly residential neighborhoods. Most everything you might want to do or buy is going to be in Hampden or CV or Station North or Mt Vernon, so if you're looking for walkability, why not live in one of those neighborhoods and save yourself having to drive everywhere?

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blsavarese t1_itxuyi9 wrote

Have to respectfully disagree. We love Cookhouse, On the Hill, and Tilted Row just to name a few restaurants. Can easily walk to the PO and the elementary school one block away. Oh yeah, also close to the zoo and walking distance the symphony. Also, we can walk only minutes to major transit hubs to get wherever transit takes you. pretty comparable experience to many ‘hoods in Brooklyn. So yeah, no Starbucks and no walkable grocery, but maybe you’ll even find that with the development of Madison Park North. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Strong recommendation for RH.

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dopkick t1_itluyf5 wrote

> We're definitely open to it - but the Under Armor campus nearby makes me think it might be a tech-like corporate bubble (and the houses I've seen are more expensive and look a bit more like generic flips or newer builds).

This is extremely, extremely far off. There is no tech-bro corporate bubble anywhere in Baltimore. The UA campus there is also on the way out.

I don't mean to be rude, but I think you need to reconcile the HGTV stuff with reality. Especially if you're looking to have kids. Depending on what kind of lifestyle you're after (accessibility to other families, schools, need for a car, etc.) there are some neighborhoods that might be much better suited to you. I would put architecture as a very low priority, personally.

Alleys are extremely common in Baltimore, BTW. They're everywhere and range from clean pseudo roads wide enough for two cars to narrow, dark passages out of a murder mystery.

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