More Transit Lines Can Exist, Without Much Digging

If you can't gather the money to build quality transit, don't build it all. Only quality efficient transit will gather riders anywhere and everywhere. With that I say we throw the Red Line on the back burner and take a long hard look at Baltimore's transit system and where streets are currently congested. With only one tunnel going under Cooks Lane (a major hurdle for the Red Line) and the fate of Canton Crossing up in the air, there are too many "what ifs" lets focus on places where what ifs and one direction tunnels aren't the order of the day. One might be surprised at what you could build upon when you look at what's already there.

Map From Google Earth

This is the preferred Red Line which, due to the pressure of being "shovel ready" is an all or nothing deal. Instead of building it in stages and waiting out the economy when the City, State, and Feds are a little less strapped for cash everybody wants to move forward on this fundamentally flawed Red Line which uses none of the old abandoned tracks that the City is flanked with. So, the entire line will be built from scratch. Now, lets take a little trip.
Here we are on W. Oliver St. where mixed use development featuring a Barnes & Noble is currently under construction. This is located on the flawed Light Rail Line. It is here that I find evidence that flawed transit projects impact ridership.
The original Light Rail's route was fine, the only problem was that during its time Downtown it's rammed down Howard St. Here, one can see the overhead lines on Howard St. and how a Light Rail train can add to the traffic mess. However, Howard St. has a saving grace of having CSX tunnels running under it and said tunnels have to be vacated by the CSX after the 2001 fire. This part of the Light Rail can just move on in.Expansions to the original Light Rail included a Penn Station stop that didn't help neighboring communities with their traffic congestion and the other to BWI where a one track at a time method was used just like that that is being proposed for Cooks Lane.
Now we're in Charles Center at the currently shuttered Mechanic Opera House. David S. Brown Enterprises promises to redevelop the site with a new Mechanic, retail, and high rise residential. What does this have to do with transit? Everything. One thing I didn't mention was that the Charles Center Subway stop is located right under the Mechanic. An even more important detail I forgot to mention was that this stop was built for two. This particular stop was and is perhaps the best Mass Transit Stop in all of Baltimore because it was built on the premise of expansion. Now, if we start referring to the existing lines in "colors" instead of "Metro" or "Light Rail" they will stir up excitement and demand expansion. The Yellow Line already exists believe or not. It travels with the Blue Line except for the Penn Station and BWI branches but here in lies the foundation for a transit line all its own. The Charles Center Stop knows this and this stop built for two will house a Yellow Line Stop.

The liberated Yellow Line will branch off from the Blue Line at Howard and Conway. With the Convention Center, Harborplace, and the numerous underground parking garages in this area it won't be very hard or expensive to dedicate bits and pieces of this for an underground tunnel that will lead us to the Charles Center tunnel for two after an Inner Harbor stop at Pratt St.Once the Yellow Line has used its tunnel for two with a Green Line transfer it will go northeast along Clavert St. where there is lot of digging and building for the ever expanding Mercy Hospital. This, along with City Hall and the Court House will serve as grounds for another Yellow Line Stop. Lets not forget the City's intention to demolish the JFX, there has to be a transit back up for the aftermath of it.
Past Mercy Hospital and into Mount Vernon, one will be hard pressed to find tunnels for the Yellow Line to latch onto. The Yellow Line will have a Mount Vernon Stop right here at Orleans St. where the blending of Franklin and Mulberry Streets, The Orleans St. Viaduct, and Preston Gardens warrant the additional stop but can they come up with the cash?I don't see it being a huge problem considering Penn Station's just a few blocks away, less than a mile even. Penn Station for now will be the north end of the Yellow Line. It will help the continued redevelopment of Station North, Greenmount West, and Barclay. When the time comes the Yellow Line will expand up Greenmount Avenue/York Road and and its real end will be Towson Town Centre.Map from Google Earth

The "Current Yellow Line" ends at BWI but about a mile away is the BWI Amtrak MARC Station. Although it's a simple shuttle bus ride away between the two stops it will be very easy to extend the line to meet the MARC/Amtrak Station. In fact it can be at ground level with its own right of way, i.e. not very expensive. The Yellow Line's southern end will be in Columbia via Arundel Mills but that's a ways away.Now we've made our way to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Development and redevelopment in this region of the City is recession proof. The Biotech Park and the upwards of 1600 new and rehabbed homes are right on schedule. It may not be as dense as the blighted Middle East neighborhood the Biotech is located in but considering the 30% vacancy rate of Middle East there will be more people living and working here.
Hopkins serves as the current eastern end of the Green Line. It was never supposed to play this roll but the fact that the Green Line is Heavy Rail instead of Light Rail has made expansion almost impossible. Although the partial expansion of the Green Line from Hopkins to Morgan State is a priority project I don't see it happening soon. I'd love to see it go all the way to White Marsh via Harford Road going through Lauraville Waltherson and Hamilton and eventually to Martin State Airport.The Green Line Expansion to Morgan is much of a "sure thing" than anything on the Red Line. Morgan State is expanding leaps and bounds with no end in site. Enrollment is through the roof drawing not just from Baltimore but from all over the region. The Red Line, especially east of Downtown is dependent on future development, a lot of which is now up in the air. West of Downtown its neighborhoods are half vacant. It would be wiser to shift focus on the Green Line where neighborhoods are growing, not shrinking. Also the proposed Red Line rams it down Edmondson Avenue in the same fashion the Blue Line is rammed down Howard St. This won't solve traffic problems, it will add to them. Another fringe benefit of the Green Line Morgan Expansion would be the redevelopment of Northwood Plaza. Northwood Plaza today is a suburban style shopping center in the middle of an urban environment. The Neighborhood Design Center has presented us with an ambitious plan to redevelop the center by making it denser and incorporating other uses for it. Now here we are back in Mount Vernon. This time for the Charles St. Trolley. This priority project of the City and Civic Groups alike is right on track and will provide a local link from Johns Hopkins University to the Inner Harbor. The Yellow Line and the Charles St. Trolley can co exist very nicely. The only issue I have with the Charles St. Trolley and my fellow "Envision Baltimore" Colleagues agree that it trys to have a stop everywhere. Its route looks more like a tourist tram than a Commuter Rail. I say keep it simple, northbound goes on Charles St., Southbound on St. Paul St. If you're a tourist, Ride the Ducks.
Here we are in Charles Village where the Trolley line will end. Now both Charles St. and St. Paul St. have much less traffic than they do Downtown. That's easy to explain, Charles Village is a College Community that is very walkable. There's plenty of foot traffic on the sidewalks here. The entire trolley line will be at ground level with traffic. Both streets are plenty wide to support it and a good redesign of St. Paul St. along Preston Gardens will relieve traffic congestion along the Trolley Line. Now we're in Locust Point where the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan doesn't have lines or stops running through it. Luckily there are train tracks running all over the South Baltimore Peninsula. In the Baltimore Regional Rail Plan there are two lines the Orange Line and the Purple Line which uses existing MARC tracks and making local stops on them. This plan wasn't met with open arms, however I love this concept. Before any new lines are built, these two lines should be implemented, Baltimore will see much better transit service without laying a single track. Local stops on the Orange and Purple lines will have "pulloffs" where riders on those line can board and deboard trains without interrupting service to MARC and Amtrak trains that won't be making as many stops. Map From Google Earth

Now, the Orange Line will travel mostly on the MARC Camden Line from the Dorsey Station almost to its Camden Yards end. Just before Mt&T Bank Stadium it will switch to CSX tracks where it will serve Sharp Leadenhall, South Baltimore, Riverside, and Locust Point. As displayed above it will make a loop around residential Locust Point and end. It won't directly serve Federal Hill but there will be a "Shuttle Bug" to give residents rides to stops on the Orange Line. The Shuttle Bug can stop at the Southside Marketplace, The Cross St. Market, and the Ritz Carlton Residences.

Now the Purple Line will use the MARC Penn Line as its tracks. It will start at the BWI MARC and end at Martin State Airport. New local stops will include Arbutus/UMBC, St. Agnes Hospital, Irvington, Rosemont, Sandtown, Biotech MARC, Orangeville (East Baltimore MARC,) Bayview, Rosedale, and Rossville beofre its end at Martin State Airport. Like the Purple Line, it will use "pulloffs" so as not to interupt serivce to MARC and Amtrak lines. Unlike the Purple Line it won't end with its own route on its own line. It will however, branch off at St. Agnes Hospital for the SoWeBO Street Car Line. This will run on abandoned track lines in Carroll Park and will jump start revitalization efforts in neighborhoods along Wilkens Avenue. It will end at the B&O Railroad Museum.

Well that's it our trip is over, as you can see with minimal building of new and expanded lines (Both the Green and Yellow Line will have to eventually continue) we can relieve traffic congestion in Baltimore. The Red Line at this point is too rushed and must be reevaluated to make it feasable and my next post will do just that. Stay tuned!

The Alameda:Baltimore's Next Eutaw Place?

When you think of the Alameda and Eutaw Place you don't think of their similarities right away, first you think of their differences. Eutaw Place runs through West Baltimore's elegant Bolton Hill neighborhood while the Alameda runs through East and northeast Baltimore. The homes on Eutaw Place are large and stately while the homes on the Alameda are smaller and haven't been cared for as well. But could these two seemingly different streets which only share one thing in common (their median) become each others' twins?
You can't talk about the Alameda's conception without discussing two key factors; Homestead Village and Olmstead Firm's Comprehensive Park Plan of Baltimore City. Homestead Village as it would be called came to be in the 1850s laid out on the Gorsuch Estate. It was Baltimore's (pre annexation) first row house suburb. it featured the urban grid and was/is as dense as most Baltimore City row house neighborhoods. Homestead Village was targeted towards the middle class and was surrounded by the estates of wealthy Land Owners and featured a diverse array of architecture.
Next, there's the Olmstead Firm's Comprehensive Park Plan of Baltimore City. This included the creation of several "park like" roads with plush medians to create a link between parks. The Alameda is one of those roads, it connects Clifton Park to 33rd St. It was eventually expanded to what is now Chinquapin Park thereby serving its purpose. It currently sits on the National Register for Historic Places.
Historic Homestead Village is the same "Homestead known in the neighborhood cluster of Coldstream Homestead Montebello. Given Homestead Village's importance it should be classified as a Local if not National Resgister for Historic Places. Another Historic landmark that goes overlooked is Clifton Park itself; the Estate of Johns Hopkins. Yes the same Johns Hopkins of Hospital and University fame.
What needs to be done to to turn the Alameda into median worthy of Eutaw Place is to let it be known that it has so much Historical Significance. It's obvious that much of the stretch of the Alameda in question, Historic Homestead Village, and Clifton Park are now Inner City Neighborhoods that have suffered decades of neglect. The outer edges of Coldstream Homestead Montebello have fared much better than the center of the neighborhood.
When the public housing high rises came down in the 1990s into the 21st century, the successful town homes that went in their place helped unearth the long forgotten and neglected history that the high rises covered up. Case in point; Historic Jonestown, when Flaghouse Courts came down and Albemarle Square came up, a renewed interest both inside and outside Historic Jonestown was brought about and is now a livable walkable community. The parts of Jonestown that survived both Fkaghouse Courts and Albemarle Square are now in great demand for a rehab.
I'm going to make the argument that neighborhoods like Coldstream Homestead Montebello are the high rises of the 21st century. I escpecially see parallels in Coldstream Homestead Montebello in Flaghouse Courts/Albemarle Sqaure. That means that large portions of the neighborhood will have to be demolished in order to save it. Historic Homestead Village and the Alameda's housing stock will be spared. Historic Homestead's housing stock is in bad shape though but I can see a revival. if much of the homes around it are gone in favor of new construction the homes left instantly become more valuable. It's all about supply and demand. When the supply goes down, the demand goes up.
The lower Coldstream and Upper Montebello will be spared as their housing is in much better shape than its surroundings. The southwestern edge does contain blighted industrial uses that would make for better neighborhood retail and will be part of the redevelopment.After the demolition of the blighted parts of the neighborhood and new construction is underway, the City can acquire blighted and vacant properties along the Alameda and in Historic Homestead Village and offer them for sale at the price of $1. Hey, it worked in Otterbein, why shouldn't it work here? For the exterior facades of the properties there will be strict guidelines the new Home Owners must adhere to insure the integrity of the homes.The Estate of Johns Hopkins (Clifton Park) is yet another historic landmark. Considering the struggles of the neighborhoods surrounding neighborhoods, Clifton Park has done very well. The only way its integrity has been compromised is Lake Clifton High.Now what's wrong with a High School in the middle of a park? It actually sounds like a tranquil and serene setting. It does however, it was built over a Lake hence the name Lake Clifton High.There really is a Lake under that School pictured. The School was built at a time when Historic Preservation wasn't a priority in the City. The School is currently a surplus of seats and should be demolished in favor of a full restoration of Lake Clifton.Now with all the new construction going on in Coldstream Homestead Montebello how can it be best be marketed? After all, the promise of Historic Preservation and a new old lake across Harford Road probably isn't enough to fill the new homes which will be a mix of Condos and Town homes with a varying income mix. Well here's one, another Lake!
I bet you forgot that north of Coldstream Homestead Montebello lies Lake Montebello. With the rebirth of Lake Clifton Coldstream Homestead Montebello will have the bragging rights of having two Lakes in its back yard, no Baltimore Neighborhood can say that. Also with the proposed Green Line extension from Hopkins to Morgan (and eventually to White Marsh and Martin State Airport) Coldstream Homestead Montebello will be a logical stop. Therefore it will be TOD. A continuation of the Harford Road Streetscape enhancements that Lauraville and Hamilton have enjoyed will complement the Alameda very well.Well notice that this post talks very little about the Alameda and its comparison to Eutaw Place. Fact of the matter is, The Alameda already has what it needs in place to be East Baltimore's Eutaw Place. To create the elegance and stability needed the neighborhood surrounding the Alameda is what really needs to be addressed. To really put this area on the map would to be to make it a tourist attraction. Bus tours that show off Historic Homestead Village and the remainders of the Patterson Estate (Coldstream) and the Garrett Estate (Montebello) and the Hopkins Estate (Clifton Park) with way finding signs like those in the harbor. This currently blighted part of the City will be sure to give even Eutaw Place a run for its money.

Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville: Changing Demographics

The year was 1990, and the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville played host to a population that was nearly 90% White according to the 1990 census. Very little had changed racially here since the Farming Villages and wealthy Estate Owners sold off their land to develop what has become the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville which include, Lauraville, Waltherson, Beverly Hills, Acadia, and Moravia Walther. The product; middle class housing of varying styles and sizes in a suburban setting while remaining in Baltimore City centered along Harford Road, the Main Street that runs through Greater Lauraville and beyond.
How many neighborhood clusters in Baltimore City can say that have experienced very little racial change since its homes were built in the early 1900s until 1990? Very few however, like other neighborhood clusters in the City other changes did take place. There had been some population loss and a turn from Middle Class to an increasing Working class presence, mostly from White neighborhoods that did experience a racial turnover.
Well I'm sure you've figured out that from the title of this post that the status quo that lasted up to 1990 has since changed. The 1990s marked the beginning of racial change in Greater Lauraville. By the 2000 census it showed that Greater Lauarville was an almost 55/45 White/Black split. Whites were still the majority but to move from almost 90% White to 55% White was quite remarkable. If this pattern were to continue, Greater Lauraville by 2010 would be 15% White and 85% Black. It's October 2009 and the I can say that has remained diverse like it was in 2000 but perhaps the White/Black ratio has flipped to 45% White and 55% Black. Now I'm going to attempt to make sense of Greater Lauraville today and what we can expect tomorrow.
First I'll have to take you back to an ugly day in 2000. Locals from Northeast Baltimore (mostly White) protested at Hamilton Middle the proposed move of former public housing residents displaced by the implosion of their high rises into Northeast Baltimore including Greater Lauraville. The public housing residents in question were Black. Now, I'm sure everybody's first impression of this incident is that this was racially motivated. It was my first impression too but then I researched it deeper. This was the year 2000, by then Greater Lauraville was 45% Black. So these protesting Whites had a lot of Blacks living amongst them. I think it's more resentment that the homes given to these former public housing residents have been completely renovated while a lot of the protesters struggle to pay their mortgages and maintain their homes. I came to this conclusion after reading articles relating to this incident. I think it's more classist than racist.
Now lets examine the influx of Black Residents who have made Greater Lauraville home since 1990. Unlike the rest of Baltimore City Greater Lauraville gained population in the 1990s and may have done so in the 2000s. This suggests that the number of Whites lost isn't as high as one might assume because more homes are occupied. The average median income has also increased. Before the Black influx it was down suggesting that Greater Lauraville's Black residents have added to the stability of the neighborhood. I'm not saying they're millionaires, just Middle Class. The housing offered in Greater Lauraville is very diverse and allows home owners to add on to and renovate their homes to their dreams. New Construction of Single Family Homes in the City is practically non existent so the renovation of existing ones will provide the styling and luxury of a new home for a lot less money.
It's this same attractive housing package that has also brought new Middle Class Whites into Greater Lauraville. Yep, there's still inward White migration here although it's at a much slower pace than that of their Black neighbors. Obviously, when they're buying their homes they're aware of the diversity and like Columbia residents look at it as a positive rather than a negative. A new generation of White urban dwellers who have abandoned racism is emerging in neighborhoods that may have, in previous decades been re-segregated.With all this talk of inward migration we can't forget about the residents who have stayed here for generations with no intention of moving. Some are Children or Grandchildren of the original Homeowners. They have invested untold amounts of time and money into their pride and joy; their home. If they were racist, they would have moved at the onset of the Black influx and may have called it modern day "blockbusting" so it's safe to say that they're tolerant and welcoming of their new neighbors. Just look at the pictures posted of the Lauraville Country Fair, there's evidence to support this. One thing other than the demographics of Greater Lauraville that has changed has been Violent Crime. Greater Lauraville, until very recently (even more recent than the demographics shift) has been a Community that didn't have to worry about the problems that have plagued Inner City Baltimore. In fact, lots of homes left their doors unlocked. However, from 2007 up Northeast Baltimore has seen the largest crime increase out of any Baltimore precinct. These crimes don't appear to be Gang Related like many other parts of the City but it's not something to be taken lightly. Residents and Police Officers are not allowing crime to intimidate them and have participated in events such as "neighborhood watch" and citizens on patrol" to try and combat this increase and make Greater Lauraville safer than it's ever been.

Now we come to the Community's Main Street; Harford Road. Recent streetscape enhancements have transformed this once suburban like boulevard into a quaint neighborhood Main Street.
When driving down Harford Road one would look at the lack luster retail and think that this was another poor neighborhood with typical "urban stores" a lot of these stores have popped up during the Black influx.
It's funny because these stores cater to a poorer audience and they have opened as the average median income has gone up. It seems that retailers, and I've made this point before, whenever an area sees a larger Black clientele they assume that Dollar Stores, Beauty Supply Shops, Auto Part Dealers, Check Cashing Places, and Laundromats are the only types of stores good enough for a Black Population rich, poor, or anything in between. I call this "racist retail" other examples can be found in Forest Park, Belair Edison, and Northwood Shopping Center.For several years now there's been a vacant Gas Station on Harford Road at Montebello Terrace and has been awaiting redevelopment. This redevlopment has never gotten off the ground for various reasons. There have been numerous tries and the Baltimore Development Corporation seems to have finally secured a Developer and Architect. Too bad our economy's in the toilet so construction is still a ways away. The finished product promises to bring upscale retail and office space in-keeping with the architecture of Harford Road. Some residents have told me that they would prefer the Shoppes at Lauraville not be built at all because the Lauraville and Hamilton Business District have transformed this former eye sore into a successful Farmers Market.
Quite recently, some restaurateurs have seen the potential of Greater Lauraville and its buying power. Harford Road has become known as an emerging Restaurant District that attracts "foodies" from trendy neighborhoods. Sadly, this hasn't been a good time to roll the dice on starting a new Business but that hasn't stopped Restaurants already in business from opening their doors. If you don't know the area, no would expect that Restaurants in Greater Lauraville to look like "fine dining" establishments based on their menus but in fact their appearances have a "neighborhood watering hole" appearance but don't judge a book by its cover, a mistake I made.In 2008 a Study of the Harford Road Corridor was released. One big part of the Study was what residents in neighborhoods bordering Harford Road thought of what it had to offer. It appears that Residents have very differing opinions of Harford Road. One common theme was that it's evolving. How it's evolving and what's evolving into is where the difference lies.Many say that Harford Road is an emerging Main Street whose Retail will gentrify as more Residents with higher amounts of disposable income move into the area. A few think that Harford Road reflects poorly on the neighborhoods it's supposed to serve and go else where for their retail needs.
An even smaller few think Harford Road's "racist retail" is a precursor to Greater Lauraville taking a turn for the worse. Another small theme is that a lot of Greater Lauraville Residents don't use Harford Road as much as they'd like due to lack of retail that serves their needs. They're waiting for better retail and then they'd use Harford Road more often.
Now who does use Harford Road besides residents living there? After all it seems pretty clear that not all Residents who live in Greater Lauraville don't yet Harford Road is bustling with pedestrian activity. Many businesses receive patrons who I believe from East Baltimore. Lower Harford Road below Clifton Park and above Hopkins in neighborhoods with high residential vacancy rates that have no retail. I believe this to be true because the biggest cluster of pedestrians congregate at Bus Stops. These neighborhoods also have the highest percentages of Residents without vehicles. Now what we learned today? We've learned that present today Greater Lauraville is a draw for City Dwellers Black and White, we've learned that Greater Lauraville isn't immune to crime like it had been for decades, we've learned that streetscape enhancements although attractive aren't an end all for Harford Road. Harford Road isn't utilized by all of its nearest residents and won't be until its offerings aren't "racist retail." Most importantly we've learned that changing demographics don't always equal White Flight anymore.

The Kipp Approach

After Health Care, another one of President's Obama's big initiatives is Education reform. Once again Baltimore is a great example of the need for Education reform. With Baltimore City Public Schools among the worst in the Country it may surprise you to find out that a key to Education reform is right here in Baltimore.

I've done a few posts on School Construction and how to build new School Buildings while reducing excess Classroom Space at the same time but I haven't tackled the big Elephant sitting in the middle of the room or should I say classroom. The Elephant in this case is curriculum and access to "Magnet Schools" that far exceed those of their counterparts. Those who apply and are accepted into Magnet Schools are given a far more stimulating and satisfactory Education experience than those who don't and have a much better chance of completing High School and continuing their Education.

Now, is this fair? Just because you're born into a household that values Education more than others you have the opportunity to have a far greater Education experience than one who doesn't. Not only that, your Education is fun and you're far more willing to learn.

Now Education reform can go hand and hand with rebuilding new Schools. When Schools are closed and combined, their new School that opens in their place will have the overhauled curriculum. This will eventually spread Citywide and will return every student to their districted neighborhood School with all the benefits of a Magnet School. Obviously, Baltimore's neighborhoods where Schools are struggling the most will be the first to be rebuilt and reformed.

Now I'm sure you're wondering which Magnet Program will be implemented Citywide. Well, my idea for this post came when I was reading about the Kipp Ujima Elementary/Middle and Harmony Academy what it is they offer. Kipp Ujima Elementary/Middle runs in the old Greensring/ Dr. Roland N. Patterson Middle and Harmony Academy which opened this past School Year, operates in the old Malcolm X Elementary both in Park Heights.

Now what makes Kipp Ujima Elementary/Middle and Harmony Academy so good? Well I'll give you a crash course in their offerings. The two Schools operate under the same umbrella. Their School Day is 9.25 hours long, 6.25 hours for three weeks of the summer and three hours on select Saturdays throughout the year. I call this "The Kipp Approach" there is a large emphasis on Athletics and the team work exercise it builds. The Kipp Schools are the highest performing Schools in the City and are among the best in the State.

Now students who come from homes that value Education yet have not been accepted to one of the Kippp Schools will be delighted to receive the same Educational opportunities as those who do. This will be a life line thrown to them that they will eagerly catch. The transition from traditional Public Schools to a new School using The Kipp Approach will be great.

Now we come to the sector of Students the Kipp Approach will help the most in the long run but at the same time will be the most resistant to it. These Kids will be deemed "at risk" factors for an at risk child include; suspensions, arrests, drug use, drug use in the family, constantly packing up and moving, bouncing back and forth from different relatives, and gang activity.

These Students, in addition to the regular curriculum offered at their neighborhood "Kipp" School they will attend mandatory after School sessions that range from tutoring to emotional therapy to deal with their problems at home. The tutoring sessions, will insure that each Student finishes their Homework for the next day before they leave School. In fact, it will kept at School to insure it's turned in. This additional time after School coupled with a "no suspension" and dropping out only being allowed after a Student tuns 18 rather than 16 may impact some of these Students greatly and put them out of the "at risk" category. Of course, students who are a constant disruption to the class will be sent to a new Citywide School on North Avenue that deals more in depth with at risk Students.

Now, Students aren't born at risk, they're raised or in many cases not raised that way. So how do we deal with that? Well, with each and every one of these New Schools will be mandatory Head Start that every child must be enrolled in by age two and a half. Parents or Social Services may deem it necessary to enroll a child younger. Parents have the option of enrolling their child as early as six months old. With emphasizing the roll of Education at such a young age it will keep children off the streets which can turn good kids into criminals almost overnight. The less time they spend there and the more time at School, the better. Think of the streets as a drug and the Schools as a detox plan.

Finally, perhaps the greatest reward of Education Reform is a High School Diploma. What happens after High School? Well, for rich kids it's College. In Baltimore, Graduates of City Schools aren't always that lucky. Well, it's time that changed. The Kipp Ujima Schools as it stands now only accept College Bound Students. So with every School eventually taking the Kipp approach it stands to reason that all Baltimore City Students are now College Bound. So once the flat hats are thrown up in the air in celebration, Students whose Family income is below $50,000 will receive a full scholarship to any in State School they're accepted into with an allowance to those who choose to continue their Education out of State.

With such sweeping Education reform the question is where to Start? First, we'll start in the neighborhood that currently houses the two Kipp Schools: Park Heights. Then it's off to Cherry Hill (this includes Westport, Lakeland, Morrell Park, and Violetville) then the neighborhoods of Old West Baltimore; Harlem Park, Sandtown, Druid Heights, and Upton. Although not part of Old West Baltimore, Lockerman Bundy, Franklin Square, and Bentalou Elementaries will be included in this phase. Next, it's East Baltimore, this should be quite simple because Oliver, Oldtown, Middle East, Jonestown, and Broadway East have had a high number of School Closures already. Then we go to Barclay, East Baltimore Midway, and Coldstream Homestead Montebello. Next it's Rosemont, Walbrook Junction, and Edmondson Village. These are the areas of the City where there are the highest number of at risk Students, the Test Scores are the lowest, the drop out rate the highest, and the School Buildings are in the worst shape.

At a much slower pace the rest of Baltimore will receive the Kipp Approach but the neighborhoods listed need it the most. How much will this cost? A lot but everybody says "Children are our Future" and also that future generations will be worse off than their Parents. It's time troubled School Systems look to the approach I'm proposing for Baltimore and that approach is the Kipp Approach.

Smaller Learner Communities:Not Enough Seats Lost

All Maps from Google Earth

During the O' Malley years (as Mayor) the School System was under intense pressure to raise the High School Graduation rate, Raise Test Scores, Lower the dropout rate, and shed excess Classroom space. Any they had to do it without adding to the debt the School System accrued in the ballpark of $57-$60 Million. What was their solution?

A phase-out of the City's most troubled High Schools and reopening them as Magnet Schools or Smaller Learning Communities as they've been known to be called. Their goal was to reduce class sizes and focus on career goals students had. Their attendance area is Citywide, allowing kids from troubled neighborhoods to go to better Schools without paying for Private Schools.

Now High Schools as we know them as well as Elementary and Middle Schools have "closed." Their Buildings however, have reopened at a very low Capacity Rate. Schools will be half full and instead of reducing the number of open seats, it's keeping them the same or in some cases increasing the number of seats. Elmer A. Henderson Elementary in Middle East, Madison Square Elementary in Oliver, and Malcolm X Elementary have reopened as Charter Schools in recent years. Now what's happened to Middle Schools that have supposedly closed? Harlem Park Middle Still operates as the Augusta Fells Academy for Visual Arts, Benjamin Franklin Middle has become Masonville Cove Academy (a Middle/High School), Lombard and Robert Poole Middles both have other Schools in operation in their Buildings. The propsed closure of Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle already has a use if the School does indeed "close." One can only wonder what "New Schools" will open in the Buildings of Hamilton Middle, Southeast Middle, Canton Middle, West Baltimore Midde, and Diggs Johnson Middle. Two Middle Schools have appeared to have remained closed for good. They are Pimlico and Highlandtown Middles which have been used by the Fire and Rescue Department and a Mixed Use Development respectively.

Now when these Schools were closed a big reason was low test scores and declining enrollment. Another factor was the condition of the School Building. It would only seem natural that when these buildings reopen that have undergone massive renovations. Well guess again, they haven't. The City School system is shooting itself in the foot by allowing these buildings to remain open because they have been and are continuing lose out on School Construction Funds from the State and the Feds due to an overwhelmingly large percentage of unfilled seats. So in creating these Smaller Learning Communities, the City has failed to reduce the number of unfilled seats.

What these Smaller Learning Communities have done is create safer more nurturing learning environments for Students lucky enough to attend them. Therein lies another problem. I said in the last sentence "for Students lucky enough to attend them" since these are Magnet Schools I'm sure there are Students who can't get in for various reasons. Students still at traditional High Schools are struggling to learn and are disrupted by constant fights and fires. Teachers have even been caught in the crossfire.

Ok, so we've identified the problems; too many under utilized Schools, said Schools are completely outdated, Students in traditional High Schools (also under utilized and outdated) are not providing Students with the Education needed for them to pursue College and the World of Work. Now that I've identified the problems wouldn't it be fit for me to offer solutions? Well if no answered no too bad I'm offering them anyway.

What's needed is a return to traditional High Schools Districts with Students who live in said Districts will attend School there no matter what. The curriculum offered at each Smaller Learning Community or Magnet School will be offered at every new "Neighborhood High School" everything from Maritime Industries to Visual Arts will be offered in all of these brand new State of the Art Buildings which from the closing (and continued closure) of existing buildings will be funded by the State and Feds because Baltimore will have lost enough Classroom space to warrant it. Now how about we see where these new Buildings will be located and what neighborhoods will attend them.

Edmondson High: This undercrowded School will receive a boost in enrollment from the recently shuttered Southwestern High. In fact, close to the entire Southwestern District will now go to Edmondson. The Southwestern High Building will house these Students as Edmondson High is torn down and rebuilt from the ground up at its current site.

Fredrick Douglass High: Although Douglass High is the Nation's second oldest School for African Americans and enjoys a proud history as such it has been housed in many buildings since 1883. It will move from its current Gwynns Falls Parkway digs to the site of the William H. Lemmel Middle. This will be a more centralized location within the District and will allow the new Building to be smaller to fit the School's current enrollment trends.

Park Heights High: This will be built on the site of the former Greenspring/Dr. Roland Patterson Middle) The Kipp Ujima Schools will be relocated elsewhere (I will dedicate an entire post for this) This location was chosen because I would close Northwestern High and open a new smaller School in the heart of the Community it serves.

Forest Park High: Declining enrollment, lack of Student Safety, and a rapidly aging Building plagues this once proud High School. A new building located on the grounds of Garrison Middle (which I would close) and redistricting Glen and Fallstaff here to boost enrollment will assist in making Forest Park a School to envy. Redevelopment of troubled apartment complexes in the District may curve the violence at Forest Park.

Roland Park High: This new School will be located where the current Western High is. Polytech, Western High, and City College will be the three remaining Magnet Schools in the City. Polytech and Western will share the current Polytech Building. I've done the enrollment math and it's a perfect fit. Roland Park High will draw from the following neighborhoods; Roland Park, Poplar Hill, Coldspring New Town, Cross Keys, Mount Washington, Cheswolde, Cross Country,Woodberry, Hampden, Medfield, Hoes Heights, Homeland,Guilford, Tuscany-Canterberry, Remington, Charles Village, and Abell.

Govans High: This new School will be built on the grounds of the former Winston Middle and will draw from the following neighborhoods; Govans, Chinquapin Park, Cedarcroft, New and Original Northwood, Loch Raven, Hillen, Glen Oaks, Kenilworth, Idlewood, Perring Loch, Cameron Village, Ramblewood, and Stonewood Pentwood Winston.

Hamilton High: It's not surprising that this School would be built on the grounds of the former and once troubled Hamilton Middle. It will serve the following Neighborhoods; Hamilton, Lauraville, Mayfield, Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Morgan Park, Waltherson, Woodring, North Harford Road, Cedmont, Overlea, Christopher, Glenham Belford, Moravia Walther, Taylor Heights, Wilson Heights, and Rosemont East.

Herring Run High: This new School will be located on the grounds of the current Northeast Middle (which I would close) and will serve the Communities of Belair Edison, Frankford, Cedonia, Orangeville, South Clifton Park, Orchard Ridge, and Armistead Gardens.

Dunbar High: Declining enrollment due to widespread vacancies and closures of high yielding Public Housing Developments and the new homes in their place not producing a lot of students has left this School one third full. However, this is one of the few Schools undergoing a renovation. A demolition would be a waste to say the least but Dunbar's population can't fill this building. What I suggest would be to sell off the newly renovated School and turn it into mixed income apartments seeing as the Hopkins neighborhoods are experiencing a rebirth. The new Dunbar High will be built on the grounds of the closed Thomas G. Hayes Elementary with a Capacity of 600 which caters to Dunbar's current enrollment. The new School's athletic fields will be on the grounds of the School itself rather than several blocks northwest.

Fels Point-Canton High:This is basically Patterson High's District. That being said, there are several reasons the current Patterson High isn't a good fit. It's too far from the heart of the Community it serves, it's under crowded, and the ever expanding Bayview Medical Campus would probably love to buy the land the School sits on. The new Schools will be built on the site of the closed Canton Middle. I would have preferred the Highlandtown Middle site but that's actually being converted into something different; mixed use retail/residential.

Federal Hill High: This will serve Downtown and South Baltimore. It will be located in the old Southern High Building which, before it was converted to Magnet Schools was renovated. This has proven to be the exception not the rule but why look a Gift Horse in the Mouth? Federal Hill High is ready for occupancy! This school will grow as its neighborhoods are redeveloped.

Cherry Hill High:Cherry Hill yields a lot of Public School Students so it's not surprising that it would get its own High School. The new School will be built on the grounds of the former Arnett J. Brown Middle which currently houses Southside and New Era Academies. About a year and a half ago there was a fight between the two Schools that resulted in a lock down in both Schools and several arrests and suspensions. Obviously this is unacceptable and some of these students may have to be put in classes that address their anger problems.

Brooklyn/Curtis Bay High: I always thought Brooklyn/Curtis Bay brought small town life to the Big City. I will continue this tradition by giving it its own High School that only will serve the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay area. It will be built on the grounds of the former Benjamin Franklin/Masonville Academy site.

North Avenue: This school, which will be located on the Eastern Parking Lot of the Baltimore City Public School System's Headquarters. Its district will be Citywide. It will be for High School Students who are "at risk" What do I mean by "at risk?" Well, students with multiple Disciplinary Referrals for class disruptions, Suspensions, Truants, and Arrests and may suffer from Drug Addiction. Their curriculum, in addition to regular academics will provide counseling to put them on the path to College rather than the vicious cycle of the Drug Culture that so many Baltimore School Children have been caught up in.

Well I've presented a plan to tackle all the High School woes. I've gotten rid of wasteful space allowing for State and Federal Funding for School Construction, I've added Magnet Programs to traditional High Schools, and I've implemented a plan to increase the graduation rate. Now when a School closes lets keep it that way.

Public Health Option:Meet Baltimore

I'm sure this is the last thing you want to read about; Health Care Reform. Many proponents and critics of Obama's Health Care Reform haven't gone to a place where lack of Health Care has torn a Community apart. Luckily, the Washington Fat Cats don't have to travel far to find one; Baltimore City.

Beyond the Glitzy Inner Harbor lies the Baltimore nobody wants you to see, but I've taken you there through photographs and the written word and I'll do it again. I visited Obama's Health Care Reform Website and clicked on Maryland to see how it would benefit from reform. The results of Maryland's Health Care deficits are alarming and must be reversed. Many of these figures are higher in Baltimore because of the dense poverty.

13.8% of all Marylanders are uninsured 46% of all "Poor Adults" are uninsured. Maryland is home to two of the Countrie's richest County's and it comes up with Stats like this? A large percentage of the population hasn't had Collerectal Screenings, Mammograms, Papshmears, Bloodwork, or Annual Checkups. Since Baltimore contains many "Poor Adults" one can only imagine what its percentage of insured residents is.

Why don't we fix this? I though President Obama had been trying to pass a Health Care Bill that provides coverage for most if not all of the 48,00,000 uninsured Americans. Now I hear he's entertaining the idea of passing the Bill without a Public Option? Try telling that to the thousands of Baltimoreans who have never had a Primary Care Physician and are going without Prescriptions to pay their Gas & Electric Bill.

Many Americans complain about "sacrifices" they've made due to rising Health Care costs. They can't take a vacation, or send their kids to Private Schools, in Baltimore they should be so lucky. Baltimore should be the face of real Health Care Reform because it would benefit so much from it. Well, if there were a Public Option in the Bill.

Just the fact that Obama has said to be entertaining the idea of a Bill without a Public Health Option shows the influence large Insurance Companies have over Government. In Baltimore there is a different kind of influence over its residents; Drug Dealers.

Drug abuse and the violence that comes with it has over taken Baltimore. Baltimore needs the Public Health Option not only to provide Doctors and Routine Exams it's needed for Drug Rehab. There are lot of attics in the City who would love to kick the habit but don't have the resources to better themselves. Drug Dealers, just like any other Business will have to cut their staff due to a decline in sales. Their "staff" is usually Children who have found that drug dealing will give them a better life than School. With these kids out of work, they'd be forced to go back School.

Isn't it ironic that Baltimore has some of the best Hospitals and so few of its Citizens are able to use them? They are rushed there after being victims of Gang Violence brought about through illegal drugs. Speaking of Emergency Rooms, didn't former President George W. Bush say that the answer to the Health Care Crisis was to go to the Emergency Room? By law, they have to treat you. What the former President failed to mention that after treatment, you're responsible for paying your Hospital Bills if you have no insurance. From December 31, 2007 to January 3rd, 2008 I was hospitalized due to a life threatening infection in my left hand. Had I not had Insurance I would have been stuck paying almost $5,000 for my stay. Nice try Bush.

It's time to overhaul our Nation's Healthcare System and give Insurance to those who can't afford it through a public option and through that competition, Health Insurance Companies will have to lower premiums and co-pays. Just look at Baltimore and you will see how great the need is.

Mount Vernon: A Pictoral Journey

Shhhhh. No talking just enjoy the beauty.Some posts don't need words, the pictures tell the whole story. What's the story? I'll let you tell it.

Southside Marketplace: Get with the Times

South Baltimore, for most of its existence has been home to the working class. Workers from the Bethlehem Steel Ship Yards, Proctor Gamble (Tide), The Grain Pier Elevator, Domino Sugar, McCormick Spice, and the Shipping Docks of Locust Point are just some of the major Employers of South Baltimore. Locust Point was the nation's second largest Immigration Port next to New York's Ellis Island. Workers crowded South Baltimore's many watering holes after a long hard day of work only to wake up at the crack of dawn to do it all over again.
Those days have long since passed. Back then, the Corner Store was the principal outlet to do one's shopping. During the flight to the suburbs, between Riverside and Locust Point a Suburban Style Shopping Center was built. The Shopping Center was and is known as Southside Market Place. It was built at a time when South Baltimore's unemployment rate was sky high as jobs in the industrial sector were disappearing never to be found again. It's only natural that the list of tenants in Southside Marketplace catered to an impoverished clientele.It's 2009 now and an awful lot has changed in South Baltimore since the flight to the suburbs. No, the industrial sector didn't make a comeback. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Industrial land has been bought up by rich developers and have either transformed these industrial land monuments into upscale housing or offices or have redeveloped them completely. Here's what the old Bethlehem Steel Ship Yards look like today.Now it's home to Harborview, a luxury low rise high rise condominium and town home development with two more high rieses known as Pinnacle 1 and Pinnacle 2 at Harborview coming down the pipeline. Want to see what's become of the old Grain Elevator Pier?Yep, the Grain Pier has been reborn as Luxury Condos with prices hitting seven figures. Also on the Grain Pier Property are several dozen luxury two car garage town homes. This development is known as Silo Point. Want to see the old Tide Factory?Another perservation success story! This time in the form of Offices and Retail. It's been properly named "Tide Point" for the fact that it's on the water and it housed a factory complex that manufactored Tide Laundry Detergant. There are plans to build residences on the Tide Point Property. Whether it comes to fruition we'll just have to see. Here are some more ambitious development projects that have flanked South Baltimore.The Ritz Carlton Residences Starting at $1 Million topping out at $5 Million

Harbour Pointe, not to be confused with Harbor Point which is the former Allied Chemical Site in Fels Point. And Federal Place, whose construction has been put on hold until the Housing Market makes a comeback. The vacant land between where I took the picture and the row of homes should have already been built out. Obviously, all this new upsclae development would have a positive effect on the Tenant list for Southside Market Place...... It hasn't?Nope, the ultra gentrification of South Baltimore (which includes the original row homes) hasn't done much for Southside Market Place. Well, I guess it's up to me to get Southside Market Place with the times. Don't worry, I've got some aces up my sleeve! Would I write this post if I didn't?First lets start with the anchor tenant. It's currently a Shoppers Food Warehouse or Shoppers for short. It doesn't exactly scream $1 Million Dollar home dwellers. I should take this opportunity to inform you that a Harris Teeter is scheduled to be built on an adjacent lot. This will help South Baltimore's retail get with the times but it's not an end all. One up& coming Supermarket that Baltimore City lacks is a Wegmans. I think that with the new development and its high end price tags that Southside Market Place should be the home of Baltimore City's first Wegmans. This will give Southside Market Place the distinction of being "destination retail" i.e. it will draw people from far away as well as the locals.
With the prototype Wegmans at a whopping 130,000 Square Feet there will be a massive expansion and redvelopment to accomodate with Shoppers topping out at 44,264 Square feet. The strip pictured above will be demolished to make way for Wegmans. Its tenants will go here.This part of the Shopping Center suffers from a high concentration of vacancies and will be filled with existing tenants whose currents spaces will be cleared to make way for Wegmans. There should also be a tenant overhaul such as replacing Family Dollar with a Pottery Barn, Lucky Nails with an upscale full service Day Spa, Cigarette Outlet with an upscale Wine Cellar, Goodwill Superstore for an Ann Taylor Loft and a Sephora. Popeye's for a Houlehans. The Rite Aid Space will be divided into several spaces that include Coldstone Creamery, Starbucks, Chicos, Gamestop, and an Art Gallery. Great Clips for Jareds the Galleria of Jewlery Goodyear for White House Black Market. Behind this strip will be a Multiplex Movie Theatre. I know this was tryed but I believe it can work this time.
It doesn't need a wide entrance as illustrated with the recently opened Landmark Theatres in Harbor East.
With this new line up of tenants Southside Marketplace will certainly have gotten with the times. South Baltimore has become an upper class haven. The Watering Holes have been reborn as upsclae bars and clubs that make me feel uneasy because everyone there is a 20 something with large bank account. I'm a 20 something but a large bank account? Not so much which is ironic because the Blue Collar Working Stiff (which I'm proud to be) was the demographic targeted for South Baltimore. The times have changed and Southside Marketplace has to get with them.

Pigtown:All Things Baltimore

Baltimore call itself a City of Neighborhoods. Each and every one of these neighborhoods contributes to Baltimore as a whole. Some things about Baltimore are good while others aren't so good. One thing about Baltimore is that despite the bad press, it's trying harder than ever to become a world class self sustained American City.
Now what makes Baltimore Baltimore? The following list of is a combination of Baltimore's assets and challenges in no particular order. Gentrification, redevelopment, crabs, Babe Ruth, John Waters, Bee Hive Hairdos, Ethnic Population, Black Population, narrow row homes, vacant lots and buildings, crime, sanitation, drugs, prostitution, Corner Stores, Underground Punk Rock Scene, Proud of its quirky history, low High School Enrollment, rotting industrial buildings, Population influx, Population living in the same place for generations, and Marble front steps. Good or bad, this is Baltimore, home to 640,000 residents from Violetville to Lauraville. Now what if there were a neighborhood that was a micro organism for Baltimore as a whole? Well guess what? I've found one; for better or worse it's Pigtown: All Things Baltimore.
Pigtown got its name from the Pigs who ran the streets from the B&O Railroad Station to the many Slaughter Houses that graced the neighborhood. Not all Pigs made it there though, residents were known to snatch one up for dinner. Lately gentrification has de emphasized Pigtown's history thinking its name would turn perspective residents away. They thought "Washington Village" was more fitting. A true Baltimoron, would turn their nose at such a notion and embrace their quirky and proud to call Pigtown Home. Residents still celebrate their history with their annual "running of the pigs" it's exactly what it sounds like.The Corner Store and Watering Hole once was the principal source of neighborhood retail for Baltimore. Baltimore has largely abandoned this but Pigtown, with a few scattered exceptions has kept this tradition alive. If you look and listen closely in Pigtown, you may stumble upon an Underground Punk Rock Scene. This is a little known fact about Charm City but lots of Baltimore's diverse working class neighborhoods house some of tomorrow's budding Punk Rockers. Although born in Ridgley's Delight, Babe Ruth roamed the streets of Pigtown before being forced into St. Marys. John Waters credits Pigtown for keeping its quirky spirit alive and can be seen at SoWeBohemian Arts Festival where the number of BeeHive Hairdos give Hampden's "Hunfest" a run for its money.
Baltimore's housing stock is diverse however, the narrow 2 bedroom 1 bath row home reigns king. This is especially true in Pigtown. If you go to Baltimore and all you see are luxury condos, step away from the Harbor into Pigtown, and pretty much any other neighborhood that isn't "on the water." Although some have been demolished due to extreme blight and neglect Pigtown has vacant row homes that are in much better structural shape than its peers. Could this be your new home? You'd be surprised what a little elbow grease can amcomplish, just any Pigtown resident who's done a complete row house rehab they're easy to find.
Not all Pigs fly in Pigtown. It still struggles with Vacant Buildings, Homicides, Public Health, and low High School Enrollment. This mirrors Baltimore's largest struggles and is not being taken lightly. In an effort to deter crime Pigtown has organized "nights out", neighborhood watch, and Citizens on Patrol. Public Health and Low High School haven't been as successful with drug use and prostitution still rampant on the streets of Pigtown. The two go hand and hand unfortunately. Baltimore has been phasing out traditional High Schools including Southwestern where Pigtown was in the attendance area of. The City is banking on the fact that "Smaller Learning Communities" that emphasize Career finding and Magnet Programs that appeal to students will curb the City's high drop out rate. So far Baltimore's dropout rate is falling which menas that its graduation rate is climbing. Pigtown's drawing power is slowly solving the problem of vacant homes and store fronts.The racial makeup of Pigtown is one Baltimore's most diverse. According to the 2000 Census Pigtown was 49% White, 45% Black 4% Asian 1% Hispanic. Today, I beileve Pigtown to be 43% White 51% Black 5% Asian 2% Hispanic It's more White than and less Black than Baltimore as a whole but boasts one of Baltimore's largest Asian Populations. It's right in line with Baltimore as far as the Hispanic population goes. Pigtown is not a victim of White Flight. Pigtown's Population influx includes new White residents. On the flip side Pigtown has Black residents who have lived there for generations.In the form of gentrification in Pigtown, it came with the development of the Camden Crossing town home development. Although successful, it doesn't quite coincide with the traditional row home development of Pigtown. Camden Crossing however, is graced with tree lined streets, the homes are wider, many with two car garages. Camden Crossing is known as a "Brownfields" redevelopment site as it was built on former industrial land.
Gentrification isn't confined to Camden Crossing alone. Washington Bulevard has been designated as a "Main Street" which has brought new businesses into Pigtown. The above photo shows how close Pigtown is to Downtown. This proximity shows that Pigtown can capture potential Harbor Dwellers who prefer a traditional Urban Neighborhood like Pigtown.
This post shows how Pigtown has made amazing strides in the past several years and how Baltimore, the City of Neighborhoods has a microorganism known as Pigtown whose attributes mirror that of the City and 640,000 of its residents. Pigtown is truly All Things Baltimore.

Whatever happened to the Dollar Row House?

Row Homes! Get Your Row Home! $1 each! Historically designated! Just $1! Own a piece of Baltimore History! Just $1!
I consider the $1 row home to be the best initiative put in place by Mayor William Donald Scahefer. He had the honor of being Mayor when the initiatives of past mayors (D'Aleasandro both II and III, and Theodore McKeldin) but the $1 row home was all Schaefer.
The initiatives of Schaefer's predecessors focused on bringing jobs and tourism to Downtown Baltimore. Schaefer had the insight to see that in order for Downtown Baltimore to make a true turn around that it housing had to be thrown in the mix. He capitalized on the successful revolt on extending the JFX down Boston St. across the Harbor to meet I-95.Now why just $1? Well, the effected neighborhoods that hug Downtown were in shambles when the proposal was thought up. Part of the $1 purchase price was an agreement that the owner would completely renovate the house and restore it to its former glory. This would cost upwards of $100,000 in 1980s dollars. If these homes were sold for profit it would clean out the Bank Accounts of the buyers. Selling these homes for $1 would be a long term investment, and it paid off big time.
You know how the old saying goes; "If it ain't broke don't fix it" which begs the question; Why did they stop it? I think I have the answer. It was a very narrow scope of neighborhoods close to Downtown that the City wanted to gentrify.Since the $1 Row Home there have been other grass roots efforts of Homesteading throughout the City. Although some have proven to be successful none of them hold a torch to the $1 Row Home. Could its success be attributed to the three basic principals of Real Estate? Location, location , location. I don' think so.
So why not bring it back? Despite our economic woes there is a pent up demand for affordable housing in Baltimore. It doesn't get much more affordable than $1. Of course there's the clause that the new home owner would have to fully renovate and restore their new purchase but when it's all said and done it would still fit the bill for "affordable housing" this is an unorthodox approach to solving the City's affordable housing gap but it gets the job done. If executed properly, it will gentrify neighborhoods that are currently struggling.Neighborhoods that would benefit from the new $1 Row Home initiative would include Reservoir Hill, Pen Lucy, Barclay,
Edmondson Village,
Remington,
and Mount Clare.

Now why these neighborhoods? They each have a certain something that's unique about them that may make them attractive to potential buyers and additional population would help the neighborhoods. First Reservoir Hill, it has some of Baltmore's most beautiful housing stock that's currently rotting. It's close to Bolton Hill and Druid Hill Park and is well respected by historians.
Now we come to Pen Lucy. With lots of Public Works projects in the works according to the Pen Lucy Master Plan, the neighborhood will already look more attractive. Pen Lucy is next to neighborhoods that have gentrified or never went into decline. Now it's Pen Lucy's turn.Next is Barclay. It's close to the up & coming Station North. There's also a plan to redevelop a large portion of the neighborhood so the $1 Row Home initiative would be made available only to the homes not slated for demolition. Barclay enjoyed a dramatic drop in Violent Crime in 2008 and I consider it to be a vital link between Mount Vernon and North Baltimore.Next is Edmondson Village. It's still rough around the edges but it has great potential. It will have a Red Line Stop, it's close to the redeveloping Uplands, and it backs to Baltimore's most unrealized gem; Leakin Park. It also has maintained a high rate of home ownership which is currently in Jeopardy. Residents are terrified of signs popping up promising to be buy homes for cheap by slum lords and will bring in renters who will bring the neighborhood into decline.
Ah Remington, it borders upon Hampden, Druid Hill Park, Charles Village, Station North, and Johns Hopkins University. Despite a small bump in crime it's still a very safe neighborhood. Its population is diverse with no racial tension and I've found it to be a very friendly neighborhood. So why does it suffer from a high vacancy rate? I'll examine that in another post. But $1 row homes will help the population swell.Finally, we come to Mount Clare. Like Remington it's yet to be rediscovered. Unlike Remington it has fewer advantages working in its favor. However, Carroll Park is in its backyard. It needs a better connection between the neighborhood and the park. It is near other SoWeBo neighborhoods that are gentrifying but its western border is the couplet of Monroe St. and Fulton Avenue. With a gentrified Mount Clare maybe the $1 Row Home initiative can cross the Monroe St. and Fulton Avenue.
As we look down the road to renewal we must ask ourselves certain questions. Will it work? What are the risks? Will Banks give loans to the buyers of the $1 row homes? The third question is what may throw a monkey wrench into this plan. Banks are failing and the ones that aren't probably won't want to finance home improvement loans to first time buyers who are taking, for lack of a better term a City Handout. Well, we're looking to our City Government to sell Row Homes its owns for $1 so lets look to the Feds to help finance the renovations. HUD, FHA, First Time Buyer Tax Credit, Economic Bailout Money, Historic Housing Credit, these are just some of the Federal Programs and Services that can make this proposal a reality.
So Whatever Happened to the Dollar Row Home? Why did it go away? Because it worked, that's why.