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Speaking on the Baltimore City area, I thought about looking at some places down there since the housing in Brooklyn/Curtis Bay is pretty affordable. I drove through there a couple times just to check it out, and it didn't look that bad to me on a late Sat. night or middle-of-the-week evening. The Brooklyn homes area sort of right before you hit Curtis Bay looked a little more run-down, but overall it looked like there were some really nice blocks. It "could be" a great area for people looking to commute to the downtown, but...
Negatives: I read news articles about gang activity in the area and the Baltimore crime map (www.crimebaltimore.com) shows a lot of thefts and robberies in the area. I work in Charles Village so the commute would take me through downtown, the headache is not worth it (traffic from sporting events and harbor events).
I live in Brooklyn Park right off of Route 2 and I would say that all the problems we have had you can have anywhere you live. There have been a couple times we have had helicopters flying above our house searching for someone and that is a little disturbing but again, that happens other places also. The houses are reasonably priced and hopefully our community will continue to grow to be a safer area.
This is true. I'm used to areas around Harlem Park and Laf. Square. South of here on Lex and Franklin its madness. You can hear the chopper... just a week ago someone got popd in the face on Saratoga. It's crazy. Copters going round the area practically all the time.
There still nice blocks and thats what makes it weird. Quarter mile makes a big dif.
This is true. I'm used to areas around Harlem Park and Laf. Square. South of here on Lex and Franklin its madness. You can hear the chopper... just a week ago someone got popd in the face on Saratoga. It's crazy. Copters going round the area practically all the time.
There still nice blocks and thats what makes it weird. Quarter mile makes a big dif.
Right....It is kinda odd.. when I first moved up here and would drive through the city on 95 north coming up from the beltway...you get this nice panoramic view of the City.. you can literally see from on side to the other when you are on 95 N approaching 395. Then I would notice this black chopper that was moving around like a dragon fly over a pond..... darting around over the west side.. dipping, diving, hovering ..moving forward a few hundred feet and then back...It wasnt until later that I realized that it was not some form of advertisement but the POLICE. I guess that they can cover more ground in the chopper and/or pursue those who flee on foot.
About a year back one evening....there was a drunk laying in the street not to far from my home (no.... it was not me..this time) a good samaritan on a motorcyle stopped and tried to help the guy up and the guy jumped up and started tussling with the biker....several people ran over and tried to calm the guy down and he started swinging a half broken bottle at them....A dozen or so calls (including my own) must of went into the BPD before THE CHOPPER showed up and "daylighted" the entire area.. minutes later about a half a dozen officers showed up and ordered the guy to the ground with weapons drawn... The packaged him up nicely and were off.. Other officers began streaming into the area like ants and there were siren 'squawks', CB radios blaring, and the christmas tree effect that usually accompanies these types of activities.... however; we were glad they came quickly. I can only attribute the show of force to the dozen or so calls that came in and the poor pilot who probably though all hell was breaking loose on the ground below him and made his own calls for back up.
Anyway...I would not want to be on the recieving end of THE CHOPPERS wrath..that thing hovering with bright lights blaring a few hundred feet above you is a sight to behold.
I used to live in Brooklyn Park, literally one house next to the Baltimore City line (Brooklyn). I'd say it depends on where you are in Brooklyn Park. I think people exaggerate how bad it is --- I never encountered violent crime even in some of the uglier neighborhoods; but there were a lot of drug addicts and people who we shall say, didn't have their lives together.
It's not the first place I'd want to live, but I never felt terribly unsafe either. Though, I will say that I also wouldn't walk more than two or three blocks up to the Northeast (closer to center of Brooklyn), because it looked kinda sketchy. Whenever I went out to get exercise, I always headed back up in the direction of Ritchie.
In my opinion the scum creeps out further and further as it needs new places to dwell and to prey upon so the closer you are to bad areas the worse it will get. Yes I am being pessimistic on this issue but I have never seen an area near a major city get better as time went on. I lived near there for a while and had a friend who bought a home there and regretted it. Luckily they were only affected by crime a few times and except for the stolen jeep nothing was super serious. When it was time to move on to somewhere nice (Harper's Ferry) no one wanted to buy their home and it took them a VERY long time to sell ... and it was not the condition or price of the house.
I had the experience of growing up to two worlds. I grew up in Frederick Maryland during the 60's and early 70's. Then moved to (south) Baltimore city (not by choice) as a teenager during the later 70's around the E. Fort Ave area until I left to go into the service in 81. When I returned I had settled down in Brooklyn Park in 86'. I lived on 4th Street (Brooklyn Park) near Ballman and Church Street until we noticed the crime moving into the county in that area. We later moved towards the Hammond's Lane area in 93' till recent. For the sake of conversation Brooklyn referred to that portion within the city limits. Brooklyn Park is mostly and mainly on the county side. Both share one Post Office. 21225 and 21226. 21225 is mostly Anne Arundel county (Brooklyn Park) and 21226 is Baltimore city (Brooklyn). I had friends in Brooklyn and Curtis Bay and as I remember Brooklyn as it where in the 70's it was a nice area although even back then some of my friends would dispute that. So for the sake of clarity I'll safely say it was a "nicer" area back then where you could walk down Patapsco Ave. and even Pennington Ave in Curtis Bay without the fear of being raped, robed, mugged, pillaged or murdered. That all changed the day that then Mayor Schaefer shut down all of Fairfield (projects) and moved it all into Brooklyn. Since that fateful day I watched good holsum business (store fronts) that had been around for decades on Patapsco Ave close there doors including the cinema on Patapsco Ave. Friends who once owned homes in Brooklyn watch there value depreciated rapidly some could not even sell their homes. Yes Brooklyn was dumped on by the then Mayor of Baltimore (Schaefer) and Brooklyn including Curtis Bay has never recovered from it and are both high crime areas. Don't take my word just ride down Patapsco Ave and see all the nice purple blinking lights on top of the telephone poles there. There not there because of the Baltimore Ravens. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself and pass this one by!) Since the early to mid 80's with the decline of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay the influence within and of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay has been expanding into parts of Brooklyn Park. One earlier response said to stay away from the area around the library behind Ollie's Discount store. This is very true. I have friends who are and have worked vice there. The area on the west side of Ritchie Hwy is better with the many older but nice large detached homes. The families who own there homes there are proud of there area but they are like a wagon train in a circle - sort of speak. They have there problems being so close to Brooklyn, and those areas around Belle Grove to the north and those areas behind Ollie's Discount Store to the east. There are nice pockets in Brooklyn Park but they are mainly to the very south and southwest areas of Brooklyn Park and the houses in those areas are more expensive. If you want my advice, the further you stay (live) from any metropolitan area specially Baltimore the better the area is. When you can walk into a store that doesn't have a measuring tape painted or mounted by the entrance doors then you know you're not in Kansas any more! Unfortunately you'll need a car. You want safety and quality then you need a car, period. By the way thanks to the then Governor Schaefer (once again) for the light rail, the crime wave is deep into Anne Arundel county. Cromwell being the focal point, Glen Burnie and Pasadena are not exempted. I moved out of Brooklyn Park and now enjoy the white flight living in rural Pennsylvania in the country.
I had the experience of growing up to two worlds. I grew up in Frederick Maryland during the 60's and early 70's. Then moved to (south) Baltimore city (not by choice) as a teenager during the later 70's around the E. Fort Ave area until I left to go into the service in 81. When I returned I had settled down in Brooklyn Park in 86'. I lived on 4th Street (Brooklyn Park) near Ballman and Church Street until we noticed the crime moving into the county in that area. We later moved towards the Hammond's Lane area in 93' till recent. For the sake of conversation Brooklyn referred to that portion within the city limits. Brooklyn Park is mostly and mainly on the county side. Both share one Post Office. 21225 and 21226. 21225 is mostly Anne Arundel county (Brooklyn Park) and 21226 is Baltimore city (Brooklyn). I had friends in Brooklyn and Curtis Bay and as I remember Brooklyn as it where in the 70's it was a nice area although even back then some of my friends would dispute that. So for the sake of clarity I'll safely say it was a "nicer" area back then where you could walk down Patapsco Ave. and even Pennington Ave in Curtis Bay without the fear of being raped, robed, mugged, pillaged or murdered. That all changed the day that then Mayor Schaefer shut down all of Fairfield (projects) and moved it all into Brooklyn. Since that fateful day I watched good holsum business (store fronts) that had been around for decades on Patapsco Ave close there doors including the cinema on Patapsco Ave. Friends who once owned homes in Brooklyn watch there value depreciated rapidly some could not even sell their homes. Yes Brooklyn was dumped on by the then Mayor of Baltimore (Schaefer) and Brooklyn including Curtis Bay has never recovered from it and are both high crime areas. Don't take my word just ride down Patapsco Ave and see all the nice purple blinking lights on top of the telephone poles there. There not there because of the Baltimore Ravens. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself and pass this one by!) Since the early to mid 80's with the decline of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay the influence within and of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay has been expanding into parts of Brooklyn Park. One earlier response said to stay away from the area around the library behind Ollie's Discount store. This is very true. I have friends who are and have worked vice there. The area on the west side of Ritchie Hwy is better with the many older but nice large detached homes. The families who own there homes there are proud of there area but they are like a wagon train in a circle - sort of speak. They have there problems being so close to Brooklyn, and those areas around Belle Grove to the north and those areas behind Ollie's Discount Store to the east. There are nice pockets in Brooklyn Park but they are mainly to the very south and southwest areas of Brooklyn Park and the houses in those areas are more expensive. If you want my advice, the further you stay (live) from any metropolitan area specially Baltimore the better the area is. When you can walk into a store that doesn't have a measuring tape painted or mounted by the entrance doors then you know you're not in Kansas any more! Unfortunately you'll need a car. You want safety and quality then you need a car, period. By the way thanks to the then Governor Schaefer (once again) for the light rail, the crime wave is deep into Anne Arundel county. Cromwell being the focal point, Glen Burnie and Pasadena are not exempted. I moved out of Brooklyn Park and now enjoy the white flight living in rural Pennsylvania in the country.
and yes the governor of Pennsylvania loves it too for getting more tax revenue.
Where is Westport in relationship to Brooklyn Park? A company I work for is building a new apartment community in Brooklyn Park on Hammonds Lane. What's it like there? I was thinking of renting one. What do you think?
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