Mount Vernon is hot (Baltimore: real estate market, apartments, condos)

[barante]

In another thread a poster asked about hot Baltimore neighborhoods. I replied that the real estate market is too unsettled for any intelligent play on that theme. Except for Mount Vernon. It is hot and it is getting better.
My wife and I went to have lunch today at my favorite Indian restaurant, the Mughal Gardens on Charles Street. It had changed owners and I talked to the young man from New Delhi who had acquired it. He hopes to make it even better. My wife was quite enthusiastic about it and she doesn't even like Indian food that much, if she has a choice.
Anyway, looking around we noticed all kinds of changes. One involves the old Medical Arts Building, at Read and Cathedral. It is being converted into something, most probably apartments or condos. The same with the old Brexton building. Overall, the area seemed to have acquired a big-city verve. It may still have problems, but I would think it should be on the list of any city person moving to Baltimore.
It is very clear to me that, recession or not, Mount Vernon will be a New York type of a place in another five years.

[Woodlands]

Is Station North considered part of Mt Vernon? There seems to be alot of potential in this area given its proximity to both Penn Station and Downtown.. though I have heard the Station North Townhome complex is not selling well anymore and the remaining units are becoming rental.. at least for the near future. A lot of activity on Charles Street below North Ave.. some areas are a little more sketchy as you move east towards Greenmount Ave.

[CHIP72]

That other thread asked about the "next" hot neighborhoods, not the current hot neighborhoods. Even though I don't go through Baltimore too often, I do think Mount Vernon is a current hot neighborhood. I know it would likely be my target if I moved to the city of Baltimore.

[barante]

There are several grades of "hot."
Station North is "hot" because an aggressive multi-million dollar effort by the city there hopes to take advantage of its compelling location between Mount Vernon, Penn Station, and Charles Village.
Mount Vernon ia "hot" because downtown revival has finally moved outside the Inner Harbor. Watch out when the gaps between Mount Vernon and the westside redevelopment area are bridged. This is happening gradually, as can be seen from the revitalization of Franklin and Howard, which is currently under way.
Once you remove public dollars from the picture, future is more difficult to predict, particularly during a severe housing downturn.

[atlas1882]

FWIW, my wife and I moved up to Mt. Vernon about year ago and absolutely love it. Fed Hill is fun if you like the bar scene, Canton has some decent views of the water, but there's really nothing like the cultural scene up here. Charles street is a mess right now with the rehab going on, but once they get it finished, it should look fantastic. I'm a little more skeptical about Station North. The area needs a lot of work. Can't say it won't happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Lumerian Feast]

Barante, you mentioned the Brexton building being redeveloped. What's the state of that right now? Has it moved along? I ask b/c it was in the course of being redeveloped when I lived on that block nine years ago, and it seems like progress on it has been torturously slow.

[rudy_d]

There was an article in the city paper about the Brexton's conversion into a boutique hotel and the several failed renovations of the building a while back:

Baltimore City Paper

Here's the website for the developers:

RWN Development Group - Real Estate Developer in Baltimore and Washington DC

It looks like progress is actually being made this time.

[jonjj]

Progress on the Brexton is going full speed. I walked by there today and noticed all the windows being replaced and inside gutting work. Should be great when completed. Also, if interested, all reading should try to hit the maps exhibit at the Walters.

[snizzledizzle]

if you're looking for indian food in mt. vernon, you should try Kumari.. i think it's right across the street on the same block (900 block of charles st.)

much better than mughal garden...

[carolott]

Originally Posted by snizzledizzle

if you're looking for indian food in mt. vernon, you should try Kumari.. i think it's right across the street on the same block (900 block of charles st.)

much better than mughal garden...

Kumari has really good food, AND they deliver to Pigtown!