Safe, diverse/international, eclectic neighborhood an oxymoron? Help! (Baltimore, Towson: real estate, rentals)

[leavenc]

I'm excited about relocating to Baltimore! I'm moving from NC to start work at Univ of MD Medical Center in June. I have 4 month old and my family is multiracial (I'm international and my husband american). My husband and I are in our 30s, professionals by day (medicine and information systems) and musicians by night. We love the arts, internationally diverse community, ethnic restaurants, live music, vegetarian/yoga lifestyle etc. I call us Yheppies - young hippie eclectic professionals.
We need a safe neighborhood especially for our young baby! We visited Baltimore and really loved Hampden but were surprised with the lack of diversity there and the racial slurs made by a hampden resident on city data. We need a place we can feel safe and comfy also as a multiracial family. Are Charles Village and Mt Vernon better options?
I want to be close to UMD MC but willing to drive 15 mins to get there. What are my options? We did not like the industrial commercial feel of federal hill/fells point/canton but maybe we missed something during our weekend visit.
I need your candid comments!!! Thanks!

[carolott]

I lived in Barre Circle until March and loved it. Lots of U of MD students and professionals, and beautiful homes! Its right across the street from U of MD, too.

[barante]

The first home I owned in Baltimore was in Coldspring, a brand-new community created by the Israeli architect Moshe Safdie and subsidized by the city. I was the fourth person to move in in 1978 and one of my neighbors, Del. Sandy Rosenberg, still lives there. In fact he has created quite a pad by merging two condo units. When we went to a party at his house on New Year's day to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his move there, we saw several of our erstwhile neighbors who still live there.
Coldspring in those days, as it is now, is one of the few truly integrated Baltimore neighborhoods. People bought into a vision without any idea as to who their neighbors might be. It was mostly white in those days, with a substantial black population and it was very international. I believe that this is still the case in original Coldspring. The Woodlands next door, which was built later and is single family homes, however, is nearly exclusively African American.
Coldspring is located on the hills off Cold Spring Lane and Greenspring Avenue, next to Cylburn arboretum with its plants and walking trails. Coldspring itself has walkways, tennis courts and a seasonal swimming pool. For 30 years, when our original neighbors were more numerous, we were invited to the annual "deck party." (The community is based on decks, with parking underneath, that cluster homes and are connected by walkways to adjoining decks). Waldorf school is right in the community. Sinai Hospital nearby. Because Coldspring is off the Jones Falls Expressway,downtown and Towson are just minutes away.
This is the most international community in Baltimore. A huge number of people from different countries, from various backgrounds. A New Age center is in an old building there, headed by Bob Hieronymous (google). We were perfectly happy there. We then moved to a huge Victorian on Union Square and later to a rancher in Cheswolde, where we live now.
You owe it to yourself to look into Coldspring.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by leavenc

I'm excited about relocating to Baltimore! I'm moving from NC to start work at Univ of MD Medical Center in June. I have 4 month old and my family is multiracial (I'm international and my husband american). My husband and I are in our 30s, professionals by day (medicine and information systems) and musicians by night. We love the arts, internationally diverse community, ethnic restaurants, live music, vegetarian/yoga lifestyle etc. I call us Yheppies - young hippie eclectic professionals.
We need a safe neighborhood especially for our young baby! We visited Baltimore and really loved Hampden but were surprised with the lack of diversity there and the racial slurs made by a hampden resident on city data. We need a place we can feel safe and comfy also as a multiracial family. Are Charles Village and Mt Vernon better options?
I want to be close to UMD MC but willing to drive 15 mins to get there. What are my options? We did not like the industrial commercial feel of federal hill/fells point/canton but maybe we missed something during our weekend visit.
I need your candid comments!!! Thanks!

As newcomers, Charles Village or Mt Vernon would be wonderful for you.

[leavenc]

Thanks. Are these areas safe for walking? Is Baltimore as segregated as city data comments paint it? Should we buy or rent? My program lasts 4 yrs - we decide on whether to stay based on our experience. Please keep the comments coming - I appreciate them

[euphline]

In general, I don't think Baltimore is as segregated as some of the forum posters might suggest. There are definitely some quite diverse areas. Unfortunately, fair housing laws make it *very* hard for a real estate agent to discuss the racial makeup of a community... even when the buyer is *looking* for diversity. (The fair housing laws exist partly *because* of advertising that suggested diversity was coming, which caused "white flight").

That said, if you dig really hard, you'll find some of this information. For example, page 33 of this PDF (http://ci.baltimore.md.us/government/planning/images/NWCPFsnapMarch05.pdf - broken link) has some maps on it. I haven't found them elsewhere (outside of other neighborhood plans). Hopefully you can zoom in and make use of them or use your GoogleFoo to find full size versions.

I did find this site (http://www.ubalt.edu/bnia/mapping/other_maps.html - broken link) with a bigger graphic, but less detail...

Yours,

-jbn

[barante]

Coldspring is designed for walking and is perfectly safe. That's why I recommend it, plus the international flavor. While they are all condo units I'm sure several are for rentals.
Welcome to Coldspring
Also
Live in Baltimore - Cold Spring Newtown

[carolott]

Originally Posted by leavenc

Thanks. Are these areas safe for walking? Is Baltimore as segregated as city data comments paint it? Should we buy or rent? My program lasts 4 yrs - we decide on whether to stay based on our experience. Please keep the comments coming - I appreciate them

It's segregated if you want it to be...

I think some people self-segregate and then project that onto everyone else. I choose to live open to the possibility that you'll meet wonderful people in all shades, and nasty people in all shades. So far, so good.

[westsideboy]

The best place to go to find out the racial breakdown of a city is census.gov. Look under the Fact Sheet for Baltimore, MD. Find the section listing the racial demographics. Next to this information for each race is a hyperlink that says "map". Once the map loads, you can pull down the tab and switch to "block" this will give you the percent of that race block by block for the entire city. There are no street names, so you will have to be a little "map savvy" to read it accurately.

Census.gov also allows you to look at renter/homeowner info by block as well as vacant structures, and some other stuff. FYI the info is from the 2000 census, so it is about 8 years old.

[Streetchie]

Charles Village and Mount Vernon are great choices for what you are looking for. In my opinion, CV is a bit more relaxed, with more green space and housing options. Mount Vernon is beautiful too and has a more urban/sophisticated feel. Good luck. Enjoy.