Worth a look off Park Heights (Baltimore, Reisterstown: crimes, appliances, loan)

[barante]

Glen Avenue is a quiet one-way street connecting Reisterstown Road with Park Heights Avenue and Mount Washington. It is above Northern Parkway, one block from the recently renovated and expanded Jewish Community Center and its athletic facilities. The neighborhood is coming back.
Today, I walked past a substantial stone home at 3609 Glen Avenue. Three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, new gas furnace and central air. New kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances; new replacement windows, a detached one-car garage.
I picked up a borchure that said that the house had been redone by CHAI, the Jewish community's housing agency, is priced at $249,000. "This hone is eligible for CHAI settlement assistance ($15,000 loan at 0 % interest) for qualified byers." CHAI is reachable at 410-466-1990 x 211.
I haven't seen the inside. But if I were on the market, I sure would take a look. I live in the area and think it's the best.

[kinkytoes]

Park Heights area is coming back? Over 200K? Are you a realtor?

[barante]

The area I am referring to is above Northern Parkway. Lots of homes there in the $400,000+ range.
And no, I am not a realtor.

[Woodlands]

I have noticed in certain areas that there are many One Way streets usually leading out of some neighborhoods that connect them to busy streets. I would assume that it has to do with keeping cut through traffic to a minimum... so people will not bail off these busy roads and not speed through a quite neighborhood. I was told by a more cynical neighbor that Northern Parkway, Park Heights Ave, and York Rd were examples of using "Do Not Enter" and "One Way" signs to keep undesirables out by making it difficult for one to access their neighborhood unless you come from another direction( a more acceptable/comparable adjoining neighborhood) and/or know where you are going... The examples I was given were Glen/ Mt Washington..off of Northern Parkway or Park Heights and Homewood, Guilford areas off of York Road... Is there any truth in that, not a judgement just curious?

[barante]

Woodlands -- The question you have raised is worthy a Ph.D. dissertation. We certainly have ample documented evidence from Guilford that one-way streets, dead ends and other "calming devices" advocated by Oscar Newman were used to create "defensible spaces." (St. Louis and Dayton, Ohio, used the same devices on a large scale).
This exploration will take us back to the times of Henry Barnes, the Baltimore traffic czar who came from Denver and ended up as New York City's traffic commissioner. One-ways and so one were tricks in his bag, too.

[rudy_d]

Originally Posted by barante

Woodlands -- The question you have raised is worthy a Ph.D. dissertation. We certainly have ample documented evidence from Guilford that one-way streets, dead ends and other "calming devices" advocated by Oscar Newman were used to create "defensible spaces." (St. Louis and Dayton, Ohio, used the same devices on a large scale).
This exploration will take us back to the times of Henry Barnes, the Baltimore traffic czar who came from Denver and ended up as New York City's traffic commissioner. One-ways and so one were tricks in his bag, too.

In Guilford, you've got to admit that the plan worked. I've always been amazed that there are a lot more streets leading out than leading in. Regardless of the intentions, it does minimize traffic, which makes it a more appealing neighborhood for walking/jogging.

[barante]

I visited one of Oscar Newman's trademark neighborhoods in Dayton, Ohio. Unless I'm totally confused, I think Newman or his firm participated in planning Guilford's traffic flow.
The one in Dayton was an African American neighborhood that was like a fortress. Looked nice and all that but there were just a couple of ways in. I had an appointment there and I had the worst time in finding the place because the street flow was so strange. Almost didn't find way my out.
I have no idea what became of the neighborhood. As I recall, it was surrounded by areas much worse. Since I don't know Dayton at all, I could not put any of that in context.
Anyway, here is a link to the Dayton experiment:
http://www.daytonhistory.org/who_fiveoaks.htm (broken link)
This is even better
http://www.toolbase.org/PDF/DesignGu...ble_space2.pdf

[Woodlands]

Thanks for the read...it looks interesting. Another area that seems to have similiar patterns is Bolton Hill particuliarly near North Ave. There are a couple of round a abouts and what not that seem to be in place to keep some of the busy traffic off North on North.. though I am sure it has the same affect as the "Do Not Enter" zones in Guilford and other areas. I guess I have mixed opinions of these tactics. On the one hand.. if your neighborhood is under siege, you want to do whatever it takes to keep out negative influence whether its traffic- vehicle or walk thru particuliarly if it has been documented to cause problems. However; if one is truly trying to build "neighborhoods" or "communities" it may be difficult to do if an area feels like a fortress and is isolated from the surrounding neighborhoods... I guess size of the neighborhood is important...in terms of Guilford, it is a large neighborhood in an of itself so the traffic enhancements on the edge of the neighborhood may be justified...as opposed to a new "infill" community that may be dropped in the middle of a problem area and streets are re routed to achieve a certain traffic or pedestrian pattern.

[mrmoose]

It could be that since Park Heights has a lot of Orthodox families with lots of kids playing in the street and walking to shul on shabat it is a safety thing

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by mrmoose

It could be that since Park Heights has a lot of Orthodox families with lots of kids playing in the street and walking to shul on shabat it is a safety thing

That may be very true for that area...there is a great deal of pedestrian traffic in there on those days..I have a friend over in Ashburton who is active in their neighborhood association.. they too have One Way streets but it may be due more to the width of the street since many folks park on both sides as well. They are under seige there with petty crimes and property crimes and when they consulted the Police part of the response was the area is between to busy commercial areas (Liberty Heights and Park Heights) that also border two problem areas (one off Liberty the other off Park Heights/Reisterstown Rd). There is alot of foot traffic between the two areas to and from the commercial areas(and the Coldspring Metro Subway) through their community that invites much of the petty crimes particuliarly along Hilton, Garrison, Sequoia.. especially in the daytime when most of the inhabitants are at work. I do not know how they can combat this since Ashburton is part of a City Grid and not a "subdivision type" of community like Guilford, Homewood, Roland Park etc. that have meandering streets not designed for "cut through pedestrians" except on the main streets. Glen (Upper Park Heights) is near/adjacent to some areas that have had issues, but they are also next to areas like Mt. Washington, Cross Country, Fallstaff which are stable neighborhoods and seem more auto oriented and where people may walk more so for leisure. There seems to be less of an incentive for "walk through" traffic from other areas and there are fewer commercial destinations to encourage this.. its seems to be more so the existing residents.