Eutaw/Reservoir Hill (Baltimore, Reisterstown: section 8, for sale, apartment)

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by jonjj

I wouldn't rule out Reservoir Hill. The housing stock there is some of the best in the entire region. And.... if you remember it from 20 years ago with the infamous Whitelock Street, you know how much change has already occured. It will take time. It doesn't happen over night. And, especially now with the market, it is on hold. But, I predict this area will one day be one of the finest in town. Just looking at the homes there compared to Canton or some other popular area will testify to that. And, Canton was not the lap of luxury 20 years ago.

Okay, Canton was a heck-hole, too. But houses in Canton were $1! Those little rowhouse are also easier and cheaper to "renovate." I have seen people almost go bankrupt renovating historic homes that weren't half as ornate or large as the ones in Reservoir Hill. Those are showy homes built on a large scale by rich people and a large house can cost quite a bit to maintain, even if it's in pristine condition.

Perhaps I am wrong and a herd of rich real-estate developers WILL descend on RH and decide they want to wrangle with the drug salesmen, group homes and decay. I have been wrong before. I have to admit, I was soo wrong about Canton But one thing I can say about Canton is that it's nice now, and pricewise it's actually GASP affordable for professionals in my age group. There are lots of places in the 200-300 range, which I think are more realistic, attractive prices than even in some suburbs.

Anyway, back to Reservoir Hill. IMO Baltimore would have to PAY people to live there to turn that place around. Even without the crime, etc, it's just too expensive to renovate a large old house. Not to mention security, decorating and taxes. It doesn't make sense. If you will spend 300-400K, why not live in a nicer area?

[skinny01]

As an artist I didn't find much to inspire the soul in Res Hill save for the fact that it was quiet enough for one to withdraw within and create also I could make all the noise I wanted to without being bothered. That aside, there didn't appear to be a collective posse of like minded individuals (artist's) wanting to move in and become part of a scene. IMO, Baltimore as a whole didn't seem to have or offer that creative spark one needed to feed off of. However, It presented a great deal of solitude, charm and mystery/mystique some of which I found to be quite dark given it's past and reputation. Res Hill, Bolton Hill, Marble Hill..... I found to be languid, gloomy, yet charming and quite interesting if I may add, may yet turn itself around and become a hotbed of activity, art and commerce. It'll be quite some time though.

[Tallybalt]

I'll add my two bits about Reservoir Hill (and I say this knowing a number of people who live there, along Reservoir Street and Mount Royal Terrace).

There is some wonderful Victorian housing stock along Eutaw and Madison, and Mount Royal Terrace down by Bolton Hill.

But most of the housing stock on the Hill, between Eutaw and Park Avenue is not overly impressive. These are solidly built rowhouses for the Victorian middle classes, or if you want to get more specific, the upper part of the middle middle classes, as opposed to the solidly upper middle class that you found in Bolton Hill and Mount Vernon.

Second, most of these houses aren't easy to live in by modern day standards. The standard width is 14 to 16 feet wide, which results in numerous long but narrow and dark rooms, whose awkward proportions are made even more so by the high ceilings. On paper, these houses may have as much as 3,000 square feet, but it's 3,000 awkward square feet. They are expensive to heat in the winter and cool in the summer.

Over the years, many of these houses fell derelict and lost most of the original Victorian interiors, so you'd be surprised at how many Reservoir Hill houses you walk into and find it's essentially cheap sheetrock renovations as a result of the quick renovation jobs done by speculators in the last ten years.

Compared to Fell's Point/Canton/Federal Hill, Reservoir Hill houses are large, but they are too large for a single or a young couple. The area is far removed from the bars/restaurants/shops that you find around the harbor or even in Mount Vernon. As mentioned, most of the houses don't have the Victorian detailings that would make a proper renovation job an attractive possibility. If you like the open/loft lifestyle, it's actually easier to acheive one in a smaller Federal Hill/Canton rowhouse, rather than the "too large to be a hallway but too small to be a loft" footprint of a Reservoir Hill house.

My two bits.

[jonjj]

Maryland Daily Record (http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?category=4&page=1&id=10716&type=UTTM - broken link)

I read this article yesterday. Interesting for the topic on Reservoir Hill.

[Tallybalt]

They have lost quite a bit of money on that house!

Originally Posted by jonjj

Maryland Daily Record (http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?category=4&page=1&id=10716&type=UTTM - broken link)

I read this article yesterday. Interesting for the topic on Reservoir Hill.

[Woodlands]

I rode down Division Street this past weekend. This street lives up to its name as being a "division" between Bolton Hill/Madision Park and Upton/Sandtown Winchester. It also underscores the differences "block by block" in Baltimore.. I was riding down McMechen St towards Division... and the police had kicked in the door of a rowhome while several others monitored four youths as they sat on the curb as the home was searched.. six blocks later you are on Eutaw Place watching young women walk their dogs on sit out on a stoop under large brownstones. It underscores the point that stepped up law enforcement is essential for the revitalization of an area...Eventually Res Hill, which is north of this area will likely turn around,.. though it may have to wait on the next "boom" but in the mean time things like continuing community involvement and stepped up law enforcement are essential interim measures.

[Billiam]

I went through it on valentines day, its a very attractive neighborhood (res hill). Looks ripe for redevelopment - Reservoir Hill Improvement Council

[carolott]

Unfortunately, Reservoir Hill (like so many neighborhoods in Baltimore, including my own) has been "ripe for redevelopment" for 20 years. Many plans have come and gone, many community meetings...ad nauseum. Until the city starts spending the time, effort, and money on that part of town (as they have in other neighborhoods), it will be "ripe" for another 20 years.

[mrboltonman]

Res Hill does have some beautiful homes but it will take a lot of work to turn the area around.

The homes are massive and so is the cost. There has to be away to make it worth investing in the area. The city should get a pool of investors and then get the area renovated. In the long run this would generate a lot of revenue for the city but would have an upfront cost.

The low income housing next to North Ave has taken its toll on the surrounding homes. I think this is one of the biggest problems with Baltimore. The low income housing devastates areas and need to be removed or at least contained.

Vacant homes should be taxed higher so you do not have people waiting to get rich off their abandoned property. This would get the properties moving and hopefully renovated.

The slow economy is just going to postpone the turn around of Res Hill because I don't see the city doing much to fix the problems.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by mrboltonman

Res Hill does have some beautiful homes but it will take a lot of work to turn the area around.

The homes are massive and so is the cost. There has to be away to make it worth investing in the area. The city should get a pool of investors and then get the area renovated. In the long run this would generate a lot of revenue for the city but would have an upfront cost.

The low income housing next to North Ave has taken its toll on the surrounding homes. I think this is one of the biggest problems with Baltimore. The low income housing devastates areas and need to be removed or at least contained.

Vacant homes should be taxed higher so you do not have people waiting to get rich off their abandoned property. This would get the properties moving and hopefully renovated.

The slow economy is just going to postpone the turn around of Res Hill because I don't see the city doing much to fix the problems.

I have heard that the "We Buy Houses" folks who post their signs everywhere are some of the main culprits assisting the decline of neighborhood housing. These are investors that seek to buy homes cheap and hold them in hopes of an upswing where they can then "flip" them. They plaster these signs on every vacant home they find in hopes that the owner will see them and opt to sell to them. If you live next door.. you then become even more frustrated that the home next door is purchased by them and becomes a welcome mat for illegal activity/rodents and eventually you too sell to "We Buy Houses" and they take over a community and let it rot until a development plan is approved.. then they sell out. I agree they should be taxed heavily and required to submit a plan and a timeline for the rehab or demolition of their holdings or face stiff fines.