Just HOW bad/scary is Mondawmin Mall and the surrounding area???? (Baltimore: sales, leasing)

[barante]

There have been persistent rumors about something like this. Except that the community college would be the acquirer of the William Lemmell school. In fact, the mall owners are leery students because they fear students would hog the free parking at the mall, which already is scarce.

[Terpnista]

Personally I would not live in the area. But I never feel uncomfortable going to the area to shop at Target. Mind your business, do your shopping and no one will bother you. There's no reason to live in the area if you are working there. There are plenty of neighborhoods in safer places that would allow for a very easy commute. For instance, I lived in Bolton Hill and I would take the 5 bus or subway to get to Mondawmin. It's a very easy trip.

[goldenchild08]

I think this area was a lot crazier back in the day. When I first moved to Maryland in high school in the late 90's, most people would warn White people to stay far away from Mondawmin Mall. I remember one kid in my class said "the only Whiteboy going to Mondawmin is Rambo; he better be strapped."

This area still can be pretty scary depending on the time of year you visit. Last time I went to the Mondawmin Mall area during the annual Stone Soul Picnic at Druid Hill Park last August, literally hundreds of people from the hood were outside their houses drinking the foulest, judgement impairing, blood boiling, stomach turning, liver-killing hard liquor out of black plastic bags fresh from the bulletproof hood liquor store. Everybody was outside getting drunk like that one episode of The Simpsons where everyone magically starts getting drunk off of an endless supply of alcohol at the end of the show. Staring into a sea of piercing drunken eyes as an out-of-towner in this area of Baltimore is not something I would choose to see. Walking through these neighborhoods when they look like this, especially at night, is obviously not safe nor does it feel safe in any way. However, if you mind your business and don't look scared you should be fine. Although I am a big guy at 6'1" and was raised in the ghetto myself. Even I don't feel safe walking through the surrounding streets in this area sometimes. I couldn't imagine being an Asian female walking through this area by myself day or night.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by goldenchild08

I think this area was a lot crazier back in the day. When I first moved to Maryland in high school in the late 90's, most people would warn White people to stay far away from Mondawmin Mall. I remember one kid in my class said "the only Whiteboy going to Mondawmin is Rambo; he better be strapped."

This area still can be pretty scary depending on the time of year you visit. Last time I went to the Mondawmin Mall area during the annual Stone Soul Picnic at Druid Hill Park last August, literally hundreds of people from the hood were outside their houses drinking the foulest, judgement impairing, blood boiling, stomach turning, liver-killing hard liquor out of black plastic bags fresh from the bulletproof hood liquor store. Everybody was outside getting drunk like that one episode of The Simpsons where everyone magically starts getting drunk off of an endless supply of alcohol at the end of the show. Staring into a sea of piercing drunken eyes as an out-of-towner in this area of Baltimore is not something I would choose to see. Walking through these neighborhoods when they look like this, especially at night, is obviously not safe nor does it feel safe in any way. However, if you mind your business and don't look scared you should be fine. Although I am a big guy at 6'1" and was raised in the ghetto myself. Even I don't feel safe walking through the surrounding streets in this area sometimes. I couldn't imagine being an Asian female walking through this area by myself day or night.

WOW....that is a pretty descriptive description...Reminds me of the movie Legend with Will Smith...lol

I have to admit that there should be some distinction between Mondawmin Mall and parts of the Mondawmin Community. When I go to the mall.. I drive up go in.. and leave. The parking lot is well lite, there is plenty of security and thus I have not felt unsafe. That being said I dont wander around the parking lot aimlessly or hike off onto a side street in some of the surrounding neighborhoods. BTW Stone Soul picnic was an event that may have liquor induced some of the festivities that you witnessed.. there are probably far fewer zombies walking around on say just a regular day/night... I hope...

[The Notorious DGD]

FWIW, I'm a 5'1" white female, and I shop at the Mondawmin Target pretty regularly. I have been there at all times of the day and have never had any issues. The same general rules of personal safety apply there as anywhere else: if you remember where you parked, mind your own business, walk like you have a purpose, and stay aware of your surroundings, you have little chance of being a crime victim. If anything, the fact that the parking lot is very well-lit at night and there are always cops in the store makes me feel safer than I do in a lot of other places. When I recently went to Reisterstown Plaza for an off-season Friday night Rita's fix, I barely got in the door before random sketchy people were trying to hawk perfumes and bootleg DVDs on me; I could not get back to my car soon enough. And the last time I went to the Lansdowne Walmart, some creeper was skulking around the aisles of the lingerie section, holding a bra and ogling women. He tried approaching me with "a question," and I told him off; 20 minutes later, I passed by, and he was still there. The store was really busy at the time, with lots of people doing post-holiday shopping, and I still felt like no one would be there if something happened to me or another woman. I've never felt that way at Mondawmin.

[KodeBlue]

Its not that bad. I've a lot of white people in mondawmin (more now than ever before). So, it cant be that bad.

[futureATLien]

I went to Coppin and just graduated in 09....the area isnt that bad and I walked around alone frequently....just be careful at night....there have been students that have been robbed and some people shot, but use common sense

[Woodlands]

Anyone know what was on this site before the mall was developed???? Given what I have read.. that area used to be pretty nice back in say 1950s and 1960s so I wonder what they tore down to build the mall.

Its also interesting that the MTA put the Subway Station there and at Penn North.... it seems like they should have put a stop at Liberty Heights and Druid Hill Ave (at the Community College) in addition to or instead of Mondawmin. Fast forward to today.. i guess the station is now having a positive impact on the Mall in terms of brining in potential customers or is it just a transfer stop for the bus...

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

i guess the station is now having a positive impact on the Mall in terms of brining in potential customers or is it just a transfer stop for the bus...

I use the Mondawmin station a lot and people do go from the station to the mall and also transfer. There's a MTA booth with a worker in it on the bus pavillion now, and also usually a cop, so it's not as intimidating to transfer there as it once was.

[barante]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

Anyone know what was on this site before the mall was developed???? Given what I have read.. that area used to be pretty nice back in say 1950s and 1960s so I wonder what they tore down to build the mall.

Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City
contains a detailed description of racial change around Mondawmin in Chapter 8. Mondawmin, built by James Rouse, had been a plantation whose last owners were the descendants of Alex Brown, founder of the very important banking house which has since merged and lost its identity. As the book details, racial change began just before the mall was inaugurated. It never drew the type of exclusive (white) clientele that had been promised to lessor stores which soon abandoned the mall.