Beechfield/Kensington? (Baltimore, Frederick, Arbutus: rentals, crime, homes)

[clinicalgal]

Do ya'll have any thoughts about Beechfield or Kensington neighborhoods? I can't really get a good sense of the communities there but they seem to be much quieter than others in the city because of the close proximity to the county line. Does that also mean crime decreases a bit? The state parks around those neighborhoods are really nice - is there anything else to do there? Any other draws to those communities?? Any good cafes/restaurants/boutiques??

[carthell]

I have an aunt that has lived there (Yale Heights) for the past 35 years. The times I walked and drove through, the neighborhood felt safe. She had mentioned the increase in crime over the time that she lived there, but I think that the situation is not so bad when compared to other neighborhoods because she's in the position to move away on a whim. (One of the major giveaways concerning neighborhood safety in Baltimore is prevalence of vacant housing and "corner boys" -- men loitering on corners who are involved in the drug trade -- and Beechfield doesn't have those features. Caveat: Irvington on Frederick Road & Augusta Av. is an ongoing concern.)

Most of the area is solidly a residential zone. Socially-oriented businesses are located just outside the area: Kibby's on 3450 Wilkens Avenue (across from St. Agnes Hospital) is, based on the catered food I got when I worked near there, a great place to go. There's another restaurant that I sometimes went to for lunch at the Holiday Inn (Express) on Caton Av. south of the I-95 interchange; not sure whether it is still operating.

For generic shopping needs (including clothing, shoes), there are two other outdoor malls on Maiden Choice Lane: Wilkens, and Westland Blvd. The local college, homeowners, professional, and retirement crowds are served.

About a mile or three southwest of the neighborhood, Arbutus/Halethorpe, MD has a vibrant strip of restaurants and stores that line East Drive, just west of Southwest Boulevard (US 1) in Baltimore County. The businesses serve the neighborhood and the college crowd @ UMBC. You might be able to find peddlers of unusual goods there (I don't recall any, though.) You'll find similar clusters of small businesses along Frederick Avenue starting in the county at Paradise Avenue and westwards for miles.

There is plenty of short-term rental housing in the area due to the proximity of UMBC, so you have an opportunity to "try out" the area to see whether it fits your needs.

[Longchamp]

I live in Beechfield. It's mostly a lower income black neighborhood, but most of the people seem to be homeowners. There's a big block of rentals on Melbourne rd (the road i live on) but that doesn't seem to be a problem. Once you cross Beechfield Ave into the Yale heights area it seems a lot more run down. It's also closer to the worse parts of the city. I'm not overly familiar with northern parts of beechfield though closer to frederick road. They seems worse than the southern parts of the neighborhood.

Baltimore Crime Map - Baltimore Police Department Official Web Site - City of Baltimore...

This link is pretty good for gauging the crime in neighborhoods, although the police discourage people from filing reports.

[Longchamp]

Ok, i forgot where kensington was until today when i jogged by their sign. Kensington and beechfield are like night and day. Kensington is much nicer and has single family homes, they also have what appears to be a pretty strong community association. A lot of the scummy people that go through beechfield are not in kensington.

I know it seems odd since they're so close together but that's how Baltimore is.