Guilford questions (Baltimore: cul-de-sac, crime, houses)

[Lee Weaver]

Hello:

We're thinking of moving to the Baltimore area and from what we can see on-line the Guilford neighborhood seems very nice.

I have a few questions and would particularly like to hear from current/former Guilford residents, and people who looked at buying in Guilford but ended up somewhere else (where and why?).

Do neighbors socialize with each other, kids play in each others' yards, etc.? That would seem a real advantage of the layout there, but does it happen in practice? Are there a good number of younger families with school-aged children?

How bad is crime in the neighborhood? The online maps show what seem like a lot of car and home thefts. Is it safe for women and children to walk around after dark?

Do most of the houses have central air conditioning? I see a lot of pictures of rooms with radiators.

I'm sure I'll think of more, thanks for any input.

[Tallybalt]

Guilford is one of the most expensive and prettiest neighborhoods in Baltimore.

There is a very active neighborhood social group that holds frequent social events. Check out the community's website at guilfordnews.com

While there are certainly families with children living in Guilford, I would say the majority are older couples, either with no children or whose children have grown up, and there's a burgeoning population of affluent, professional gay men who have started to colonize Guilford.

If you are looking for neighborhoods with lots of families with children you would be better off looking at adjoining Homeland (zip code 21212) and Roland Park (21210), both which have experienced a baby boom in recent years. Homeland, Roland Park and Guilford form the triumvirate of the North Baltimore neighborhoods and all are closely interrelated. They were developed by the Roland Park Company between 1891 and the 1930s. The differences is in architecture: Roland Park is the oldest with a preponderance of brown-shingled late Victorian/Edwardian houses. Homeland was built concurrent with Guilford but the houses tend to be slightly smaller.

As for crime: Guilford is at an disadvantage in that it borders a less than salubrious part of Baltimore, but the neighborhood has its own security patrol crew and I have never felt unsafe, night or day, in Guilford. Home break-ins and car thefts do happen but muggings are exceedingly rare.

Most of the houses will now have central air. The houses will have radiators as opposed to the contemporary electric heat vents, but I prefer radiators because it maintains a good balance of moisture in the air whereas electric heat tends to leave houses very dry.

Homeland's website: Homeland Home Page

Roland Park: Roland Park Welcomes You

Since you have children, have you considered where they will go to school? Many good private schools are located in Roland Park/Homeland, and both those neighborhoods are zoned for the best public elementary/middle school in Baltimore, which has become a popular choice for neighborhood families seeking to postpone private school fees till high school. But I believe Guilford is not zoned for the Roland Park Elementary/Middle.

Originally Posted by Lee Weaver

Hello:

We're thinking of moving to the Baltimore area and from what we can see on-line the Guilford neighborhood seems very nice.

I have a few questions and would particularly like to hear from current/former Guilford residents, and people who looked at buying in Guilford but ended up somewhere else (where and why?).

Do neighbors socialize with each other, kids play in each others' yards, etc.? That would seem a real advantage of the layout there, but does it happen in practice? Are there a good number of younger families with school-aged children?

How bad is crime in the neighborhood? The online maps show what seem like a lot of car and home thefts. Is it safe for women and children to walk around after dark?

Do most of the houses have central air conditioning? I see a lot of pictures of rooms with radiators.

I'm sure I'll think of more, thanks for any input.

[Lee Weaver]

Hi:

Thanks for the reply and links.

I've glanced at Homeland, but from the (albeit very limited) views of what is on the market right now, Guilford homes seem to offer more interior space and larger yards, both more in line with what we were thinking of. Perhaps the higher-end of Homeland would meet those needs but still offer a neighborhood of people with similar interests/phase of life.

As for schools it seems that private schools are the default option for living within the City limits; we're OK with that.

Would love to hear other perspectives.

[ToneGrail]

If you want to move to Guilford you need mucho bucks. It's reputed to be the wealthiest neighborhood in Baltimore. Like tallybelt says, it borders on some really bad hoods, but the crime rarely makes it's way into Guilfords borders although you might still be able to hear the gunfire and sirens on the other side of York or 33rd.

Guilford is like an oasis in the desert. It's definitely a strategically planned neighborhood with only a couple access points and winding narrow streets and cul-de-sacs, making through-traffic rare. This, combined with the security patrol, certainly cuts down on the thuggery spilling over from the adjacent areas. When you're there, you will feel like you're somewhere in the suburbs because of it's large wooded lots and winding streets.

[jonjj]

Really, only one side of Guilford borders on a tough area--Greenmount/York. And that is pretty well patroled.

[barante]

Guilford also is practising Oscar Newman's strategy of defensive spaces. If you drive on Greenmount (the border of the bad area), you will notice that you cannot enter any Guilford streets from there.
If you have kids and are thinking of building any play structures, make sure the covenants allow that.

[Lee Weaver]

I've been looking online some more, and parts of Roland Park seem to also offer similar "neighborhood feel", at least from what you can tell on Google Maps overhead and street view. I would gather from the location that crime is a little better there. Is it a safe assumption that Gilford's homes are more brick or stone, while Roland Park's more wood frame?

We are trying to avoid a situation where the homes are so far apart that you only end up waving to your neighbors once a week and speaking to them annually. Ideally we would want a yard large enough so that we're not hearing each other's dinenr conversations, but close enough to be social, with plenty of younger families with kids. Brick house is preferable, 3-4K square feet, 5+ bedrooms.

Does Ruxton have any areas that fit that bill? Any other areas to look? Thanks again.

[jonjj]

Everywhere you mention is fine. Look up Homeland also which is near Roland Park and Guilford. Mt. Washington and Barante's Cheswolde are nice. They are all very wooded which is great in the summer. Ruxton is nice although you would be further away from neighbors.

I really don't know what you mean by crime. I would be perfectly content living in any of them. They are probably some of the nicest neighborhoods in the entire metro area.

[Lee Weaver]

My comments on crime are based on looking at the map at crimebaltimore.com, as some other threads suggested. There aren't any murders or anything, but do seem to be a lot of incidents, and that corridor to the east looks pretty bad. People menitoned a lack of street entry from that side- not sure if there is a wall/gate or secured entrances over that way?

[barante]

I believe the most recent murder in Guilford was committed by the grandson of a woman who refused his demands for money. Happens in the best circles, but very rarely.