Is Windsor Hills An OK Neighborhood (Baltimore, Glen Burnie: real estate, houses, neighborhoods)

[MantaRay]

I'm scouting places I might like to retire to in the future, and for various reasons Baltimore is on my list of potentials. My ideal neighborhood in general is one where I can get a SFH that is near walking/biking trails specifically but parks also (many trails come WITH parks, but not all do). Obviously safety is a huge concern. I used Google Maps new bicycle trails feature and saw that there is a fairly extensive one going from Glen Burnie to Anapolis and another one going through Leakin Park and Gwynns Falls Park heading (generally) toward downtown. The latter trail is clearly closer to downtown, Fells Point, etc. places I would be likely to go on a weekly basis for fun, restaurants, etc. so for the time being I'm only considering neighborhoods in proximity to the latter trail. Looking at an aerial view map, I saw that Windsor Hills (and the southern part of Forest Park) is a neighborhood with SFHs that is just north of Gwynns Falls Park. That quick maps search is how I came across the neighborhood. I may visit Baltiimore this summer, but I have never been before.

Therefore, I have no clue what the neighborhood is actually like, in terms of safety, type of people who live there, etc. Can anybody help? Thanks.

[Tallybalt]

Windsor Hill is perfectly safe, and it is an neighborhood with many large attractive houses dating back to the late 19th century. It's a mixed race community with a strong neighborhood association.

But it is a tiny pocket unto itself. The surrounding communities are less salubrious and Windsor Hill is cut off from the rest of Baltimore through poor direct transportation links.

The nearby Gwynns Falls Park should be ok - with caution. It is regretfully a popular dumping ground for bodies of drug dealers from west Baltimore ghettos. I would certainly not wander through the park at night or even on my own during the daytime.

There is a reason why people heavily frequent other parks north of the city or drive out to the Monkton bike trail and forsake the Gwynns Falls. But nonetheless I do encourage you to come to Baltimore in person and explore both the park and Windsor Hills and speak to area residents and community volunteers working with the park before making any decisions. You may be comfortable with the environment, others will not be.

[ginbelt]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

Windsor Hill is perfectly safe, and it is an neighborhood with many large attractive houses dating back to the late 19th century. It's a mixed race community with a strong neighborhood association.

But it is a tiny pocket unto itself. The surrounding communities are less salubrious and Windsor Hill is cut off from the rest of Baltimore through poor direct transportation links.

The nearby Gwynns Falls Park should be ok - with caution. It is regretfully a popular dumping ground for bodies of drug dealers from west Baltimore ghettos. I would certainly not wander through the park at night or even on my own during the daytime.

There is a reason why people heavily frequent other parks north of the city or drive out to the Monkton bike trail and forsake the Gwynns Falls. But nonetheless I do encourage you to come to Baltimore in person and explore both the park and Windsor Hills and speak to area residents and community volunteers working with the park before making any decisions. You may be comfortable with the environment, others will not be.

What tallybelt says jibes with what I've heard about that neighborhood too. There is a poster on the Baltimore Sun bulletin board who goes by the handle of "Kemmer" who lives there, and speaks well of her neighborhood, often talking about how it is mixed race yet none of the racial tension you sometimes see, because it's mostly homeowners, who have the same standards. It sounds like the kind of neighborhood where the real estate is undervalued (ie, not a "hot" area), so you can probably get a good deal.

As I was typing all this, I was remembering a nice article about Windsor Hills which I read in The Urbanite awhile back, so I just now looked it up -- here it is: The Urbanite Magazine - NEIGHBORHOOD

[MantaRay]

Thanks so much for the feedback! This is a HUGE help!