Moving to Baltimore by UMD(Poppleton) (Ridgely: section 8, real estate, apartments)

[JulieEsq]

Hi, I will soon be moving to Baltimore and working near the Univ Of Maryland area. I am coming from New York and saw some properties along Fayette and Lexington streets and the listing showed another in a community called "Poppleton". From the listing, looks like safe areas with decent upkeep.

[Infinite_heights77]

Ahhhh..Not!!! Sorry..

I hope you have a car since you coming from the city? Mass transit in Baltimore is a mule and buggy ride compared to NYC transit system.

**Notice I said "mule and buggy" and not a horse!!

[remstone]

(Apologies for our other poster ...)

You probably want to avoid Poppleton - it's both the site of a former public housing complex that was torn down and redeveloped for the better (Lexington Terrace) and an ongoing acquisition/redevelopment project that hasn't moved along much. Basically the area had such a large stock of vacant rowhouses (and even more public housing) that the city decided to start over and get some market forces going. But it hasn't happened and may be five years or so until things on the ground start changing. Which is a bit of a shame because the UMD Biopark project along Baltimore St has some momentum.

Not to say that all parts of Poppleton are bad, but you certainly will start seeing some serious crimes pop up on Lexington and Fayette as you go further west away from MLK Blvd. The one and only listing I see on Craigslist in the area looks ok (probably is priced for Section 8) and is in the Lexington Terrace redevelopment. And there's not a single other thing nearby, and no listings even dare to say Poppleton. Tells you something right there. The rental market is almost entirely subsidized. Pretty much everyone else with UMD will be looking further south at Barre Circle, Hollins Market, and Pigtown which are all perceived as better neighborhoods.

[KLynch10]

Poppleton is a mostly subsidized housing community just north of the UM BioPark, I would avoid. There are plenty of good options for living if you work there. Ridgely's Delight and Barre Circle are nice communities in walking distance. There is also a shuttle that takes you there from nearby Federal Hill/SoBo. There are also some nice apartments buildings right near campus like Greenhouse, Abell, and the Zenith.

Hollins Market and Pigtown are two growing communities also nearby that are in transition but pretty safe and a spot you could get a pretty nice deal.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Improvement of the area will be spurred by UMB and the Red Line station, but probably not for 15 years.

[Infinite_heights77]

Remstone and K10 just dropped it!!

[Infinite_heights77]

Ahhh...I don't know about Hollins Market area man?? A friend of mine had a nice loft across the street from the market itself. It was gated and secure, but still there was W. Baltimore Str. about 2 blocks up from him with plenty of traffic. There are a lot of junkies who hang out in that area.

[KLynch10]

There is a nice energy in Hollins Market and several new restaurants, but yes Baltimore Street is very close. The relocation of the UMD methadone clinic has also been a huge setback for the area but there has been steady real estate and business improvement and as the BioPark moves west they'll be in a great location of the future. They also move the Circulator stop from the front of the market that prevented the patients from the clinics on Pratt St from hanging out in front.

[Infinite_heights77]

What new restaurants? Please let me know because I'd like to check them out.

Originally Posted by KLynch10

There is a nice energy in Hollins Market and several new restaurants, but yes Baltimore Street is very close. The relocation of the UMD methadone clinic has also been a huge setback for the area but there has been steady real estate and business improvement and as the BioPark moves west they'll be in a great location of the future. They also move the Circulator stop from the front of the market that prevented the patients from the clinics on Pratt St from hanging out in front.

[KLynch10]

Zella's is back and under original ownership. Cockey's is now on Arlington St., CUPs coffeehouse has opened in the last 7 months or so, a Mexican place is renovating a space on Hollins right now, and a Peruvian Chicken place is supposed to open on Lombard. Carnivore BBQ also joined the Market.