Study: Baltimore has seen one of the highest rates of gentrification in the U.S

[personone]

This is interesting to hear. I admit I haven’t had the chance to read the full article, but for those living in/around the city, does the city “feel” like it is becoming highly gentrified? I still have family in MD, and was visiting over the holidays and went to the hippodrome. Driving to and through the city, it did not seem much different from how I remembered it (outside of seeing some more development around the harbor). Also, it seems like the riots would have scared off development/gentrification, but maybe it had the opposite effect (maybe development in certain affected areas is cheaper). So when I visit this summer, would I be able to see real gentrification in the large parts of East and West Baltimore which have been depressed areas for a long time?

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by personone

This is interesting to hear. I admit I haven’t had the chance to read the full article, but for those living in/around the city, does the city “feel” like it is becoming highly gentrified? I still have family in MD, and was visiting over the holidays and went to the hippodrome. Driving to and through the city, it did not seem much different from how I remembered it (outside of seeing some more development around the harbor). Also, it seems like the riots would have scared off development/gentrification, but maybe it had the opposite effect (maybe development in certain affected areas is cheaper). So when I visit this summer, would I be able to see real gentrification in the large parts of East and West Baltimore which have been depressed areas for a long time?

A large part of East Baltimore is seeing steady, but relatively slow, revitalization. Outside of that, the growth areas are still growing and the deteriorating areas are still deteriorating. The way that Baltimore and a few other cities (especially St. Louis) differ from truly gentrified cities is that the baseline in 2000 was so low that the city could absorb a lot of income growth without really becoming prosperous. Its hard to know exactly what somewhat-less-impoverished looks like... except, maybe, Baltimore. Up and down kind of look the same up to now, but continued growth might look really different if it creates some larger contiguous middle-class areas.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by pwduvall

A large part of East Baltimore is seeing steady, but relatively slow, revitalization. Outside of that, the growth areas are still growing and the deteriorating areas are still deteriorating. The way that Baltimore and a few other cities (especially St. Louis) differ from truly gentrified cities is that the baseline in 2000 was so low that the city could absorb a lot of income growth without really becoming prosperous. Its hard to know exactly what somewhat-less-impoverished looks like... except, maybe, Baltimore. Up and down kind of look the same up to now, but continued growth might look really different if it creates some larger contiguous middle-class areas.

This is true.. the areas that can improve are.. the ones that cant aren't. Things seem to be moving east towards Bayview/Greektown and north through Hampden, Woodberry, and Medfield.. At best.. maybe just maybe.. you will see some improvements this go around in Res Hill and around Druid Hill Park frontage up towards Ashburton, Forest and Howard Park and down in Pigtown up to Union Square with some of the new development occurring around the hospital.. Places like Poppleton, Irvington, Harlem Park, Edmonson Village, Sandtown, Lower Park Heights, Belair Edison, Morrell Park, Curtis Bay/Brooklyn to name a few will continue to struggle.. Westport will be a toss up depending on port Covington. The sad thing is areas that were once heralded as being on the rise have stagnated.. Frankford, Gardenville, Arlington, and parts of "mid east"

[feck]

Originally Posted by personone

This is interesting to hear. I admit I haven’t had the chance to read the full article, but for those living in/around the city, does the city “feel” like it is becoming highly gentrified? I still have family in MD, and was visiting over the holidays and went to the hippodrome. Driving to and through the city, it did not seem much different from how I remembered it (outside of seeing some more development around the harbor). Also, it seems like the riots would have scared off development/gentrification, but maybe it had the opposite effect (maybe development in certain affected areas is cheaper). So when I visit this summer, would I be able to see real gentrification in the large parts of East and West Baltimore which have been depressed areas for a long time?

You have to read publications like the Baltimore Business Journal
to see what properties are being purchased. The mainstream
media will tell you that Baltimore is in the forefront of gentrification
but publications like the BBJ will give you the details.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by MrRational

It isn't saying anything that isn't true of any larger city.
Saying it without meaningful context is little more than a ho-hum headline.

But the story in almost every instance is really about the over abundance looking for housing.
When too many of the abundance are unable to earn enough to afford housing... then housing is 'unaffordable'
(eta: unable to ≠ the 31% on vouchers tying up addresses)

Both. Juxtaposing Roland Park as an example doesn't help much.

Are there? Really? Safe? Schools? Parks? Jobs?
And where is the line between actually safe and something like 'safer'?

Well, then in easy walking distance of that.

I guess if you at are saying for example if there are 5,000 people looking for non voucher affordable housing in Baltimore City and there aren't enough units to accommodate them thus they either "double up" with other family/friends, go homeless or leave the city entirely because they cant afford it then I can kind of get your point.


Just a quick scan of the city it appears that the rents for a 3Br 2ba home that is not on one of the City's more challenged neighborhoods or down along the Gold Coast hovers in the $1k to $1,500k per month range. Anything below $1k seem either to be smaller one or two bedroom on bath units or in more challenged areas. This is mainly based on private rentals.. Smaller quads and older garden apartments may fall in to this same range as well.


So what is the solution.. for the city to try to subsidize (non voucher) even more units in new housing developments which may be easier than attempting to lure more higher paying jobs to town so that people can earn more money to be able to pay these rents....


Incidentally, this was a huge issue in places like Ashburton, Forest Park and parts of NW Baltimore. I had looked at homes up there when I first moved into the City because I liked the charm of some of the single family detached homes that were renovated. The problem was usually there was a home on the same block that was carved up into four or five apartments that rented by the week. I think they have reigned that in especially in Ashburton with their historic designation making it difficult to cut corners and do things like exterior fire escapes that serve as stairwells to attic units.. But I guess that underscores the affordability issue