Northern Mt Vernon area ? (Baltimore, Silver Spring: apartments, rental, crime)

[bsinge50]

Hi city-data.com fourm. After searching through here, I have found some information, but could anyone give me a little advice?

I have a job in Elkridge starting soon, and I am looking at a place in Mt Vernon, at N Howard and W Mt Royal Ave (It's the Fitzgerald, a new building). Mt Vernon seems like a very good place to live, but this is sort of on the outskirts, I guess. Would anyone recommend for or against this area?

Is this a sort of safe place? My wife will be here and will sometimes have to walk alone.

Thank you for any help, I appreciate it.

[Lumerian Feast]

That's not northern Mt. Vernon -- it's Bolton Hill, right next to MICA. You'll get mixed opinions on the area. Architecturally beautiful, but more nuisance crime than in Mt. Vernon. Howard & Mt. Royal is better than the more western or northern sections of Bolton Hill.

If your wife walks alone at night in Bolton Hill, (or even if she walks with you), there's a decent chance she/you will get mugged, especially if she goes a few blocks west. Muggings are not uncommon in Bolton Hill (the MICA campus crime log shows students routinely getting mugged). Having lived there, and being a Baltimore lover, I wouldn't move back. Mt. Vernon's safer and more interesting (you still have to keep on your toes, of course, as you do anywhere in the city, but there's not as much targeting of people).

But who knows, if this new building draws people with its ground floor businesses, there may be improvement. This intersection you're talking about is closer to the Mt. Royal Tavern & the Lyric and stuff, and right in the middle of where Artscape happens, so sometimes it will feel quite vibrant. At other times, though, especially when school's out, it may feel like a ghost town.

[barante]

Things will be getting better once the Fitzgerald opens. Yuppie scum always forces out the lowlifes by bringing more law enforcement to the area. I think this building is going to be a winner.

[jonjj]

That area is fine. I would be careful walking at night in any city, not just Baltimore. So, if your wife is a night-owl, I would suggest a cab ride home. Or, the Fitzgerald is right by the light rail-an easy ride and home. As the previous poster reported, it is right across from the Mt. Royal Tavern which is always busy. Also, isn't there a bookstore and grocery store going in on the lower levels of the Fitz? If so, that will mean even more foot traffic in the area.

[mrboltonman]

The Fitzgerald is not located in Bolton Hill but right next to it.

It's located in Midtown Belvedere but most people just call it Mt. Vernon. I heard that a bookstore will be on the ground level and I think I saw a sign for the Fitzgerald Cafe.

The area is nice and you will be close to a lot of restaurants. Public transportation is really good.

I've lived in BH for 2 years now and have heard of 1 attempted mugging. It was a girl walking at 12AM and 2 guys attempted to mug her. She screamed for help and the thugs ran away.

Here is the BH website:
boltonhill.org > index

Bolton Hill is a residential neighborhood and Mt Vernon is more commercial/residential. Both areas are really nice and cool in my opinion.

Pick a restaurant (I recommend City Cafe) and check out the area.
City Cafe: Baltimore Restaurant | Pre Theater Dining in Baltimore | Downtown Baltimore MD Restaurant with Free Wifi

[picardlx]

Just be aware that there is no cement in that building to isolate apartments (one of the advantages of seeing a building being built). So I would go in expecting to hear neighbors through the drywall seperating the units. I won't live there, but I will enjoy having a have BN 2 blocks from where I do live.

[LolaBud]

Bsinge50,

Were you able to obtain rental rates for the apartments at The Fitzgerald? (Studio, 1-bedroom or 2- bedroom). If so, can you share here?

Thanks,

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by picardlx

Just be aware that there is no cement in that building to isolate apartments (one of the advantages of seeing a building being built). So I would go in expecting to hear neighbors through the drywall seperating the units. I won't live there, but I will enjoy having a have BN 2 blocks from where I do live.

Is it normal to have cement between walls in apartment buildings?

[picardlx]

Originally Posted by jonjj

Is it normal to have cement between walls in apartment buildings?

Well I don't know about 'normal', but this is a relatively new building that I moved from to Baltimore and there are concrete walls separating the units.

Alexander House Apartments Silver Spring, MD - Apartments for Rent in Silver Spring Maryland

And the other building I used to live in did as well. So for me its something I look for, but dont know how 'normal' it is.

[jaindow]

RE: Cement between walls, I don't know if this is "normal" either, but I can say that friends who live at Symphony Center Apts say that after 5 years they still don't hear any neighbors to the side, above, or below them. I don't know what David S Brown used in the building material of that complex, but it seems quite solid. You can hear occasional sirens, and it's the city so that should be expected. The reviews on Apartmentratings online of the place are quite high when compared to other places. OP might want to check this place out.

Oh, the other thing I would say is the Fitz is a Buzzuto property. We have rented from Buzzuto once in the past. While the management was good, the materials in the apartment were crap. The walls dinged and showed marks very easily and we could always hear our neighbors. Since then we stay clear of Buzzuto properties because given our experience we feel they are poorly built. Having said that, though, we were renting from Buzzuto in the county, and Fitz is in the city so minimum building requirements may be higher for the city given more street noise.

RE: Rents for the Fitz, it was advertised somewhere a couple months ago that 2 bdrms would be in the $1800s. We couldn't find the advertisement the other day when we were walking by there so not sure if that is/will be changing.