A Portrait of Baltimore Neighborhoods for First Time Homebuyers

Baltimore is informally known as the city of neighborhoods. The city’s cultural, historical, entertainment and geographic character varies largely by neighborhood. According to Live Baltimore’s website, Baltimore is officially made up of 225 different neighborhoods, recognized by the Baltimore City Department of Planning- and believe me when I tell you, each one is unique. Whether you’re looking for quite, hip, artsy, eclectic, busy, diverse, historic, or walk-able, I promise there is a neighborhood to fit your taste.

While it is difficult for me to illustrate the feel and character of all 225 neighborhoods here, I thought it would be useful to offer descriptions of least one neighborhood from each area of the city in order to provide a quick snapshot.

Mount Vernon- Central Baltimore: Located extremely close to downtown, the neighborhood is extremely walk-able and in close proximity to the light rail, subway and bus systems. Consisting of mostly red brick and brown stone row homes, it is on the National Historic Registry. Mount Vernon is also home to the monument erected in honor of George Washington, which is surrounded by a beautiful park where you can eat lunch, walk your dog or just relax. Our offices are currently located in Mount Vernon and we love it!

Waverly- North Baltimore: This neighborhood is well known for its beautiful, single family, detached homes, which is less common within city limits. The area offers several shops and a Giant grocery store, and is located within walking distance of the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus. According to Census Track data, Waverly mainly consists of homeowners and is very culturally diverse. It attracts people both young and old, from various backgrounds and is a safe place to live.

Patterson Park- East Baltimore: Our central office was formally located in Patterson Park for 34 years and our employees still talk about how much they loved working there. The neighborhood is a “melting pot” of cultures, backgrounds, class and orientation and has seen a resurgence of new restaurants and local hangouts. For those of you outdoors types, there is plenty of recreation offered by the park itself, including swimming, jogging and picnicking.

Fells Point- South Baltimore: It is the home of the Fell’s Point Ghost Tour for a reason; its rich history! Located at the eastern end of the Baltimore Inner Harbor, this neighborhood supported one of the largest ports for immigrants in the United States, second only to Ellis Island during the 18th and 19th ceneturies. Fell’s Point is popular for its wide variety of bars and pubs, as well as quaint novelty shops. The streets are lines with the oldest row homes in Baltimore and at night, as well as in the early morning, the scent of fresh baked bread fills the air.

Hollins Market- West Baltimore: Named after the well known market in west Baltimore, Hollins Market attracts young people, artists, working professionals and long-time Baltimore residents. The area is fast becoming a popular place to live, due to its proximity to the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus as well as the downtown area. Here you can find lots of locally owned shops and restaurants, as well lots of quirky urban art spackled on walls and sidewalks throughout. The locals call this neighborhood Sewebo.

To find out more about another neighborhood, try visiting Live Baltimore's website for a comprehensive look. Click Here.