When people talk about West Baltimore it isn’t literally the western side of Baltimore.
West Baltimore is more of a southwest area of the city.
That being said, I drive through Allendale and Esmondson village all the time. It’s not a shit area by any means.. but you could do a lot better.
Is your max budget leading you to look at these areas?
Yeah our max budget is about 250k with some, but not a lot of wiggle room. Mostly I've been getting the run around by realtors and such, no one giving me a straight answer-- I suspect because a lot of them just wanna make a sale
Are you renting in Baltimore right now? Do you have a frame of reference for life here?
I run a lot and have run hundreds of miles up and down the streets in Edmondson village and Allendale. I never feel unsafe or have had any issues.
But it’s definitely a working class area to put it that way. You’ll find many unkept lawns, chain link fences, slightly run down houses every here and there.
You also won’t find too much for people hanging out shirtless on street corners with nothing to do.
The edmondson shopping center is pretty nasty and a few of the building are abandoned and half burned down. And the only super market in the area closed permanently a few weeks back.
HOWEVER
The shopping mall was bought out or some kind of investment group stepped in and is apparently going to rejuvenate it and they are in the process of building a piss ton of apartments or townhomes right across the street.
If the red line ever gets built, too, this whole area could be a lot nicer in the short term.
I am currently in SP/Glen Burnie area, renting right now. I am originally from a low income area of LA, but I also know every city is different. My partner is from North Jersey, near Jersey City.
This is all really good information to know, and I appreciate it a lot. Nothing is really set in stone either. Mostly I was tired of out-dated Google articles, and realtors who are just trying to get a sale, misinformation or conflicting info.
I will definitely take a look, thank you. I was seeing a lot pop up in that area because of the price range, but I know sometimes it can be because people are moving out, and no one moving in. So the advice of people from the area is super appreciated
Let me know if you want a referral to my realtor. I got my starter home in 2022 for $225 in Bolton Hill and have loved every minute of it. Location location location is a saying for a reason, your neighbors will make or break your home buying experience.
Of course! But only because I got one of 5 of the tiny 1/1.5 houses in the neighborhood on Rutter Street. I can’t afford anywhere else in Bolton hill by a long shot.
That place still had visible wood cobbles back in 2005! What an interesting spot and very sad that “urban renewal” led to destruction of many houses that would be starter homes.
Thank you, that's very sweet! If you can name drop, that would be great, I do have a realtor who is super nice, but isn't super familiar with the Bmore areas, so it might be nice to do some more research.
That's really good to hear. We don't have kids personally, and to be honest we aren't really big bar/party people either, but it's always nice to have stuff nearby.
Keep in mind the taxes in Baltimore are crazy. Annual property taxes in Federal Hill/Riverside/Locust Point could be in the $6k+ range for a $250k house versus $3k or lower in other parts of the city. Taxes are not much better but Pigtown is another downtown option.
I just bought a house and had looked in the area you’re talking about (but didn’t end up buying there). The neighborhoods I remember liking the most/felt the most comfortable in were Beechfield, Hunting Ridge, and Ten Hills. All of Baltimore is so block by block, but I really felt like this area changed even more quickly than I am used to.
I didn’t look here but Halethorpe/Arbutus might be worth looking at. And they’re in the county so taxes are cheaper.
I used to live in Westgate, which is between Edmondson Village and the Baltimore county line. I loved it there! Beautiful, quiet streets but still close to public transportation and walkable. It's fairly diverse as well.
Keep in mind that your proprety taxes are going to be higher in the city. Your car insurance may be as well. There is also schools to consider, if you have/ may have children.
My sister bought a rowhouse in Edmondson Village- around that area- about 15 years ago (with her good guvmint job money). Our father has lived with her for about 10 years. The only reason they're considering moving is they feel they need more space.
Don't buy anything until you rent for a bit. If you don't know the city you're setting yourself up for a disaster.
Not to be an alarmist but I was a police in "west" Baltimore for 10 years on the west side
Start with Edward Orser's *The Edmonson Village Story,* in my view the best Baltimore book. The drive-up plaza on Edmonson Ave. was one of the first of its sort in the country. The rowhomes there were an innovation, large-ish and made to let in light from all sides. After white flight facilitated by blockbusting (which took place in perhaps record time), the city has largely neglected the West Side for decades.
That said, Edmonson Village itself is not as bad as some would make it out.
Thank you for the rec! I definitely don't mind doing a bit of reading, especially since being well informed is going to keep me from burning myself in the long run
Good to know. Like I said I have gotten so much mixed info, some saying "write off most of West Baltimore" and others being like "it depends on where you go"
Any solid suggestions. Our price range isn't the highest (250k) range and it needs to be within about 30 min drive of Severna Park (both of our jobs are there).
I'm also a California transplant. Rented downtown for a year. Then in the Old Goucher area for a couple. Then we bought in the Hamilton-Lauraville area in 2020. Love it. $221k for our 4bd/3.5ba.
I'm honestly so surprised by the amount of CA transplants I'm running into. I moved because of school but I still occasionally miss things about it, so it's nice to have that hit of nostalgia.
But also it's really good to know that there are going to be some areas where it'll be easier to fall in love with. Thank you, and I'll be sure to also look into those areas as well
Added context: my partner works in Annapolis and goes to the office two days a week. They did not work there when we bought our house in Hamilton-Lauraville (their previous job was fully remote). My partner doesn't love the commute (especially since the FSK bridge collapse) but considering some of the Bay Area commutes we use to have, it's still better.
That's good to know, we work in Severna Park, so similar commute, only slightly shorter...I feel like most people after they make the commute in LA summer traffic, don't really find stuff here too bad. Lol
I grew up in a beach city with a UC campus. Then I lived in the Bay Area for a decade. Left there to move here in 2017 for a job with a salary that was nearly identical to my Bay Area job, but with the benefit of a much better COL. (I was underpaid at my previous job, by Bay Area standards, so it's not like I came to Baltimore making Google money.)
My partner and I are from the same town and our respective families are mostly still there, which is the thing we miss the most. We also miss good Mexican food. We don't miss $1m+ median housing prices.
Same tho, miss the food, do not miss the prices. Lol. I'm from SLO originally, moved the Oceanside (Hella expensive) then to Jersey for school, and now here.
Honestly, the 30/45min, is what I want the GPS to say, I am aware of traffic on the inner and outer loops. We have a car, and our schedules don't line up with the typical "rush hour" traffic patterns, so a lot of times, not all, it can be done
I'm mostly just looking in general, based on what our price range shows us on realtor apps, and there was a large amount of houses in the west area. Sometimes though that can be a sign of people moving out, and no one moving in because the area is "less desirable" which is why I'm honestly looking for people who've lived here longer opinion.
I’d look into pigtown/ridgelys, can’t really get easier access the highways than those spots. Ridgelys is a lot “quieter” and a bit more expensive, but there are a couple smaller homes in that price range in the neighborhood. Pigtown has a lot of options in that price range, but there’s definitely more violent crime in that neighborhood (in comparison to ridgelys). From what I hear tho, they’re mainly drug related or interpersonal disputes, not really random acts of violence.
When people talk about West Baltimore it isn’t literally the western side of Baltimore. West Baltimore is more of a southwest area of the city. That being said, I drive through Allendale and Esmondson village all the time. It’s not a shit area by any means.. but you could do a lot better. Is your max budget leading you to look at these areas?
Yeah our max budget is about 250k with some, but not a lot of wiggle room. Mostly I've been getting the run around by realtors and such, no one giving me a straight answer-- I suspect because a lot of them just wanna make a sale
Are you renting in Baltimore right now? Do you have a frame of reference for life here? I run a lot and have run hundreds of miles up and down the streets in Edmondson village and Allendale. I never feel unsafe or have had any issues. But it’s definitely a working class area to put it that way. You’ll find many unkept lawns, chain link fences, slightly run down houses every here and there. You also won’t find too much for people hanging out shirtless on street corners with nothing to do. The edmondson shopping center is pretty nasty and a few of the building are abandoned and half burned down. And the only super market in the area closed permanently a few weeks back. HOWEVER The shopping mall was bought out or some kind of investment group stepped in and is apparently going to rejuvenate it and they are in the process of building a piss ton of apartments or townhomes right across the street. If the red line ever gets built, too, this whole area could be a lot nicer in the short term.
I am currently in SP/Glen Burnie area, renting right now. I am originally from a low income area of LA, but I also know every city is different. My partner is from North Jersey, near Jersey City. This is all really good information to know, and I appreciate it a lot. Nothing is really set in stone either. Mostly I was tired of out-dated Google articles, and realtors who are just trying to get a sale, misinformation or conflicting info.
Yeah, but the Giant is being closed!😕
Rent before you buy if you dont know the area.
A couple of people have suggested that, I will definitely be doing that
Always a good rule when making a move to a city you don't know well.
I live in the area. Feel free to DM me. It’s definitely block by block.
This person is dead on. There are lovely blocks in that area but it is absolutely block by block. You can DM me as well.
Thank you
Agreed it’s block dependent
Look in Riverside, Remington, or Canton. $250k is plenty. You can get a 2br/1.5ba with lovely exposed brick.
I will definitely take a look, thank you. I was seeing a lot pop up in that area because of the price range, but I know sometimes it can be because people are moving out, and no one moving in. So the advice of people from the area is super appreciated
Let me know if you want a referral to my realtor. I got my starter home in 2022 for $225 in Bolton Hill and have loved every minute of it. Location location location is a saying for a reason, your neighbors will make or break your home buying experience.
$225 in Bolton Hill, really? Do you mind if I reach out, too?
Of course! But only because I got one of 5 of the tiny 1/1.5 houses in the neighborhood on Rutter Street. I can’t afford anywhere else in Bolton hill by a long shot.
That place still had visible wood cobbles back in 2005! What an interesting spot and very sad that “urban renewal” led to destruction of many houses that would be starter homes.
Thank you, that's very sweet! If you can name drop, that would be great, I do have a realtor who is super nice, but isn't super familiar with the Bmore areas, so it might be nice to do some more research.
Just DMed you!
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That's really good to hear. We don't have kids personally, and to be honest we aren't really big bar/party people either, but it's always nice to have stuff nearby.
Keep in mind the taxes in Baltimore are crazy. Annual property taxes in Federal Hill/Riverside/Locust Point could be in the $6k+ range for a $250k house versus $3k or lower in other parts of the city. Taxes are not much better but Pigtown is another downtown option. I just bought a house and had looked in the area you’re talking about (but didn’t end up buying there). The neighborhoods I remember liking the most/felt the most comfortable in were Beechfield, Hunting Ridge, and Ten Hills. All of Baltimore is so block by block, but I really felt like this area changed even more quickly than I am used to. I didn’t look here but Halethorpe/Arbutus might be worth looking at. And they’re in the county so taxes are cheaper.
Yeah property taxes can be crazy, thank you for giving me a better idea of what I would be looking at, really it truly helps.
We live in a neighborhood there called ten hills, it’s beautiful. never even knew it was there until we bought our home
I used to live in Westgate, which is between Edmondson Village and the Baltimore county line. I loved it there! Beautiful, quiet streets but still close to public transportation and walkable. It's fairly diverse as well.
Love a diverse neighborhood, I will take a look into houses in that area too. Thank you so much
Keep in mind that your proprety taxes are going to be higher in the city. Your car insurance may be as well. There is also schools to consider, if you have/ may have children.
My sister bought a rowhouse in Edmondson Village- around that area- about 15 years ago (with her good guvmint job money). Our father has lived with her for about 10 years. The only reason they're considering moving is they feel they need more space.
Do yourself a favor and go just a little more west down 40 until you’re in Hunting Ridge. Been here for 5 years and it’s been wonderful!
Will definitely take a look, thank you!
Don't buy anything until you rent for a bit. If you don't know the city you're setting yourself up for a disaster. Not to be an alarmist but I was a police in "west" Baltimore for 10 years on the west side
No, that's completely understandable, and the kind of info I'm looking for
Start with Edward Orser's *The Edmonson Village Story,* in my view the best Baltimore book. The drive-up plaza on Edmonson Ave. was one of the first of its sort in the country. The rowhomes there were an innovation, large-ish and made to let in light from all sides. After white flight facilitated by blockbusting (which took place in perhaps record time), the city has largely neglected the West Side for decades. That said, Edmonson Village itself is not as bad as some would make it out.
Thank you for the rec! I definitely don't mind doing a bit of reading, especially since being well informed is going to keep me from burning myself in the long run
I’m from here and I wouldn’t live in Edmondson Village.
Good to know. Like I said I have gotten so much mixed info, some saying "write off most of West Baltimore" and others being like "it depends on where you go"
Come to catonsville! The westest of west baltimore
Honestly, I do a lot of my shopping at the Hmart and GW in Catonsville. If I can find something in my price range, I'd definitely consider it
Edmonson Village is horrible a lot of violence
That's a shame. I'm still in the looking stage, so my heart wasn't set on anything, but this kind of info is good to know
Yea try Canton or Fells Point even over there off Falls Road
I’m a Calif transplant and you need someplace outside the city
Any solid suggestions. Our price range isn't the highest (250k) range and it needs to be within about 30 min drive of Severna Park (both of our jobs are there).
I'm also a California transplant. Rented downtown for a year. Then in the Old Goucher area for a couple. Then we bought in the Hamilton-Lauraville area in 2020. Love it. $221k for our 4bd/3.5ba.
I'm honestly so surprised by the amount of CA transplants I'm running into. I moved because of school but I still occasionally miss things about it, so it's nice to have that hit of nostalgia. But also it's really good to know that there are going to be some areas where it'll be easier to fall in love with. Thank you, and I'll be sure to also look into those areas as well
Added context: my partner works in Annapolis and goes to the office two days a week. They did not work there when we bought our house in Hamilton-Lauraville (their previous job was fully remote). My partner doesn't love the commute (especially since the FSK bridge collapse) but considering some of the Bay Area commutes we use to have, it's still better.
That's good to know, we work in Severna Park, so similar commute, only slightly shorter...I feel like most people after they make the commute in LA summer traffic, don't really find stuff here too bad. Lol
I grew up in a beach city with a UC campus. Then I lived in the Bay Area for a decade. Left there to move here in 2017 for a job with a salary that was nearly identical to my Bay Area job, but with the benefit of a much better COL. (I was underpaid at my previous job, by Bay Area standards, so it's not like I came to Baltimore making Google money.) My partner and I are from the same town and our respective families are mostly still there, which is the thing we miss the most. We also miss good Mexican food. We don't miss $1m+ median housing prices.
Same tho, miss the food, do not miss the prices. Lol. I'm from SLO originally, moved the Oceanside (Hella expensive) then to Jersey for school, and now here.
I'm from a little south of you (in case you couldn't tell from my previous comment).
How are you getting to Severna Park from Baltimore in 30 minutes?
Honestly, the 30/45min, is what I want the GPS to say, I am aware of traffic on the inner and outer loops. We have a car, and our schedules don't line up with the typical "rush hour" traffic patterns, so a lot of times, not all, it can be done
Why not fed hill area then? Why west?
I'm mostly just looking in general, based on what our price range shows us on realtor apps, and there was a large amount of houses in the west area. Sometimes though that can be a sign of people moving out, and no one moving in because the area is "less desirable" which is why I'm honestly looking for people who've lived here longer opinion.
I’d look into pigtown/ridgelys, can’t really get easier access the highways than those spots. Ridgelys is a lot “quieter” and a bit more expensive, but there are a couple smaller homes in that price range in the neighborhood. Pigtown has a lot of options in that price range, but there’s definitely more violent crime in that neighborhood (in comparison to ridgelys). From what I hear tho, they’re mainly drug related or interpersonal disputes, not really random acts of violence.
If you go west you need to get closer to the beltway.