FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION – I ASK MYSELF
Why did I choose to live in the city?
Why did I choose to live in Baltimore? To escape a quaint, charming, safe, clean and friendly historic seaport. Maybe living rent-free was getting old. But a more likely reason why I moved to Baltimore - I was nuts. I can safely say, my former roommates drove me crazy. I had invited them to move in and when they behaved in every manner indicated by his/her past behavior - yelling, bullying, lying, stealing, etc, I didn’t have the heart to invite them to leave. Simultaneous to this chaos came an invitation to live rent-free in Baltimore. It was time for a change.
Why did my friends move to Baltimore?
My friends came from Washington, DC for cheaper rents, an urban atmosphere, the diversity and they liked the row houses that make of the majority of architecture in Baltimore. They liked Baltimore and with increasing incomes they moved to another neighborhood and a bigger house. Not the most diverse neighborhood, but a quirky mix of generations, bars, incomes, row houses in various degrees of rehabilitation or neglect. It was safe and quiet enough to walk a cat, and I mean that quite literally since my cat regularly accompanied me around the neighborhood. The neighborhood was appealing and unpretentious.
Why does one stay?
Homeownership is one reason. I’ve heard a friend in Union Square say, “I’ve sunk so much time and money into this house, I can’t afford to sell it at today’s prices.” He uses that as an excuse to stay in the beautiful Victorian three-story house on the Square he and his wife have restored. Myself, I’ve bought a house, spent a lot of time and money renovating it, I joke about this expense and say, “I bought it for $20,000, put $20, 000 into it and I’d say it’s worth about $15,000. That’s partly true because it’s still under construction – a whole lot less to do than when I started 1997. I bought the house after living in the neighborhood for about 3 years, 2 of the 3 years I was just a little further up the street. I like it here very much and am working with the community association to make it a stronger more vibrant part of the city.
Can a community association really be of much value?
When I attended my first association meeting in the neighborhood, in 1994, I saw many likeable individuals who seemed genuinely interested in the community, but like many of the attendees I later spoke to, found it extremely frustrating to see the disorder and ego stroking going on. When I spoke up at the following meeting to encourage more background information and order, one long-time member sarcastically, while appearing to be good-natured about it, called me by the name of one of the ex-officers who fled the organization following the misappropriation of association funds. She later confided why she called me that name. She said it appeared to her as if I wanted to take over the meeting and it was déja vu.
Is a neighborhood association a club?
A neighborhood association should have a mission and a vision. Both require real community input in order for the outcome to reflect a true path to the future. Generally neighborhood association represents only a small portion of the community. From an organizer’s point of view, it is very difficult to get people involved. Often a tragedy brings people out but only for a short interest span. It takes a very dedicated, core group who believe participation must be as large as possible to achieve a vision.
Is Hollins Roundhouse such a neighborhood?
If we had listened to the advise of a city planner many years ago, we wouldn’t have begun a strategic planning process. He warned of the tremendous commitment of time, energy and resources necessary to make it happen. We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. But we had seen other attempts at community mobilization fail. Fortunately, we began with seeking a shared vision.
What was going on when you moved in?
To give you a picture of what is was like in the early 90’s when I first moved in, there were three well-known restaurants and a popular coffee shop; there were many well-known artists, musicians and galleries. The number of urban pioneers was way up there. Many vacant houses had been remodeled, some renovated. The area was widely known for several annual music and arts festivals. But I believe the wave of the renaissance had already crested and the harsh reality of urban poverty, violence, crime, racial divide, had disenchanted a growing number of people. That combined with a growing and greater renaissance in other Baltimore communities, diverted the energy that was necessary to keep the transformation going.
Gradually, many of the people who moved in because of the zeitgeist moved out. Robberies, violence and vandalism took its toll. Couples abandoning their mortgages because of substandard construction combined with the other hassles of daily life.
Why choose a part of the city that is poor and not necessarily safe?
I always like to think of my community as improving. But my philosophy can is “Things turn out best for those that make the best out of the way things turn out.” So my perspective may need a reality check. I think “improving“ because I know more people, made friends with some of them, have very good neighbors who watch out for each other; see people struggling and overcoming, have fun in a city that’s improving; and watch developers trying to catch the improvement wave. So maybe I’m prophetic and not delusional.
Would you recommend others move here?
The answer is a distinct maybe. You are making a commitment that will at least temporarily inconvenience you if you aren’t prepared for city living. Hopefully you’ll get invited to move in for free. This would be an inexpensive approach. Of course you may try to find a friend in a neighborhood you feel you would be comfortable living. There are many and diverse types. Some have lots of families, some have few children. Some have a more homogeneous nature, others are all over the place. Some have neighborhoods very organized other are very chaotic. So choosing where to live is more than falling in love with a house.
Would the decision be different if you had children?
I keep my children in the house or when they’re out, they’re on a leash. You can’t let you dogs and cats run free in the city - traffic, strays and other dangers exist. As far as children go. A parent should appreciate the value of cultural, racial, religious, generational and artistic diversity many city neighborhoods offer. Different neighborhoods present different opportunities as well as challenges. In my area too many parents turn their children loose on the streets, without a care. Many of these children are victims of the bad judgments adults make, from selling and using drugs, to loitering in large and noisy groups, to cursing and other negative behaviors. But as neighbors get to know each other and work for solutions to these problems negative behavior diminishes. The City needs desperately to improve the schools to keep families in Baltimore.
What do you do when contractors don’t show up?
I, like most people, want to believe in the contractor’s we choose. This of course is self-preservation; we want don’t want to believe our contractor has any faults. It would open up a slippery slope of doubt. My contractor’s excuse was he had to take his maiden aunt to the doctors. For all I know, he’s telling the truth, and I give everyone else the benefit of the doubt, why not him?
There’s no point in making excuses for you contractors. But why is it that there are fees charged when you miss an appointment at the doctor’s, dentist, vets, etc. So putting the shoe on the other foot, shouldn’t there be a charge when your contractor doesn’t show or shows up late? (Why not charge your doctor when he or she keeps you waiting because as the hours tick by, the nurse tells you, “The doctor’s running a little late.”)
The truth of the matter, we’re just so damned thankful the contractor shows up at all. And we’re so thankful because after calling 15 contractors we finally had this person show up to give us a bid. (One friendly general contractor lamented he couldn’t even get his bricklayer to finish the job on the contractor’s home let alone go out to do an estimate.)
VISION – Baltimore has realized the aesthetic potential of the rowhouse, “warehome” and the single-family dwelling, architecture resplendent in neighborhoods throughout this urban landscape.
MISSION - Mission is it to inform, inspire and transform. Inform the public about resources, techniques, materials, tools, craftspeople, designers and builders and safety. Inspire by showing, imagining and informing. Pictures of before and after, words exploring imagination and creativity. Transform Baltimore, change the perceptions and the physical.