Gold Nuggets In Changing Neighborhoods

#Rowhouse #Baltimore #CharmCity #Architecture #Investment #Property

If you have ever had the pleasure to visit almost any residential area of Baltimore, Maryland you will see that Baltimore’s majority of homes for the past 200 years are rowhomes. At first thought, you would think a row home is very typical but especially over such a large span of time the types of rowhomes that were built changed, and I did and often the specific style of the rowhouse reflects the neighborhood within Baltimore, and the history of Baltimore itself.

These row houses are made of brick, designed it to withstand the test of time. With proper care and upkeep there are properties within Baltimore that are almost 200 years old. But sadly, the other side of the spectrum, where they are still standing but completely in shambles with nothing but a mere shell of a structure.

“One of the blessings and curses of row houses is that they’re all brick which is prone to degradation of the mortar between the bricks. The interesting thing with row houses is that you might have 12 structures on a block, and one is having structural issues so it’s common to see braces holding up the outside of the structure while the repairs take place. The buildings are connected so one side of a building collapses would take 2 to 4 structures with it” According to John McAuliffe, a structural engineer who specializes in Baltimore row home rehabilitation.

This is often why there are blocks on blocks of abandoned row homes still standing, that are empty, that are completely useless. Within that block though there one or two homes still inhabited with residents, and they cannot tear down the rest because of the way they are structurally conducted and intertwines. Also, the cost of demolition of something so large is a factor. These neighborhoods are not the best neighborhoods ,because the cycle of the abandoned properties that comes with the crime and drug use is never broken Very few businesses or housing want to use those lots once/if the row homes are destroyed.

With the row homes being neglected for decades upon decades,falling apart empty, there’s often no other resolution than to demolish them. Often the demolition areas are turned into community gardens or Memorial Parks. The area of Druid Hill Avenue, as you cross over North Avenue is “The Cab Calloway Memorial Park “, as it is where the famous singer grew up on that block in one of the row homes , back in the early 1900’s. It has now been torn down. There are community gardens, City Farms Programstarted in 1978, and is rooted in the tradition of establishing backyard gardens for city residents to grow and preserve their own food. It provides access to fresh healthy local produce for a healthier overall lifestyle. Murals have been painted in these areas to give it a sense of pride, unity and beauty. The Baltimore Mural Program was created in 1975 to make Baltimore neighborhoods provide employment for local artists in their own field, combat graffiti in neighborhoods, and engage young people in the beautification of their

own communities.

McAuliffe stated it best “This isn’t for the faint of heart to go into some of these properties. You may be unsure of the structural integrity, pests, unsafe stairs, potentially squatters and drug addictswho found their way into the structure. You’re looking for nuggets of gold in changing neighborhoods.” That statement could pertain to

Baltimore city itself. But why else would it be called Charm City?

The site of "The Cab Calloway Memorial Park", which was once a block of row homes that Cab Calloway lived in one growing up in West Baltimore on Druid Hill Avenue. Hey it was a whole block of totally abandoned row homes in shambles that was demolished about three years ago. Photo Credits: Kimberly Angle

Here below, you will find my interview with Mr. John McAuliffe, who is a structural engineer, architect and investor of properties. We discussed the investmentpossibilities along with what goes into rehabilitation. There are various programs or ideas as to what these Rowhomes can be turned into if not rehabilitated also by Baltimore city that are also touched on. We discuss all of this.