Someone else commenting here with a transportation background stated it best but I agree with their point that if there's no plan to fix parking or improve public transit it's ridiculous to expect Hampden residents to not oppose more development projects. Why would we want a less pedestrian-safe, less driver-safe, more congested community by choice? It's just not common sense to expect that of people.

I'm focusing on the zone parking issue because it feels achievable to me as a resident and it would improve the day-to-day lives of me and my neighbors. And I mentioned the parking lots because it's the only thing I see happening and I applaud that business for trying to improve the situation not because I think it's the optimal choice. Of course, I don't want to turn the neighborhood into a bunch of parking lots. The best option is a state-of-the-art public transit system but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

I could also get into other structural issues such as exclusionary zoning in other desirable neighborhoods which should be abolished but I'll stop there.

Honestly, I feel safer where I live now then when I lived in Paterson Park/Canton/Fed. The amount of shit you deal with as far as break ins, car jackings, muggings was starting to weigh on me. Also, I stopped counting how many times my car got broken into. I want to recommend my neighborhood but I know being away from bars nightlife really deters people but it’s a quick walk to Pigtown/Fed and even quicker by bike.

It's way too expensive. My girlfriend lives near Morgan state and her mortgage is only $1000 for a whole house

Love that you could come back at them! It’s insane what so many landlords are trying to do… definitely not in love with this neighborhood, but really want to feel safe, so sometimes that limits options. I used to live closer to the county line and now those prices are at least 800 more for what I previously rented.

Congrats on the house! Hope to get there myself one day. Thanks again

Thanks- will do

Thank you- I really appreciate your perspective and totally see where you’re coming from, but I had about a month to find a new place to live and this was the only place I felt safe and would allow my dog within my price budget. When it was 1600, it wasn’t so bad.

This building didn’t seem to be tier a before, but the new company is trying to portray it as a ‘luxury’ building which seems insane to me.

Thanks again

Hi- nope, but they’re pretty low. Maybe $60 for BGE and $30 for water. Sorry to hear about your prices being so high- mine skyrocketed when I was in a house not too long ago. Hope they stabilize soon.

Thanks for acknowledging the landlord problem- I’m in this apartment in the first place because I got kicked out of my previous rental with a month to find a new place, so I had really limited options. They’re really doing whatever to hike prices- I’ve lived in Baltimore 6 years and never had issues like this…

Thanks again!

Thanks- I think it’s tough because of location, but it for sure feels too expensive…

I pay $887 for a studio so you're definitely paying too much

I wish I could like this 50 times

One of these is not like the other. That said OP asked for French and CDL is much more French/Asian fusion, I just think it’s far superior.

I definitely glazed over the resident parking portion and honed in on "demolishing housing to build a surface parking lot" as "the right thing to do" part of your post.

Maybe residential parking permits help, but in the broader context of more apartments, I don't see how that sways residents to allow more residences...

He was making a good six figure salary too. It's really nuts.

I haven't ever seen beignets in pâtisseries or bakeries in Baltimore. There was/is a Louisiana themed restaurant in R House that had beignets. They were good. Pretty sure she was just using the Cafe du Monde mix. I stil appreciated it because I'm not frying up beignets in my own house.

I default to Pâtisserie Poupon. But other than the ones mentioned (which I have also heard good things about), during early COVID Le Comptoir du Vin was making pâtisseries. I had a delicious tarte Tropezienne there a couple of times.

I stopped at Croustille Cafe in Pikesville when I was at the dentist out there this week. It is kosher, and all I know is I really liked the vibe in there. Jazz, very bright, and butter aroma, smh. It was wonderful, many pastries on offer. I had an almond croissant and a baguette. They weren't bad, but I was bummed my croissant was pre-sliced and wasn't filled with frangipane but some other kind of pastry cream. They offered to put powdered sugar on top, which reminded me of beignets. Maybe they do beignets ? The baguette wasn't the best I have had but it is serviceable and it was still warm... I am a sucker for bread that is still warm from the oven.

It's not really just Baltimore. Louisiana and New York and Illinois and Michigan and etc. all have it, too.

Just money, influence, and power. Tale as old as time.

I haven't read this in full yet, but... It never ceases to amaze me that people do stuff like this. Smh. Just no respect or boundaries. If you are that desperate for money, do some moonlighting to get your bank account up. Hell get an OnlyFans if you must. But just rank stealing? 😒

Random but does your rent include utilities? I would try to negotiate but simultaneously look elsewhere. Landlords are out here doing whatever tf they want without remorse. That's why I finally bought last year after only ever renting my entire adult life.

The person who owned my house before me was renting the house for easily 4k at least. I had her old handyman come by to look at something, and he said she routinely buys rowhome in Fells, Upper Fells, Butchers Hill, etc., flips them for sell or rent, and the ones that don't sell she rents to Hopkins students for like 2k a head. I have been wondering if that included utilities, because my water and gas costs have been 300/month minimum the last couple of months. It surely didn't include parking because it's street parking around here unless you have a parking pad or garage. I still get some mail for these people smh.

My car is new, and it has been fine parking on the street. I just keep it empty and keep the doors locked.

Bramble is great- but you are right, not French pastry. I highly recommend them- and they have creative flavors.

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Check out 1531 aliceanna street. Fells point but check it out

This sounds about right. I rented a 1100 sq/ft studio with free parking for $950 from 2020-2022. The PM sent me an email one day saying they were going to up my rent if I were to renew to $1900. My email back to them “Go fuck yourself” and ended up buying my house a month later. This is the direction the city is going in if you want to live in Canton/Fed/Fells and the property management companies know they can get away with it because people are dumb enough to pay those prices. There are plenty of other places to live where you can pay half the price.

I've seen so many new apartment and condo buildings go up in this city while the population shrinks and they continuously raise fents and housing prices. On the one hand that's business and I get it but on the other it's not an accurate reflection of the market and Baltimore is going down hill so I expect lot's of empty units in these buildings over the next few years.

OP I don't know if you're living in that area of the city for a specific reason, but there are better deals to be had. If you decide you really want to live in a real estate development building with amenities, though, you're going to get gouged for cash

I have no idea if the price is good as I have owned in the area for many years, but it’s nice that the parking is optional and they don’t force everyone to buy it even if they don’t have a car.

Is a car a necessity for you or could you live with some combination of Ubers, scooters, bike, water taxi, bus or rail?

They have to honor the price and duration of your lease with the prior owner of the building, the lease transfers with ownership. And in fact if you’re midlease right now and they raised you 5% that was probably an illegal increase. Don’t let them pressure you into signing your rights away, check out the MD Attourney Generals handbook and tenant-landlord relations

I’m a only little concerned about possible impact to our area, they found the chemicals in the Ohio River but that flows into the Mississippi, not close to here. I’m much more worried about the other derailments and hazmat accidents closer to us that don’t get reported. There was a fuel spill near me yesterday, on Caton Avenue at the new Royal Farms. I only heard about it because one of my son’s friends was part of the response team. He said they didn’t get called until there was already fuel spreading over the roadway and into the storm drains. His coworkers didn’t really know what to do or who they were supposed to call. I don’t have faith in the local processes for cleaning up and reporting this kind of problem. I wouldn’t know anything about that if I didn’t hear it from a family friend, I’m a little concerned other spills don’t get reported.