About Baltimore's Guilford

Why Baltimore City? Take A Look

What have you heard about the City of Baltimore? Has it been good or has it been bad?

Are you expecting to see boarded up houses, drug traders on the corners, bullets flying all over the place?

Think again.

Did you know that Baltimore City has a higher percentage of park land than any city on the East Coast?

Did you know that Baltimore City is home to two of the most forward thinking university and hospital systems in the world with The University of Maryland Medical Complex and Johns Hopkins University and Hospital?

Did you know that Baltimore City led the way nationwide in the revitalization of its downtown district?

Did you know that Baltimore City led the way with new sports stadiums with its Oriole Park at Camden Yards and its Ravens Stadium (M & T Bank Stadium)?

Did you know that Baltimore's port will be one of the only ports on the East Coast which can accommodate the newer super tankers because of its deeply dredged harbor?

Did you know that Baltimore ranks among the top 20 tourist destinations in the world?

Take a look at some of the houses which are on the market in Baltimore City (as of 1-19-2012).

It was absolutely beautiful weather today here in Baltimore. It’s early January yet somehow the temperature soared to 65 degrees. I quickly came down with a case of spring fever. My mind turned to Sherwood Gardens in the Guilford neighborhood.

Outside my front door the entrance to the Guilford neighborhood beckons. It’s one of Baltimore’s grandest neighborhoods and it’s the perfect place for a Spring walk

My preferred route is to stroll up Greenway. It’s not a road or avenue or boulevard, it’s simply “Greenway” and it’s one of the nicest streets in Baltimore.

Quiet paths and stately gates connect remarkable residences to the sleepy city street. It’s hard to believe we are in the middle of Baltimore City. The houses are beautiful too, I’m just not showing them here to protect my neighbors privacy.

Greenway is lined with Parisian style streetlights. At dusk when the lights illuminate it is magic. Throw in some fireflies and it’s a perfect evening.

Sherwood Gardens is located on Greenway. Created in the 1920’s and maintained by the Guilford Association, “More than six acres in size, Sherwood Gardens has no gates, fences or other barriers. The public may stroll at leisure through the grounds. There is no admission charge and a reservation is not required.” (Guilford Association Website) http://www.guilfordassociation.org/sherwood/

It is simply one of the loveliest places in Baltimore City, come spring the Tulip beds are a sight to be seen! When I walk there in the evenings, I often see young couples taking their engagements pictures among the tulips. The pictures in this post were taken last August one afternoon when I had the place to myself.

I am so grateful to have this resource walking distance from my home, I am always inspired by the plantings.

Here is where we’ll end our walk, a quiet bench under a shady tree. Come to Baltimore and take a walk up Greenway to Sherwood Gardens. You’ll be enchanted by the sights and astounded by the real estate. I’ll see you there.

The Highfied House condominium is located in Baltimore's historic Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood. Built by the famed Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe in 1964, it's sleek glass and reinforced concrete construction is a 16 story example of International Style architecture. If you have Modernist sensibilities, and you're in search of Baltimore real estate, you simply must see this building, it's a knock-out.

This building is walking distance from my home and I was lucky to stay here for three months in the Spring of 2008 (when I was between houses) The best thing about living in the Highfield House is the outstanding staff. A uniformed professional doorman is always at the ready in addition to someone positioned at the front desk and porters. You can come home with a car ful of groceries at the end of a long day and they'll take your groceries up to your apartment and park your car in the garage.

The glass enclosed lobby is always sparkling clean. The furniture is all (of course) Mies van der Rohe, including his "Barcelona" tables and chairs. When I have appointment's at The Highfield House, I always seem to arrive a little early to simply linger in the lobby.

There are so many common-area design details I could praise, but just to name a few; there is a service elevator in addition to three passenger elevators so your trip to your unit is never interrupted with elevator congestion, the lawns surrounding the building are golf-course immaculate, and there is a chic circular pool in the recreational area.

Condo's typically are one or two bedrooms offering sweeping city views. The prices for real estate in the Highfield House are surprisingly affordable, one bedroom units are priced under $100,000 (two are currently listed at $88,500 and $89,000) and two bedroom units are in the $200's (one is currently listed at $214,400). In purchasing a condo in Maryland, you'll have seven days to review the condominium resale documents to make sure you are comfortable with the COA and the buildings fiscal position.

There are a few factors that do indeed lessen the surprising savings on the purchase price, the first is the condo fees which are running approx. $500 per month for one-bedroom units and $750 per month for two-bedroom units (luckily these fees include heat and air conditioning) the second is Baltimore City property taxes which are approximately $2,600 on the one-bedroom units and $4,200 on the two bedroom units. The bundled rate for taxes in Baltimore City is $2.268.

The Highfield House is a landmark building on the National Register of Historic Places. It's location in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood in Baltimore is walking distance from The Johns Hopkins University, and it shares a border with the glamorous Guilford neighborhood, "Baltimore's premier residential community".

The building is filled with stylish people who appreciate the Mid-Century Masterpiece as a livable work of art. If you are lucky, a unit will be on the market that includes the original parquet floors, and Mies van der Rohe designed kitchen cabinets. The Highfield House Condominium is real estate you have to experience in person. If you are an architecture aficionado and you want to live in a building oozing "Man Men" era charm, you MUST consider The Highfield House. I'd be delighted to be your guide.

Guilford is one of those neighborhoods that seems to have grown up among its gardens and gracious ways. Originally comprised of patents granted to British citizens from the mid-1600s through the 1700s, the area was valued for its "gentle swells, which afford many beautiful views of the city and bay." The entire area sold in 1780 as confiscated property to a Revolutionary War General who gave Guilford its name. The area then passed through other hands until it was sold to the Guilford Park Company. Planning of the landscape design began in 1911 under the direction of Frederick Law Olmsted, and active development of Guilford began in 1913.

This residential area of almost 700 homes has everything from modest townhomes to stately, historic mansions, most of which were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. Built in what was once the country, Guilford retains a spacious feeling even as it is surrounded by the city that long ago grew up around it. The neighborhood reaches out to its surrounding communities, and benefits from being near the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University and Union Memorial Hospital.

Spring is an especially good time for a stroll through the area to enjoy the lush landscaping that makes this area a visual treat. It's not surprising that homeowners go all out for their trees and flowers, since a favorite section of Guilford is the massive Sherwood Gardens. The Gardens are a center of community activity, especially in the spring when a spectacular display of tulips brings thousands of visitors to the more than six-acre park.

Begun in 1927 by a local petroleum pioneer and conservationist, John Sherwood, the gardens started as his hobby and grew into a treasured enclave in Baltimore city. When Sherwood died in 1965, he bequeathed enough money to maintain the gardens for a year. The Guilford Association then purchased the gardens and some additional lots from the estate, and has continued to care for them ever since.

The best part of Sherwood Gardens? There are no fences or gates, and the public is welcome to stroll leisurely through the grounds and enjoy the 80,000+ tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, azaleas, dogwoods, and magnolias. Right now – from late April through early May – is the prime time for a walk in the gardens. Many visitors will return at the end of May, on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, when the tulip bulbs are dug up and sold for 25 cents each. With this contribution from Sherwood Gardens, is it any wonder that Guilford is known for its gardens?

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Caleb's getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine during his visit to Baltimore. Not to worry – I'm making sure he has a good sunscreen on since he didn't bring any other clothes. We don't get many perfect spring days in Baltimore, but the other day was sunny, breezy, and in the low 70's. Just right for another jaunt with my visitor. We took advantage of the great weather to visit Sherwood Gardens where the azaleas and tulips were glorious!

The gardens were begun in 1927 by John Sherwood, a local petroleum pioneer and conservationist. What started as a hobby has become one of the most famous tulip gardens in North America. Originally on private land, the gardens are now owned and maintained by the Guilford Association, a neighborhood association in that region of Baltimore City. Caleb said he liked the nearby homes of Guilford, but they were a bit formal for his taste.

Some 80,000 tulip bulbs are planted each fall along with other spring flowering bulbs. They bloom in April and May when the gardens are at their most spectacular with dogwoods, wisteria, magnolias, and brilliant azaleas. Many of the plants have been here for decades, and some date back as far as the 18^th century. The tulips are the stars, though, and are planted throughout much of the six acres of Sherwood Gardens. When the season is over, the bulbs are dug up and sold to garden lovers for 25 cents each on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

This year the Gardens aren't as spectacular as usual. By some accounts, 25 to 30 percent of the tulips planted last year did not come up. Some beds are completely bare, while others are as abundant as always. It's a mystery they're trying to unravel, but the leading theory is the weather. We had a long, wet fall and a warm winter followed by alternating bitter cold and unseasonably warm days. In Baltimore, Christmas day was warmer than Easter when it snowed! But even with the occasional bare spot, Sherwood Gardens is still beautiful.

One of the best things about Sherwood Gardens is that it is completely open to the public. There are no gates or fences, and no admission charge. As Caleb saw, there is no better place for a stroll – or a bit of tree climbing - on a bright spring day in Baltimore.

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