I walked the lower half side of Jonestown, I plan on walking further north on my next field visit. It's a big neighborhood, and to be honest, I'm still not feeling 100% safe yet.
Throughout my walk, I was checking the condition of sidewalks and the amount of vegetation in the neighborhood. I was pleasantly surprised to see the sidewalks in good condition and present in the neighborhood. However, I distinctly noticed a lack of vegetation. Now, the Carroll mansion and the garden is an obvious exception, and there were a few planted trees in Albemarle Square alongside the street, but once we (my field team member and I) moved past Albemarle the cultivation of green abruptly stopped. On the topic of greenery, Jonestown has two “parks” - Shot Tower Park and McKim park. Calling these spots a park is a stretch. Shot Tower Park is the hangout for the homeless, and McKim park is devoid of the typical things you see in a park, like flowers and kept grass, and only contains a basic playground and run-down basketball courts. Not to mention, the nice kept homes on Baltimore Street that face McKim park, for those residents the view outside is not pleasant. Improving McKim Park would not only give the neighborhood kids a place to go, but it would also improve the scenic view for the people that have to look at the dilapidated playground when they walk out their front door each day. Speaking about front doors, I also took notice that the streets were a ghost town. The traditional stoop culture of Baltimore was not felt in Albemarle Square, and it took quite a few blocks to find anyone on a sunny afternoon on a Saturday. Where was everyone?!? When speaking with one of the local business employees who worked in the area for over 20 years at Poupon Patisserie, the worker stated that the kids had no place to go and essentially just roamed the streets. Aside from the bakery customers, the only other foot traffic that passed were kids. The employee didn’t seem particularly happy about the current state of affairs. Clearly room for improvement for both “parks” and the need for a true green space. I have posted some photos on my Healthy Habitat page, so please check the page out for a closer look and a 360 view. Additionally, I have posted a video interview with local residents that was conducted by Chris Lee (one of my CityLab team members) and I during our exploration. Comments are welcomed! To comment, just click the Comments link below.
2 Comments
Chris Lee
9/17/2017 12:37:30 pm
I like your insight into the issues surrounding the community. I agree that the green spaces are limited and do not allow for playing or activity. There are also no community centers are fitness facilities in the neighborhood. Your analysis of this area is correct. and I think that addressing this will help the community as a whole. Thanks for the shout out on the notes.
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Emily Horwath
9/17/2017 05:34:50 pm
Hi Dina, I agree that I did not feel 100% safe walking around near the Shot Tower, and that it is a bit of a stretch to call it a park. There are so many lively adjacent streets and areas, but some parts of Jonestown are full of vacant buildings/areas. As Jane Jacobs mentioned in The Death and Life of Great American Cities, well-traveled sidewalks are safe sidewalks. I wondered from Jonestown to Little Italy, and there was a completely different feel- a street art festival, restaurant goers, people drinking wine at tables, etc. It would be great for the streets of Jonestown to be a bit more populated with businesses. Thanks, Emily
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