Station North Arts and Entertainment District - History

History

Station North is composed of portions of three Baltimore neighborhoods: Charles North, Greenmount West, and Barclay. In recent decades, the area represented a relatively impoverished area between the healthier neighborhoods of Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, and Charles Village. However, in addition to its proximity to those neighborhoods, a number of factors made the area amenable to redevelopment and gentrification. Much of even the poorest sections of the neighborhood feature beautiful, three-story, early 20th-century rowhouses as the main housing stock; the Maryland Institute College of Art is within walking distance; and Penn Station lies at the south edge of the neighborhood, providing walking-distance access to Amtrak, Light Rail and MARC commuter rail service (the latter being of particular interest to those commuting to Washington, D.C.). The real estate bubble of the 2000s caused Baltimore's housing prices to skyrocket, and drove home buyers seeking out cheaper areas on the upswing to the neighborhood.

The Baltimore city government's 2002 designation of the area as an arts district has furthered the neighborhood's transformation. The earliest and most visible signs of change were the official conversion of several industrial and warehouse buildings to mixed-use housing. The Copycat Building is probably the best known, but two other buildings—the Oliver Street Building (which houses the 66,000-square-foot (6,100 m2) Area 405) and the Cork Factory—are also occupied. These buildings had been in use for decades as artist's studios and (illegal) housing, and contributed toward the area winning arts district status under then-mayor Martin O'Malley. Such designation paved the way for these buildings to be rezoned for residential use.

The neighborhood's commercial, residential, and artistic venues began to thrive. The commercial district on Charles Street is anchored by the Charles Theatre, a popular art house multiplex that also serves as the anchor venue for the annual Maryland Film Festival each May, The Station North Arts Cafe Gallery, the Station North Arts Underground, The Metro Gallery, Tapas Teatro, Club Charles, The Strand Theater, and Sofi's Crepes; one block away is the Charm City Art Space which serves as a Music Venue, and Art Gallery; Recently, the opening of Joe Squared Restaurant, Load of Fun Studios, Single Carrot Theatre, and The Wind Up Space (an arts venue and bar), have expanded development and revitalization onto North avenue.

By 2005, the neighborhood was seeing a definite boom, but areas of blight persisted, particularly at the northern and eastern edges. As of 2010, the northern and eastern edges of Station North, particularly near Greenmount Avenue, are still affected by vacant housing, drug dealing, and prostitution. This area stands in stark contrast to the environment only a few blocks west, where in 2007 the Station North Townhomes were completed. The proximity of these luxury $300,000 townhouses to the remaining areas of urban decay illustrates both the potential and the challenges that the neighborhood faces.