Howard Park: A tale of two neighborhoods.

June 26, 2015 gbridgesReal Estate

Howard Park is located at the western edge of the Northwestern region of Baltimore. Its perimeter is so jagged it looks like someone was trying to make a political point when they drew its borders. Liberty Heights Avenue runs through this neighborhood, with two-thirds of it to the south and one-third to the north. Because these two sides of Howard Park have a different feel, I’ll describe them as “North” and “South” Howard Park, although I don’t think anyone else makes that distinction. The hub of activity for Howard Park appears to be at the intersection of Gwynn Oak and Liberty Heights Avenues.

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Much of the area in “South” Howard Park is consumed by Hillsdale Park and Forest Park Golf Course. “South” Howard Park also has more mature foliage, and also has a large number of homes in one of my favorite architectural styles: the Bungalow. But if you’re looking for land, “North” Howard Park is the place to look.

As of July 10, 2015, the absorption rate in “South” Howard Park is 180 days and in “North” Howard Park it is 154 days. Both absorption rates tend to favor sellers, but the disparity is likely because the “South” Howard Park homes are more expensive homes. So if you like tree-lined streets, look south of Liberty Heights Avenue. If you want a larger home on a much larger lot, look north.

: Howard Park Rehab

: Howard Park New Build

: Howard Park Well Maintained

According to Walkscore.com Howard Park has a walkable score of 54, so unless you live near the intersection of Liberty Heights Avenue and Hillsdale Road or Gwynn Oak Avenue, getting around without a car is going will present a challenge at times.

After years of being considered a food desert, Howard Park now has a major grocery store. Whatever your perceived notions of what a ShopRite might look like, put that aside and visit this one. It’s nice. Just browsing the aisles, I notice a gourmet-shop array of olive oils. But they also fill a variety of niches with a limited selection of clothing, shovels, milk, fresh fruit and ice cream – sounds like a Walmart Super Store.

In the last six months, 40 homes have sold, the most expensive at $229,000. But most of the homes sold for less than $100K. There are currently only 28 homes for sale in Howard Park and most are listed above $135K. The most expensive home is currently listed at $275K.