I never intended for this triangular section of Irvington to be that final neighborhood but it ended up being a memorable way to wrap up a feat that I never expected to attempt.
The only reason I hadn’t made it to this Southwest Baltimore neighborhood before was that it was always seemed slightly off route, slightly too far for the day. But maybe some higher force was secretly pushing me to save it for the end.
I knew it was going to be a special run because as soon as I stepped out of the car, I was serenaded by the local church bell tower. Not just a ringing of the hour; songs, music. I couldn’t have planned it any better.
And after just a few streets, I met Kyra. (Pronounced with a long I, not like Kyra Sedgwick.) I don’t know why I needed to tell Kyra about why I was there but I just wanted to. And Kyra had that level of kindness and interest that just made you feel great. Her warm smile could give you enough energy to run for another 15 miles.
As I went along, church bells still in the distance, I made my way deeper into the neighborhood. And when I came upon ‘Peace Park’ I wasn’t aware that there’d be so much more to today’s visit.
I’m not sure what I want to say about the tucked-away branch of Collins Avenue, just south of Potter Street. What I can say is that there were people hanging around, talking to each other, listening to each other, clearly enjoying being together.
It was almost surreal. You had neighbors, Black and white, adults and children, dogs and chickens, all living together with this sense of peace, much like their local park.
I first came upon Yvonne and Robin and had a nice conversation about Baltimore and their special street. And along came Cynthia and Steve, and their dog Juno, to join in. Here we all are, all standing in the middle of the street proudly discussing Collins Avenue.
Not only did I hear chickens, Steve took me to see the ‘Taj Mahal’ for chickens, behind Michael’s house. And not only was it an impressive structure, it’s fox proof.
After saying goodbye to Collins Avenue, I eventually made my way back to Frederick Avenue. Not every street in that section of Irvington has that special feel of Collins Avenue but I will say that every person, every person, that I saw on the street engaged me with their eyes and said hello. It was great.
The same was true on Frederick Avenue. After I gave a standard ‘hello, how are you,’ to one woman, she reciprocated with a “well, we’re still standing, aren’t we?” What a great response.
I’m not going to lie. When I made it back to my car, I looked around. I took in the sight of that final neighborhood and right then and there, right on Frederick Avenue, I leaned into my car and cried.
Today felt like the personal end to this personal project. There’s still Monday, which will likely be more celebratory than reflective. But today, right there on Frederick Avenue, I just didn’t want to say goodbye to Irvington.
Michael Runs Baltimore 