A five-day focus on NE Baltimore. October 1-5
I had been avoiding NE Baltimore because I didn’t feel like dealing with the hills. I knew it would eventually be on the agenda at some point but I consciously put it off. Now was the time to face my fears, over five days.
I never knew that if you headed east on Moravia Road, it would suddenly dump you right onto 895. If you aren’t paying attention, you can find yourself on an entrance ramp. That happened to me.
Now don’t get me wrong. There is a real charm to Belair Road, Sinclair Lane, and everything in between. There are some real quaint sections but, at times, they can all look or feel the same. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, it’s just easy to lose track of where you are headed.
I had never concentrated on one particular area over five straight days but this needed to be done, and it got done. And besides, you know when it’s time to move on when road construction crews become familiar.
And by the way, don’t you think I’d look good behind the wheel of that Thunderbird? My all-time favorite model, color, and year. As I said, there’s some real charm in NE Baltimore.
Three great neighborhoods that I never knew existed.
On most occasions, I just go to an unfamiliar area and run (jog). I usually have a general idea of the neighborhood but I don’t always know what to expect. If I did, I may not be doing this project.
After going back and forth and back and forth between Park Heights Avenue and Reisterstown Road, I unexpectedly found my way into Hyde Park. With its stately homes, park green, and scenic church steeple, Hyde Park could be the envy of any city. I enjoyed it so much that I tracked down a resident just to tell her so. I may have seemed a little crazy but she needed to know. She took it well.
Another community, Fairmount Park, is tucked away behind Gwynns Falls Parkway on Clifton Avenue. Fairmount Park looks like an idyllic neighborhood where Wally and Beaver could be found running back and forth between homes.
There’s only one way in and out of Fairmount Park and as I left, I told an older gentleman that I enjoyed Fairmount Park, to which he replied, “why?” That was a response or question I did not expect. And besides, it’s hard to explain why you like something. I’m not sure how I even answered.
I almost skipped over Prospect Circle. I was tired and it seemed far off course as I made my way north of Gwynns Falls. It’s a good thing I didn’t because Prospect Circle might be the most charming and surprising place in the city, especially during the fall.
That’s where you’ll find an amazing dome home in the words, a scenic street overlooking a ravine, and my new friend Alexandra. It was a real trifecta. This is why I find “Michael Runs Baltimore” so fascinating.
Deer on TV Hill. October 18
There are deer on TV Hill. A lot of them. I don’t know why I felt so surprised. I think there was just something fun and odd about seeing deer alongside television towers that day.
One thing I did realize that day was summer was truly over. The days were now shorter and colder and it was suddenly very noticeable. The whole clear change of season made me feel like I had been running throughout this city for a very long time, and it was far from over.
A Sunday morning in East Baltimore.
Closing out October with a student Halloween parade outside Leith Walk Elementary School in North Baltimore.
Michael Runs Baltimore 