Pen Lucy
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Great for
- Cost of Living
- Public Transport
- Neighborly Spirit
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
Not great for
- Childcare
- Eating Out
- Gym & Fitness
- Nightlife
- Peace & Quiet
Who lives here?
- Singles
- Students
Got a burning question? Why not ask the locals! Simply ask your question below
Reviews
Pen Lucy
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"No way"
Pen Lucy is a residential neighborhood in the north section of Baltimore. East43rd Street, The Alameda, Argonne Drive, East 39th Street and Greenmount Avenue generally form the borders of this neighborhood. As with many Baltimore neighborhoods, homes here are attached single-family “row homes” in various conditions. In addition there is a large number of multifamily housing here, some of which appears to be newer subsidized housing, which is always problematic for any neighborhood.
There are several schools here including Baltimore Christian School, Blessed Sacrament School and God’s Excellent Disciples. Dedicated green space can be found at Mullan Park. The neighborhood offers little in the way of shopping or restaurants, so many will venture out for these activities. The main roads offer many bus stops for those wishing to access public transportation. There are a few smaller places of worship here in the neighborhood.
Like many neighborhoods in large cities, crimes against people and property can occur at any time and crime rates can vary from street to street and day to day. As always, check recent crime statistics to make an informed decision on any neighborhood you are considering living in or visiting.
Overall this is a neighborhood that you should think twice about considering. Major improvements will need to be made before I would consider living here.
There are several schools here including Baltimore Christian School, Blessed Sacrament School and God’s Excellent Disciples. Dedicated green space can be found at Mullan Park. The neighborhood offers little in the way of shopping or restaurants, so many will venture out for these activities. The main roads offer many bus stops for those wishing to access public transportation. There are a few smaller places of worship here in the neighborhood.
Like many neighborhoods in large cities, crimes against people and property can occur at any time and crime rates can vary from street to street and day to day. As always, check recent crime statistics to make an informed decision on any neighborhood you are considering living in or visiting.
Overall this is a neighborhood that you should think twice about considering. Major improvements will need to be made before I would consider living here.
Cons
- Multifamily housing
- poverty
Recommended for
- Singles
Pen Lucy
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Not a Good Idea"
Pen Lucy is a small, mainly African American neighborhood in North Baltimore. It has a bad reputation in the area for its poverty and high crime rate. In fact, it is often accused of harboring drug dealers and other violent criminals who prey on the surrounding areas.
The primary cause of Pen Lucy’s poverty is that well over half of its homes are headed by single parent families, usually single moms, who do not make enough money to support themselves and their children. Many of these women became pregnant as teenagers and were never able to finish high school. They live in Pen Lucy because of its low cost housing. In fact, almost two thirds of the neighborhood’s residents do not own the homes they live in. Instead, they are dependent on government support rental properties and apartment complexes.
The Pen Lucy Neighborhood Association, Inc. is working hard to improve the lives for these mothers and their children. However, they have an uphill battle against numerous problems, including boarded up, falling down houses that attract every kind of criminal. They dream of a day when these homes can be repaired or even simply torn down and replaced by safe parks for the community’s nearly 1,000 children.
The primary cause of Pen Lucy’s poverty is that well over half of its homes are headed by single parent families, usually single moms, who do not make enough money to support themselves and their children. Many of these women became pregnant as teenagers and were never able to finish high school. They live in Pen Lucy because of its low cost housing. In fact, almost two thirds of the neighborhood’s residents do not own the homes they live in. Instead, they are dependent on government support rental properties and apartment complexes.
The Pen Lucy Neighborhood Association, Inc. is working hard to improve the lives for these mothers and their children. However, they have an uphill battle against numerous problems, including boarded up, falling down houses that attract every kind of criminal. They dream of a day when these homes can be repaired or even simply torn down and replaced by safe parks for the community’s nearly 1,000 children.
Pros
- neighborhood association
Cons
- poverty
Recommended for
- Students
playfair
A good idea is often a matter of timing. This is roughly a year after your post, and a combination of factors have improved Pen Lucy. While various nonprofits, including Habitat, PLAN, and PLNA have made their mark, the most important influence on my street is that people are basically conservative. Yards are kept, and there are many "old school" men and women who are neat, quiet neighbors raising polite children. These habits have chased some of the drug dealers elsewhere. I have always gone when and where I please, alone and often on foot. When my realtor brought me to my current home four years ago, no one commented on our races. Rather, neighors greeted us. My realtor noted that porch furniture was not bolted down (as it is in some parts of town) and said, "Well, I won't have any nightmares selling you this house." And honestly, I have found neighbors helpful when I needed help. Four locals dug my car out of a drift during Snowmaggedon. People speak to each other on the street. I purchased a vacant lot in the neighborhood and even the somewhat fearsome looking young men made conversation with me while I maintained the lot with a scythe, which fascinated some of them. While whacking away at my weeds, I could hear churchbells and sparrows - you'd think it was Montmartre. When I moved here from Seattle, I was unaware of Pen Lucy's reputation. Three thousand miles away, an entire city like Baltimore can be dismissed as a ghetto. I came because I was priced out of Seattle's housing market, even though I had been a homeowner in an outlying area. In Baltimore, I am able to own an old rowhouse and investment properties which are decently maintained. A legal secretary in DC, I can afford to travel and return to college without financial aid. There are activist, intellectual and spiritual communities within Pen Lucy and nearby because of the neighborhood configuration some locals characterize as "Smalltimore". But I admit that the negative characterizations of Pen Lucy have their element of truth and I am glad I did not try to raise my (grown) children here and would not choose to do so just yet. I was a singe mother and needed to raise my boys in an environment where my family would be respected which, it seems from your post, would not have been likely here. Having said that, I have enjoyed living here and can promote it as an affordable retirement destination. But you do have to deal with an imperfect place. If you are an adventurer or activist, you can seriously love it. If you need to assert a "higher" class, it will not appeal to you as much as neighbohoods like nearby Charles Village. But I am truly thankful for my nice neighbors and the opportunities I have had to experience some of Baltimore's best attributes. As they say, "Location, Location, Location".
2yrs+
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