Hello, Neighbor: Barclay

A storied rowhouse community bordering Charles Village, Greenmount Avenue, and Station North, Barclay embodies some of the best elements of urban life in Baltimore with its proximity to dining, theaters, greenspaces, and more. Two- and three-story rowhomes have retained much of their historic architectural elements, and strong stewardship from community advocates combined with new waves of investment have made this feet-on-the-street neighborhood an ever-more-desirable place to call home.

Shop: The 25th Street Safeway is your most reliable bet for stocking the fridge and pantry. Charles Village’s Streets Market, the Waverly Giant, and the weekly 32nd Street Farmers Market on Saturdays are just a short commute away, and assorted corner stores can help fill in the gaps in a pinch.

Dine: This is a sweet spot for dining and nightlife. Standouts include the regally adorned Caribbean cafe and bar Mama Koko’s, gin haven Dutch Courage, the trendy wine garden Fadensonnen (plus chicken and tasty sides from Chachi’s), soul food from Terra Cafe or Taste This, Yeiboh Kitchen’s internationally influenced Southern cuisine, pupuseria Mi Comalito, award-winning mezcaleria and taqueria Clavel, the wing centric iBar (try them chef’s style), Korean BBQ at Kong Pocha, Jong Kak, or Be-One…the list goes on.

Play: Spaces to get out and move include the fenced-in green expanse of Calvert Street Park, the playground and basketball court at King and Kennedy Park next door, and the Greenmount Recreation Center to the east. Just outside Barclay’s borders are Harwood Park’s playground and urban garden to the north, as well as the sprawling 16-acre Wyman Park Dell with its winding trails, jungle gym, Ping Pong table, and the grassy green down the slope.

Arts & Culture: If you’re already over toward Wyman Park, stroll through the Baltimore Museum of Art and its outdoor sculpture garden. Closer to home are beloved, Black-art-centric spaces like Waller Gallery, Galerie Myrtis, and newcomer Aye Gallery & Altar Studio. The Station North Arts District just to the south, has plenty more galleries, arts education activities (Arts for Learning), vinyl stacks to comb through (True Vine), movie theaters (The Charles, The Parkway), and tons of creative stimulation.

Neighbor Spotlight

Yojinde Paxton, 44, resident of Barclay for the last 11 years and a member of the Greater Greenmount Community Association

“I’m originally a Baltimorean—I grew up ‘Over West’ [in West Baltimore]. After I had moved away and finished going to school, I moved back to Baltimore. I was drawn to the Barclay community, and I found this house that I now live in on E. 22nd Street. I inquired about it and they told me it was the only house where the third floor was an open floor plan in a three-story house. Sight unseen—they hadn’t even started the rehab—I just had to put in an offer.

“I had no idea that my family had roots in this area. My grandfather lived on Guilford and 21st and my grandmother, my great-grandmother, and my great-aunts lived on Boone and 22nd. My grandmother actually used to wash the marble steps in the area with Ajax for 25 cents. They were renters, though. I’m actually the first one that bought a home here.”

Neighborhood Stats
Population: 2,692. Occupancy Rate: 84 percent. Owner/Renter Split: 40 percent/60 percent. Median Home Purchase Price: $265,000. Estimated Monthly Mortgage: $2,291. Estimated Rent: $1,114. Walk Score: 93. Bike Score: 79. Transit Score: 82

—Sources: Baltimore City Department of Planning, Live Baltimore.