Comments on: Bowling Alley Opens in Little Italy/Harbor East

By: Elaine

Elaine — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:17:42 +0000

To Hugh: The Perkins Homes were not built to warehouse blacks. They were built to house defense and shipyard workers during WW2. They were integrated in the mid-1950s and after the riots of ’68 and the “white flight” that followed, more blacks became residents of the Perkins Homes. I grew up there and there were picket fences, flower gardens, playgrounds and even some window awnings. Still, it was the projects and a very depressing place to grow up.

By: Glen

Glen — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:18:15 +0000

Mel – Your wish… spell check added.

Jamie – thanks for the mentions, that’s a great forum site.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:55:12 +0000

I had assumed that the Perkins Homes where the Flag House Court. I know that they where imploded because I witnessed in myself from the top of the World Trade Center. Pity that they didn’t also get the Perkins Homes. They smack of early 50′s racism, where the idea was to wharehouse people of colour. It’s awful to imagine that people where expected to live in that sort of environment.

By: Mel

Mel — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:13:13 +0000

Wikipedia is a little off on the boundry of Perkins. It’s bounded by Bond,Lombard(south side),Eden(east side) and Bank(north side). The blue light cameras do act as a deterrent to illegal activity in the area. But I wouldn’t call them a security fence. Actually, crime is pretty low in and around Perkins. The City instituted a get convicted of a felony and you’re kicked out policy a few years back. And Little Italy is pretty self-policing. The addition of Mustang Allys et al will only further improve things. Thugs hate lights and activity. Drive around and you’ll see it ain’t too scary.

By: jamie hunt

jamie hunt — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:51:30 +0000

Huh. Simultaneous posts. Glen, you can zap mine; doesn’t add anything.

By: jamie hunt

jamie hunt — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:56:37 +0000

From Wikipedia (which is just amazing to me): “The Perkins Homes are a public housing development in Southeast Baltimore located inbetween Fells Point and Little Italy bounded by Lombard Street on the North, Central Avenue on the West, Broadway on the East, and Eastern Avenue to the South. The community is located within the East Harbor Empowerment Zone of the Fells Point area and has been one of longest standing Housing Projects in Southeast Baltimore.
City Springs Elementary School is located at South Caroline and East Pratt Streets.”

The torn down v. rehabbed question is one I’m curious about, too. Not that I’m conspiracy-minded or anything, but the switch to senior/handicapped could be setting the stage for a mixed-income redevelopment in the future. Hmmm.

By: Glen

Glen — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:56:15 +0000

Wiki article on Perkins Homes – funny because it says they were used in The Wire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perkins_Homes,_Baltimore.

And here is the city’s page on it – http://www.baltimorehousing.org/index/ps_public_inventory26.asp

I assume the Perkins Homes are the reason for the blue light cameras near Pazo. It’s like they are trying to put up a security fence to keep certain elements out of HarborEast.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:00:19 +0000

Where exactly are the Perkins Homes and what do they look like? Will they be torn down or just rehabed?

By: jamie hunt

jamie hunt — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:45:29 +0000

Mel,

Great data on Perkins … are they rehabbing or rebuilding? Buildings aren’t so hot architecturally, but they’re probably solid.

Glen — thanks for the blog. I try to drive traffic here from skyscrapercity.com from time to time

By: Mel

Mel — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:52:47 +0000

I wish this blog offered spell-check! Sorry for the early a.m. lack of proof reading.