At the edge of Charles Village, a neighborhood in transition
She looked like she could be someone's grandmother, with friendly eyes and an inviting smile. She was quick to offer me a chair and a plate of spaghetti. Upon revealing that I was a freshmen at Hopkins, her smile became mischievous as she disclosed, "You know, I got my master's there."
White was very soft-spoken, so with extra close attention we began our long conversation. She spoke about the one night a week that the police station didn't get any phone calls involving Remington. Each Friday night, White hosts an outdoor church service to discourage violent behavior, drunk driving and drug trafficking on the nearby streets. "It is incredible. Friday night is the only night the police department doesn't get any calls," White said. "There is an unspoken agreement between me and the trouble-makers - don't do that on my time. Not on God's time."
White - i n conjunction with such a plethora of community activist groups that she cannot even name them all - is taking the initiative to give aid to Remington's suffering areas and citizens through projects like food drives. White had even planned a school supply fair where her group was able to collect enough supplies for distribution among 40 children. The efforts made to improve the quality of living in Remington come directly from the area's residents themselves; they feel as though they are continuously being ignored and put after the needs of the developing Charles Village.
As Charles Village continues to undergo a commercial renaissance, its problems relating to drugs and crime are being pushed to the edges of the Village's perimeters. Over the past year, Remington's historical and diverse community has been feeling the negative by-product of being ignored, which has been a sharp rise in illicit activity.
While Hopkins students and residents feel more comfortable and protected in the newly improved Charles Village, a toll is being taken on the Remington inhabitants, who are feeling less secure as old problems resurface. Since the late 1990s Remington has been on the road to recovery after being considered a dangerous, insecure area, but in the last year there has been a sharp increase in drugs and crime.
White was very soft-spoken, so with extra close attention we began our long conversation. She spoke about the one night a week that the police station didn't get any phone calls involving Remington. Each Friday night, White hosts an outdoor church service to discourage violent behavior, drunk driving and drug trafficking on the nearby streets. "It is incredible. Friday night is the only night the police department doesn't get any calls," White said. "There is an unspoken agreement between me and the trouble-makers - don't do that on my time. Not on God's time."
White - i n conjunction with such a plethora of community activist groups that she cannot even name them all - is taking the initiative to give aid to Remington's suffering areas and citizens through projects like food drives. White had even planned a school supply fair where her group was able to collect enough supplies for distribution among 40 children. The efforts made to improve the quality of living in Remington come directly from the area's residents themselves; they feel as though they are continuously being ignored and put after the needs of the developing Charles Village.
As Charles Village continues to undergo a commercial renaissance, its problems relating to drugs and crime are being pushed to the edges of the Village's perimeters. Over the past year, Remington's historical and diverse community has been feeling the negative by-product of being ignored, which has been a sharp rise in illicit activity.
While Hopkins students and residents feel more comfortable and protected in the newly improved Charles Village, a toll is being taken on the Remington inhabitants, who are feeling less secure as old problems resurface. Since the late 1990s Remington has been on the road to recovery after being considered a dangerous, insecure area, but in the last year there has been a sharp increase in drugs and crime.
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Doug Karlsberg
posted 11/11/07 @ 12:13 AM EST
hidden gem?
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