Pigtown: The “Baltimore” Neighborhood
Written by Adam Van Bavel. Adam is a Pigtown resident, recent candidate for Baltimore City Council and voted “Best Do-Gooder” in the 2010 City Paper Readers’ Poll.
Adam at Carroll Park
When I first started house hunting in 2007, I wasn’t totally sure what I was looking for. The only thing I knew was that wherever I bought, I was going to become part of the neighborhood and not just live in it. With that being said, I wanted a neighborhood with diversity in both its residents and surroundings. Pigtown offers the latter in spades.
The origins of Pigtown can be told by many of the lifelong residents better than myself, but one great tale is how the neighborhood got its name. Back when the railroad used to bring livestock to the station, animals were herded off the train and pigs would be driven down the boulevard to the slaughter houses. Those short on money, or willing to take a risk, would try to snatch a pig from the ground-level windows of their home for a free meal.
There has also been significant controversy throughout the years over the names for the neighborhood: Pigtown vs. Washington Village. One of my favorite bumper stickers reads: “Washington Village Does Not Exist.” I’m of the cloth that Pigtown speaks to the neighborhood’s roots and also adds character to our unique community.
Outside of the name also lies a great deal of history. We have the Mount Clare Museum House situated at the top of the hill in Carroll Park, which is Maryland’s first museum house dating back to 1760. We also have the B&O Railroad Museum in our backyard. The museum comprises the collection of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, which houses the oldest, most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world. And, industry and warehouses can still be seen with much of their original architecture – many of which have been restored to the likes of Gaslight Square & Houseworks. This is just some of the rich history of Baltimore that can be found in Pigtown.
Lastly, I’ll fill you in on the people and businesses (see Pigtown Main Street) that make Pigtown uniquely-Baltimore. The entire neighborhood is made up of a mixture of Pigtown natives, graduate students, young professionals, artists, transplants, people with families…a plethora of personality! We have a jazz club (Bobby’s Jazz Club), a Caribbean restaurant (Cafe Calypso), a great cafe (Cafe Jovial), a candy shop (The Art of Candy), Tasty Creations bakery , the Mobtown Ballroom , Tommy’s Downtown Tavern and more. Pigtown has an abundance of activity right around the corner in any direction. They also don’t have the parking hassle that many of the downtown neighborhoods are accustomed to and the Charm City Circulator runs right by the B&O Museum.
Pigtown is conveniently located just off 95 and 295 (15 minutes from BWI or Penn Station) and about 15 minutes from I-83. Just a few minutes walk from Federal Hill or the stadiums and not much further from the Inner Harbor…what are you waiting for?
I could keep going, but it’s better to let you come visit and experience Pigtown for yourself!
