Oliver

Oliver is a neighborhood located in the east region of Baltimore. East North Avenue, North Broadway, East Biddle and Ensor Street generally form the borders of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is a mixture of residential and commercial uses. Houses here are he typical attached single-family “row house” homes found throughout Baltimore, with a large number of newer multifamily apartments. Older structures tend to not be well maintained.

Doctor Bernard Harris Senior Elementary and Saint Francis Xavier Head Start School are the two schools located in Oliver. Residents will find a number of places to worship, however shopping and restaurant options are somewhat limited. Dedicated green space can be found at Caroline and Hoffman Park s well as Oliver Park and Lafayette and Aiken Park. Residents will enjoy the Oliver Recreation Center as well. As with most neighborhoods in the city, access to public transportation is available with numerous bus stops being located along the main streets.

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.

This is another neighborhood that I am going to pass on. In addition to the number of buildings in disrepair, I am concerned about the noise from the railroad tracks.. I am also not sure if lots of new apartments is the way to stop urban decay, but that is just my opinion

Oliver is a predominantly African American neighborhood on the east side of Baltimore. Once a solidly middle class neighborhood on the edge of Greenmount Cemetary, it has, in recent decades, joined the much too long list of Baltimore communities that are dominated by crime and poverty.
The problems began during the racial riots on the late 1960s when Oliver was the home of Baltimore’s infamous Black Panther Party. Rioters, vandals and looters damaged or destroyed many of the local homes and businesses. Frightened by this violence and instability, those residents who could left the area for better, safer parts of town. Those who remained behind had little choice but to watch their once happy community fall victim to drug dealers and pimps. Today it is in such a state of decay that HBO used it for exterior shots for the widely acclaimed TV show, The Wire.
Though one in four homes are abandoned and boarded up, there are a few signs of life yet. The Oliver Economic Development Corporation is working hard to attract new businesses and investors ot the area. They are responsible for the community’s only culture center, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. At the same time, the Oliver Community Association is encouraging residents to apply for grants and other government programs designed to fix up and maintain their homes.