If you stroll through Ednor Gardens in the spring, you might have the impression that azaleas are required by a neighborhood covenant. The fiery blossoms seem to be everywhere, possibly only outnumbered by rosebushes.
“I planted mine in the 1970s,” said Joan Stanne, who lives on Chestnut Hill. “They take well to the sandy soil.”
The annual blooms in each tiny front yard are just one indication of this neighborhood’s charm — and the pride its residents have for their homes. Established in the 1920s and ’30s adjacent to Venable Park, the future site of Memorial Stadium, Ednor Gardens is a neighborhood of light-filled row houses with lots of community spirit.
Stanne, a retired social worker, oversees a children’s art program in the summer, in which graduate students from the Maryland Institute College of Art teach evening classes to neighborhood kids. And her son, Chris Ryon, lives on 36th Street and serves as a block captain. Stanne too, has served as a captain, helping to organize such events as street cleanups and holiday gatherings.
The area shares a neighborhood association with adjacent Lakeside to the east, named for its proximity to Lake Montebello, and characterized by unattached single-family homes compared to Ednor Gardens’ English-style row homes.
The blocks that form the heart of Ednor Gardens were built beginning in the ’20s by Baltimore developer Edward J. Gallagher, who named the area for his sons Edward and Norman. At the time, the style was dubbed “daylight houses,” as these homes were wider than typical row houses, and were designed with windows in every room. Alleys cut between the blocks, and most houses have a small driveway and one-car garage. Many of the residents have built decks behind their homes.
Some have even received city grants and low-interest loans for restoration. The neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Brian Hannan, a realtor for Coldwell Banker, has sold dozens of homes in the neighborhood, even living there himself — twice. And though he’s seen prices go up over the years, he said it’s still a bargain. “For the money, you can’t do better than Ednor Gardens.”
But it’s the community itself that most point to when praising the neighborhood. Neighbors helped decide the fate of the Memorial Stadium site after the sports teams vacated. Recently, some of the same neighbors have met to ensure the playground subsequently built on the site and destroyed by arson can be rebuilt.
Longtime residents have memories of the sports events, of sitting on roofs along 36th Street to watch the now-defunct Baltimore Colts or treating the ballfield as an extension of their own backyards. “We’d decide to go to a game at the last minute and just hang out in the stands, have a picnic, read the paper,” Stanne recalled.
Karenthia Barber, president of the Ednor Gardens-Lakeside Civic Association, described the neighborhood as “suburban-style living in the city. It’s a gem.”
10 Things Ednor Gardens
• The YMCA
The Harry and Jeannette Weinburg YMCA is Maryland’s largest Y, and the community-built playground, recently destroyed by arson, is imbued with the passion of the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Let the sunshine in
Developer Edward J. Gallagher’s “daylight house” design for many Ednor Gardens row homes means sunrooms on the front and windows in every room — ensuring natural light throughout the day.
• Block captains
“Some blocks have a buddy system, where you can call someone to take in newspapers and mail when you go away, or if you are coming in late to keep an eye out,” said Civic Association President Karenthia Barber.
• Diversity
“The neighborhood is truly diverse,” said resident Chris Ryon, who grew up in Ednor Gardens. Residents praise the diversity of race, age, lifestyle and family size.
• The Waverly Market
The busy Baltimore farmers market is only a few blocks away, and many residents walk or ride their bikes on Saturday mornings.
• Lake Montebello
Ednor Gardens’ sibling neighborhood, Lakeside, is adjacent to the lake, a nice place for strolling, jogging or bicycling.
• Stadium Place
An affordable senior housing complex is part of the master plan for the Memorial Stadium site.
• Dogs galore
The grassy open space where the stadium once stood is a mecca for dog lovers, who congregate in the morning and after work.
• Baltimore City College High School
Sometimes referred to as “The Castle on the Hill,” Baltimore’s renowned high school is across 33rd Street from Ednor Gardens
• Location, location, location
Ednor Gardens is close to the shops and restaurants of Charles Village, and a 15-minute drive to downtown.
