Catonsville Crime Wave

Apparently, many peoples idea of 'nice' and mine don't jive.

I lived Ellicott City (near 40 & 29) when I moved to MD after I got out of college in the 80s. It was decent, we had easy access to Columbia Mall, Westview mall (Westview Cinema and drive-in) and Security mall for shopping. After a few years, Westview and Security started to go downhill, and we stopped travelling into Baltimore Co. Balt Co hasn't been 'nice' since at least the early 90s in my opinion.

Oakland Mill started spewing problems into Columbia. Apt dwellers and section 8 started dragging down our little neck of Ellicott City, so in the late 90's we moved west to Frederick Co.

Since then, I have driven through the old neighbourhood, What used to be our local liquor store and many other stores now have bars on the windows. Frankly, any area where nearby business owners have to turn their building into a functional safe at night for their protection, is not a 'nice' area.

It looks to me like the cesspool that is Baltimore has already overflowed Balt Co. and has spilled into Ho Co.

Now I just have to hope the crap takes long enough to flow up the I270 corridor from Mo Co. that we have time to escape in a few years.

Rob

Bohlieve410 said:

What's with those really nice houses on the city line on 40? Its like a random neighborhood of old style nice houses. But it's so close to where the blue lights start. My buddy used to live in the apartments down from McDonald's and the tattoo shop. No one called the cops on our rowdy asses and seemed quiet. Well except for us.

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You may be referring to Ten Hills. Nice area likely kept nice partly because many of the Baltimore City muckity mucks live there to satisfy there living in the City requirement for office.

Catonsville is one of the strangest towns I know -- its got some poverty, some super rich, some blue collar, some Howard County and lots of folks who have lived here their entire lives. I like it all in all.

clint said:

There's been some general burglary problems recently in the neighborhoods along Edmondson between 695 and 40. It seems to go in spurts until the nicer neighborhoods realize they are soft targets.

I don't consider Catonsville that affordable unless you live in the crappy parts. Well it is more affordable than Howard County. It is all relative I guess.

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Im still glad I got out, affordable to most probably not, we sold our house at $319 a square foot, yes, $319,000 for a 1000SF home

rob said:

Apparently, many peoples idea of 'nice' and mine don't jive.
I lived Ellicott City (near 40 & 29) ...we had easy access to Columbia Mall, Westview mall (Westview Cinema and drive-in) and Security mall for shopping. After a few years, Westview and Security started to go downhill,....

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Route 40 has been going downhill for a while. Woodlawn is not a good area and its following out the Route 40, Liberty road area. Catonsville's and Ellicott City's border with Woodlawn is not a great area. No doubt. Everywhere has their "buffer zones", you were in one.

Sure if you want to move way out, basically out of the Baltimore zone, sure its nicer. However if you want to stay in the area there are still nice areas. More crime, certainly, but not anything like Baltimore City.

It looks to me like the cesspool that is Baltimore has already overflowed Balt Co. and has spilled into Ho Co.

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Well, sure. It seems to be going out Route 40 in both directions. However some areas in the City have actually gotten better in the two decades.

T-Man said:

Catonsville is one of the strangest towns I know -- its got some poverty, some super rich, some blue collar, some Howard County and lots of folks who have lived here their entire lives. I like it all in all.

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If you understand the area, its not strange. Borders with Woodlawn and Baltimore city do not have good buffer zones. So the City life taints the area. If you are thinking of Route 40 or inside the Beltway Catonsville, yeah... its not great. However go to the rest and its nice. Yeah maybe 20% of it is in this border area however its all on the edges of Catonsville. The other 80% is some of the nicest living on the South side of Baltimore County IMHO.

I don't see any Poverty in Catonsville. There are no boarded up houses or abandon homes. Yes you have some areas where the houses are half the price as the rest of the Catonsville but I see Blue Collar there.

Arbutus has Violetville and Landsdowne as buffer Zones. Linthicum has Brooklyn Park. The only real difference is that Catonsville has Route 40 on the one side.

As far as Baltimore City goes, it seems to be moving West and East, roughly along the Route 40 Corridor. The North and South side seems to be fairly stable. Catonsville being that north west border of the good south side has the edge along Route 40 which I am guessing makes it seem to some like its not as nice. However I think Catonsville is the nicest part of South side of Baltimore County if we are dividing it between North and south of the City.

snavematt said:

Im still glad I got out, affordable to most probably not, we sold our house at $319 a square foot, yes, $319,000 for a 1000SF home

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You must have sold at the top of the market. Thats really high. I paid about 2/3rds the SF price for my house and thats not counting the detached double car garage most don't have. Did you have a huge lot or something?

1000SF houses are getting around $200+K now.

IMBLITZVT said:

You must have sold at the top of the market. Thats really high. I paid about 2/3rds the SF price for my house and thats not counting the detached double car garage most don't have. Did you have a huge lot or something?

1000SF houses are getting around $200+K now.

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Sold last May, had a full price contract before the sign went in the yard

Maybe life's not so great in 21228

Three shot outside swingers club in Catonsville early Sunday

I work in Catonsvile, I'm told very close to the swingers club. I gotta renew my carry permit.....

Crime is up in Harford and Howard co too. Heroin use has climbed, a lot of people switched when they cracked down on prescription painkillers.

Baltimore sun says the triple shooting was at the swingers club at 2am.

teratos said:

I work in Catonsvile, I'm told very close to the swingers club. I gotta renew my carry permit.....

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Are you in the offices across Rolling Rd from the club? Not that I know where the club is.....

Engine4 said:

Are you in the offices across Rolling Rd from the club? Not that I know where the club is.....

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I think so. I've been told it's across the street. I'm still not sure where it is. We are across from the 7-11.

teratos said:

I think so. I've been told it's across the street. I'm still not sure where it is. We are across from the 7-11.

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Yep. We burned that place down years ago when it was 2 stories & a bowling alley.

Crime in 21228...impossible!

Engine4 said:

Yep. We burned that place down years ago when it was 2 stories & a bowling alley.

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If you burn it down again I can have the week off....

Engine4 said:

Yep. We burned that place down years ago when it was 2 stories & a bowling alley.

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You're dating yourself. We did get pretty good at making parking lots.

pbharvey said:

Maybe life's not so great in 21228

Three shot outside swingers club in Catonsville early Sunday

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Anything north of Rt. 40 is not really Catonsville. That's the bad part of town. Don't go there after dark.

54rndball said:

Anything north of Rt. 40 is not really Catonsville. That's the bad part of town. Don't go there after dark.

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You can say that again...I used to live in the neighborhood behind were Toys-R-Us used to be. Just 2 weeks ago, some gangbangers popped a few caps in some guys off of Chantilly....Ellicott Mills area.

RoKKboXXer said:

You're dating yourself. We did get pretty good at making parking lots.

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Lol, we had fun too!

Didn't Gov. MOM tell us that the "Firearms Safety Act of 2013" would reduce crime? :-)

catonsville-home-invasion

Police said a further investigation revealed that several men forced their way into the victim's residence, shot him several times, stabbed him at least once and stole personal items from the residence.

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Just moved but only about 1 block from the old place. Wifey likes the neighborhood and the kids don't have to change schools. I like my big yard and awesome garage. That means I can set up a 3D archery range in the backyard. I guess I will have to refocus on some acreage in the WV woods when the time is right.