Herring Run Park

Though an established residential strip since the 1920s, the Herring Run Park neighborhood hasn’t reached its final form. “The area is slowly developing. There’s talks of them opening a lot of outlets nearby, but other than that, it’s still in development,” Lening Rivera of Samson Properties explains.

About 4 miles from downtown, the neighborhood comprises less than 400 homes along a few quiet streets. Made up primarily of row houses and duplexes, the Herring Run Park community features homes with compact front porches and minimalistic yards. While some homes feature mansard roofs and fully brick exteriors, others include Tudor-style influences. Because Herring Run Park borders the neighborhood, front doors along Chesterfield Ave and Shannon Drive face extensive green spaces and mature trees. Turnkey three-bedroom houses range from $100,000 to $180,000, while four-bedroom homes cost between $180,000 and $205,000.

When it comes to academics, students begin at Belair-Edison Elementary/Middle, easily walkable from home with its building and vibrant playground less than a mile away. From here, students choose which high school is the best fit within Baltimore City Public Schools. One nearby option is Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, which earns a C-minus overall rating from Niche. At Mergenthaler, students can participate in Career and Technical Education programs like graphic communications, construction design and computer science to earn career certifications.

Recently discovered to have been a campsite for Native Americans over 11,000 years ago, the park granting the community its namesake consists of 375 acres of forested green space. Walk or bike along the park’s multi-mile trail to Morgan State University or head in the opposite direction toward Interstate 895. The park also houses playgrounds throughout, including Brehms Lane and Parkside Drive, providing many spaces to burn off some energy after school. To practice your footwork and score a goal, grab your soccer ball and head to Father Hooper Fields, also housed in the park. “They have a lot of events there, open to anybody as well, but of course, they do it for the community—just to get people outside and to get to know their neighbors,” Rivera says. Recent renovations in the park connect the community to Lake Montebello, which is conveniently less than a mile away. Bring your dog for a walk around the lake’s 1.5-mile trail or enjoy a round of disc golf along the water’s edge.

To add variety to your evening and weekend adventures, find additional recreational opportunities within a 2-mile radius of the neighborhood. At Clifton Park, dig your trowel in the dirt in the community garden to test out your green thumb or swing your clubs at the golf course overlooking the mansion that signifies the park’s past as the estate of Johns Hopkins. To keep warm in winter while staying active, take advantage of the indoor basketball court and gathering spaces at Herring Run Recreation Center, or for a gym and an indoor pool, visit the Weinberg YMCA in Waverly.

Recreational activities aren’t the only things nearby. Herring Run Park keeps practical needs close as well. For quick trips to the store, stop by Cabrera Grocery and Deli, a bodega right in the neighborhood. Cabrera sells deli meats, limited produce, snacks and other essentials, making it easy to swing by after work as pantries empty. For a broader selection of stores, Parkside Shopping Center is less than 2 miles away and includes Giant Food, Rent-A-Center, GameStop and Super Beauty. If you’re looking for a place to dine close to home, order the Egusi soup at Saviour African Food Restaurant or venture less than 3 miles away to Charles Village for additional restaurant options.

Because the neighborhood consists solely of quiet residential streets, it’s easy to forget that the community sits in northeast Baltimore. Find bus stops along Route 1 and Harford Road, each connecting you to downtown Baltimore and nearby metro stations. To travel outside city limits, Interstate 895 connects you to White Marsh, Laurel and Washington. For a peaceful place to rest your head and a growing community with park views, settle down in Herring Run Park.

Written By

Alicia Swain

Photography Contributed By

Jessica Stoddard

Video By

Victoria Sharpe