Week 3: Jonestown-a healthy habitat?

Today, I explored Jonestown, and I realized that I am more familiar with the area than I'd previously thought. With friends and family located in Fells Point, I've spent a lot of time frequenting the bars and restaurants of the waterfront. I've also enjoyed many festivals and weekend strolls under the milk-jug lights strung above the streets of Little Italy.

My fiance and I went on a walking tour of Jonestown (starting with an Attman's pastrami sandwich on rye and potato latkes), and we ended up exploring Little Italy as well. Near Attman's we stopped to chat with a group of folks getting a tour of the Jewish Museum of History, and we walked past the shuttered doors of Lenny's and Weiss delis. Then, we ambled on past the Shot Tower, the Flag House, the Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture, the Metro stop, and Stratford University.

Next, we came upon a street art festival in Little Italy ("oh, we are in Little Italy!"). To paint a quick picture: perfect sunny late summer 70 degree day; artists using pastels to create masterpieces on the street (see healthy people tab-Jonestown album for more pictures); street food vendors and brick oven pizzerias wafting their scents to entice; musicians playing cheerful music; people (us too) sipping wine from plastic cups.

The "surprise" festival reminded me of what I love so much about Baltimore, about cities in general---you never know what to expect. A city gives will give you this kind of magical gift, and it is something worth keeping in tact and promoting.

As Jonestown is a "fringe" neighborhood situated strategically between many active Baltimore neighborhoods, there is an opportunity, by revitalizing Jonestown, to: 1) connect all other areas that surround it, 2) create new vibrant social life on its streets. And, actually, these goals are one and the same. The streets on which I felt the most comfortable and welcome were those streets that had activities happening---shops open, people on tours of historical sites, etc.

As mentioned on my Healthy Habitats page, healthy habitats have these elements: density, mixed land-use, good pedestrian/bike/transit systems, access to clean water, safe streets, safe housing, access to public transportation, access to regular physical activity, contact with nature, vibrant activity centers , wide and tree-lined sidewalks, low-rise public housing (Howard Frumkin, TED-X).

In order for Jonestown to be a healthy habitat, it needs more mixed land use---aka more businesses interspersed with residential. I did notice (and took pictures, in same album mentioned above) nice wide and tree-lined sidewalks, and adorable little row homes with brightly colored doors and cheerful landscaping. I think that if more businesses were to pop up on the streets, Jonestown definitely has the potential to be a truly healthy habitat and to connect all the surrounding neighborhoods, continuing the trend of vibrant social centers commerce, and street festivals.