The Johns Hopkins University is conveniently located in Charles Village.
Although this is often acknowledged in glossy brochures or by undergraduate campus tour guides, most Homewood students remain largely unaware of the opportunities available in surrounding area.
Students at Johns Hopkins find prestige and value in attending Hopkins, rather than in attending a school which happens to call Charles Village its home.
Despite that the surrounding area once served as the stomping grounds of Hopkins' founders, the school's reputation admittedly has little to do with its location.
If those affiliated with Hopkins are able to exist without significant consideration of the surrounding community, they are, at the very least, ignorant of a neighborhood with significant history and charm.
Visitors and residents of the Homewood campus can find real character (not just textbooks) in the Charles Village neighborhood.
In the early development of Baltimore's outer limits, the land that would become Charles Village was set aside as an area to be developed into homes for wealthy and prominent families.
Victorians called this area "Peabody Heights" after George Peabody, founder of the Peabody Institute. Founded in 1876, the Johns Hopkins University was established on the land of John Carroll, Jr.'s Homewood House, the development of which pre-dated the construction of Peabody Heights.
Due to the establishment of the University and the accessibility granted by the construction of Charles Street, Peabody Heights experienced rapid growth. Lacking quiet and seclusion, and desirable to wealthy residents, the Heights' name grew progressively less prestigious throughout the early 1900s.
With a need for a name change in the 1960s, Peabody Heights was renamed Charles Village, defining the roughly 100 square block area bordered by 25th Street, University Parkway, Howard Street and Guilford Street. From its days of Peabody Heights, the Charles Village neighborhood remains well known for its beautiful Victorian row houses, or "Painted Ladies," and familiar Charles Street.
Members of the Johns Hopkins University are probably most familiar with the area immediately surrounding the Homewood campus. Aside from Charles Street, St. Paul and Calvert Streets are also home to students, staff and college hangouts. Students frequent Charles Village Pub, Eddie's Markey and Donna's Coffee Bar, located along the popular retail block of St. Paul Street.
Charles Village is also the location of the many off campus residences and apartment buildings occupied by upperclassmen and graduate students. In terms of a University-community relationship, Charles Village is, if subconsciously, interwoven into the lives of many on the Homewood campus.
Stepping outside of this relatively small "Hopkins view" of the Village, the 21218 is much more than a place to park or grab a meal.
It may be surprising to discover the multitude of people and communities revolving around Charles Village yet unaffiliated with Hopkins.
The Village offers services, such as the more than 11 other schools within the area, to its other residents. These schools range from pre-school to a polytechnic institute -- Hopkins is most definitely not the only local educational facility in the neighborhood.
Relevant to its diverse inhabitants, Charles Village is also home to many churches and places of worship. In addition to Hopkins' Interfaith Center and the Hopkins Hillel, the University Baptist Church and Phillip and James Parish (Roman Catholic) are also located on Charles Street.
Beyond the community needs, Charles Village offers a huge number of impressive cultural, lovely and refreshing venues for residents of all walks of life to enjoy.
The Baltimore Museum of Art, located on the southern end of campus, is home to renowned permanent and traveling collections.
Wyman Park, next to campus and in the heart of Charles Village, is a well-maintained green space, popular for soccer games, jogging and walking your dog. With a little searching, the quiet trails of the Park offer a surprising getaway from city life, only a few yards away from busy streets.
For those who have not yet explored Charles Village, it is easy to find something to appreciate within the neighborhood's confines.
There is always something new to see, especially considering the continuous development of the area.
In the coming months, be on the lookout for a revamping of Wyman Park and the opening of Barnes and Nobles on St. Paul Street.
Students looking to find out more about their community will get a taste of treats and Village charm at the Student-Community Get-Together this Sunday, Sept. 24.
