Pigtown, Baltimore

Infobox_nrhp | name =Pigtown Historic District
nrhp_type = hd
location= Baltimore, Maryland
locmapin = Maryland
area =
architect=
architecture=
added = December 28, 2006
governing_body = Local
refnum=706001177cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Pigtown, known sometimes as Washington Village, is a neighborhood in southwest Baltimore bordered by Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on the east, Monroe Street on the west, Russell Street on the south, and the B&O Railroad Museum on the north. It is rumored to have gotten its '"pig"' name from the scores of pigs that would be dragged through its narrow streets every day on their way to be slaughtered in meat-packing plants.

Pigtown's proximity to the I-95 corridor, the University of Maryland Medical System campus, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, and downtown Baltimore have brought upscale townhomes to the eastern edge of the neighborhood, including the eclectic renovations of Barre Circle, one of Baltimore's famous dollar-house neighborhoods.

However, other parts of the neighborhood have remained working class, as any trip down an alley street (or any street for that matter) will show you. The result of this evolutionary process has been one of the few communities in Baltimore that is completely mixed racially, culturally and economically. There are approximately 2,740 homes in this community, which unlike many other Baltimore City neighborhoods continues to enjoy an influx of population. From 1980 to 1990 the population increased 3% from 6,503 to 6,705 people, strengthening Pigtown racial and socioeconomic diversity even more.

Pigtown, named as such due to the pigs that used to be brought in on the B&O Railroad and then run through the streets to the slaughter houses. Pigtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in December 2006. This neighborhood is undergoing a revitalization and with its proximity to downtown Baltimore, I95 and 295, and the MARC train to Washington DC, it is becoming more and more attractive to young residents who want urban living at an affordable price.

Transportation

Eastern portions of Pigtown are within easy walking distance of the Camden Yards Transportation Center, served by both the Baltimore Light Rail and the MARC Camden Line. The latter, along with the neighborhood's proximity to I-95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, make the neighborhood of interest to an increasing number of people who work in Washington, D.C. but are looking to get out of Washington's expensive housing market.

External links

* [http://www.pigtownfestival.com/ Pigtown Festival]