Pigtown or Pigsty?

Illegal dumping and Pigtown go hand in hand. Casually discarded computer parts, scrap metal or a couch rest easy on sidewalks off Nanticoke St. So today, I decided to meddle after seeing a guy toss several old air conditioning units on the street and begin demolishing them. He had no room in his pickup truck, so his intent seemed pretty obvious. I asked him if he had plans to leave his junk, and he said he wasn't "going to answer that...I wouldn't be so disrespectful because my grandmother lives across the street".

Riiiiiight.

Pigtown Bird Has Chutzpah

Two weeks ago, I was walking my dogs when we stumbled across a small bird chirping from the bushes. It emerged old and feeble, and its wings were out of commission. Amazingly, it puffed its feathers and charged me and the dogs. Whatever makes a small, defenseless creature so brave--if not mad--is endearing and just as impressive as the boldest human in the face of overwhelming obstacle.

I returned solo with my camera and the bird charged me again, strangely allowing me to pick it up--didn't peck me either. Was it daring death? Normally I take sick animals to to the Humane Society, but instead left birdie-badass on the little stump in the bush.

I went back to find it a third time, but no chirp or trace. I imagined it charged the other dogwalker with pit bulls or fell prey to one of the numerous feral cats in our neighborhood. RIP, sweet little kamikaze bird.

Springing into Home Projects

With Spring approaching, it's time to get busy. No more putting off the house due to cold weather! Here ya go...

Project #1: The BM Bittersweet Chocolate living room phase is over, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm going back to light walls, i.e., au naturale vanilla bean. As much as I'd like to think I can do dramatic colors, dramatic colors just don't do my house.

Project #2: New rugs and window treatments for living room/dining nook.



Project #3: Going chinoiserie on the powder room with this wallpaper:



Project #4: Re-tiling MAIN bedroom in basic subway or pennyround tile (the builder basic faux stone tile has to go). Here's an idea (taken from http://www.remodelista.com/products/dal-penny-round-tile):

Project #5: My ambitious grassy patio didn't work out beyond the fall, so I'm filling it in with gravel and pavers (much to the chagrin of Nelson & Sophie).

Pigtown Snowpocalypse: February 6-10, 2010

Nelson's first blizzard...awwwww.



Nelson and Sophie.


My snowmobile.






Feb. 6, 2010.

Doggone...

Gorgeous Williams Sonoma ceramic lantern (and part of a pair).

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Guilty party.

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Damn, damn, damn!!!

Living Room Teaser

I promised living room photos over a month ago, and I'm truly sorry for the delay! However, I'm having the toughest time completing home projects, and the living room is still in transition (note: I'm still undecided about painting the chair rails chocolate brown or a pop-out white, and you'll see both versions in the room). Nonetheless, I wanted to share a few photos. Here goes...

Yay, New Neighbor Across the Street

After 3.3 years, finally! I have a neighbor across the street! No more dead views. There'll be lights! Maybe even a plant or two to sweeten the view. Yay.

Now if I could just get the house w/ the crumbling facade (beside my new neighbor) to be rehabbed or bulldozed.

Meet Nelson

Just adopted another wonderful dog from BARCS, Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter. Nelson was found wandering through backyards off notorious North Avenue...who knows what hell he endured. On the day of adoption he weighed 14lbs (emaciated) and was healing from neuter surgery and intestinal obstruction. Working to bring the little trooper back to health.

Attack of the Narrow Pigtown Rowhouse

(BEFORE PIC #1, 2006)
(BEFORE PIC #2, 2006)


In the smaller worries of life, my rowhouse's 12-ft-wide living room floor plan is driving me nuts. I don't feel furniture should be smashed flat to the wall, but with a shotgun floorplan, there's insufficient room to "float" furniture.

The (on-going) solution?

Being that I couldn't resituate the space-stealing staircase that invades the front of the living room, I had to get creative. First, to allow more light and give the illusion of more space, I changed the plain steel door to an open glass door with a transom above it (thanks Lowes). Second, the living room was painted a deep luxurious brown with a tad of sheen (Bittersweet Chocolate by Benjamin Moore) from before's blah off-white. This is supposed to shorten the long galley look of the room. The next step, however, is on-going and irksome: furniture placement. So far: a console, an 80-inch sofa, 2 large chairs, 2 small chairs, a divider, a sofa table, and *maybe* a bar. Sounds like a hellish amount of furniture, but I will win. "After" pics to come.

The Poor Dog in the Alley

There's a wonderful yet unfortunate dog that lives in a dirty, shantily fenced yard opposite the alley behind my house in Pigtown. I call him Scoobers. Scoobers is the alley "alarm" and obviously chosen by his owner for this quality. But sadly, nothing else. Day after day, Scoobers sits in the backyard alone with his dog igloo and two overturned steel food bowls that never seem to be clean or full. No toys, no treats, no walks, no affection. The only time I've seen Scoobers' owner was when he scolded Scoobers for barking excessively and for running away. So many times I thought to call Animal Control to help, but I'm fearful that they'll euthanize him. So, I try to check in on Scoobers daily to make sure he has fresh water and a little affection. Scoobers is friendly despite his dire condition. Hungry for attention, and probably to escape the smell of his backyard, Scoobers often sneaks outside his fence to sit in the alley. His leash is far too short for this feat, and today, I went outside to see that he was caught in the fence to the point of choking. After freeing him once earlier today, my boyfriend found him caught again and decided to videotape it. I really, truly hope that Scoobers will find a better home and some happiness in his life. I wish we could adopt him.

Reunited...and it feels so goooooood!

Miraculously, my Honda Metro scooter, "Ghostdini", was recovered on October 8, 2009, and the suspect was charged! The scooter was damaged and not working--busted ignition (see pic), manipulated wiring, missing side mirrors, and cracks/scrapes to the body, but nothing that couldn't be repaired. I'm so incredibly lucky and fortunate; I won't take my scooter's security for granted ever again!

My Scooter Is Gone!!!

The Great Ghostdini, my Honda Metro scooter, has been stolen. On Oct. 5, 2009 at approximately 11pm, a brazen thief(ves) jumped my secured 6-ft fence, removed the bolt/deadlock on the interior gate, and took off with the Great Ghostdini. It honestly feels like a family member is gone.

The hunt is on...

Welcome to Pigtown Perspective

Welcome to "A Pigtown Perspective"! My blog details my experiences as a homeowner in historic Pigtown, a diverse and transitional neighborhood located in south Baltimore, MD.

Originally from a coastal city in NC, I lived in Washington, DC for 8 years before buying my first home in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2006. Before I lived in Baltimore, I visited infrequently, and I knew little, if nothing, about Pigtown. What follows is some of what I've noticed, experienced, and done since starting this blog in 2008.

Enjoy!