Barre Circle
Barre Circle is the smallest neighborhood in the Southwest Partnership area. Its boundaries are Martin Luther King Blvd to the east, Scott St to the west, Lombard St to the north, and Washington Blvd to Barre St and Barre St to Ramsay St in the south.
Barre Circle is convenient to Washington Blvd and Pigtown Mainstreet, Hollins Market, and downtown. A small neighborhood of only about 120 home, its brick rowhomes date from the late nineteenth century and neighbors share two open green spaces.
Barre Circle was homesteaded in the 1980s, and many of the homes in the neighborhood have been freshly renovated with modern interiors for classic exteriors.
Franklin Square
Franklin Square is one of the largest neighborhoods in the Southwest Partnership area. It’s boundaries are Mulberry St to the north, Monroe St to the west, Frederick Ave and Baltimore St to the south, and Carey St to the east.
Franklin Square is a National Historic District centered around Franklin Square Park, which was created in 1835 and is one of the oldest parks in the city. The neighborhood grew up around the park, with the grandest homes (such as Waverly Terrace) bordering the Park itself. The southern edge of the neighborhood is Baltimore St, once part of the National Highway, and the primary commercial street for the northern part of the Southwest Partnership Area.
Franklin Square today has beautiful homes convenient to downtown Baltimore, the 2.5 acre Franklin Square park, and easy access to businesses along Baltimore St.
Hollins Roundhouse
The central neighborhood in the Southwest Partnership area, Hollins Roundhouse is bordered by Martin Luther King Blvd to the east, W Pratt St and Barre Circle to the South, S Carey St to the west, and W Baltimore St to the north.
Home to Hollins Market and boarding the Mount Clare Shops and the B&O Railroad Museum, Hollins Roundhouse was historically a neighborhood centered around the Railroad Industry. Today the neighborhood boasts a vibrant Market District and a number of excellent restaurants, a thriving artistic scene, and a number of community managed open spaces including the Mount Clare St Garden.
Pigtown
Pigtown is the largest neighborhood in the Southwest Partnership area. Its boundaries are Martin Luther King Blvd and Barre Circle to the east, Pratt St to the north, Carey St, Carroll Park, and Bush St to the west, and the Carroll Camden Industrial area to the south.
Pigtown is one of the most racially and economically diverse neighborhoods in Baltimore. Convenient to downtown and the Stadium area, its main street, Washington Blvd is a thriving commercial district with a number of small, locally owned businesses. Pigtown also borders Carroll Park, the Carroll Park Golf Course, and the Mount Clare Mansion. Its distinctive name comes from the history of rail in America--pigs that were carried by train to the B&O station were run through the streets of the neighborhood to the slaughterhouses.
Mount Clare
Mount Clare is located in the southwest of the Southwest Partnership area. Its boundaries are Carey St to the east, Carroll Park to the south, Fulton Ave to the west, and Pratt St to the north.
The Mount Clare Community is a proudly diverse and thriving neighborhood in South West Baltimore City that has a rich history and is full of character. The row homes in Mount Clare were originally built during the early-mid nineteenth century to accommodate the labor force that was responsible for establishing, supporting, and working in the rapidly growing industry of the first commercial railroad in America. Mount Clare has historically been a working class immigrant community and had a large proportion of German families living in the neighborhood.
Poppleton
The most northeastern neighborhood in the Southwest Partnership, Poppleton is bordered to the east by Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, the south by W Baltimore St, the west by N Carey St, and the north by W Mulberry St.
Named after the surveyor who drew out southwest Baltimore’s grid street design, Poppleton was originally primarily populated by workers at the Mount Clare shops–and by people such as Edgar Allan Poe, his Aunt Mary Clemm and his cousin and wife Virginia Clemm. Poppleton is home to the oldest public housing development in Baltimore, the Poe Homes, as well as newer developments including Lexington Terrace and Vintage Gardens. The UM BioPark has been building along the Poppleton side of W Baltimore St, and the western half of the neighborhood includes three story rowhomes near Franklin Square Park.
Union Square
Union Square is one of the smaller neighborhoods in the Southwest Partnership area, bordered on the east by S Carey St, the south by W Pratt St, the west by S Fulton Ave, and the north by Booth St and Frederick Ave.
Built in the 1830s, the homes in Union Square, which is a National Historic District, are primarily Italianate and Victorian in architecture. Union Square Park boasts a fountain and other community maintained amenities, and the neighborhood is known for its welcoming residents, strong community association, and beautifully restored homes. Union Square was home to HL Mencken, who lived for most of his life at the house at 1524 Hollins St.
