HOT HOUSE: 1107 Poplar Hill Road, Baltimore, 21210.

Brick early-Victorian farmhouse, circa 1840, completely renovated, on 3.41 private wooded acres in North Roland  Park. Five bedrooms,  three and a half baths, with glass walled kitchen, large deck and carriage porch: $879,000

What: A cool house and an interesting historic property. In 1922, a Baltimore social worker named Hortense Eliasberg established the Happy Hills Children’s Convalescent Home here, to care for “children recovering from illness or surgery.” Charging the rock bottom price of $1.28 a day (compared to Johns Hopkins at $4.25 a day), it was nevertheless highly-regarded medically, and operated here until the early Read More →

HOT HOUSE: 904 Bellemore Rd., Poplar Hill, Baltimore, 21210

Two-story stone house built in 1954, with six bedrooms and five baths, in North Roland Park. On .8  landscaped acres, with a 49 foot swimming pool and stone terrace: $795,000 (twice reduced)

What: A well-designed, Chicago Prairie-style house in good condition, nicely situated above the street and backing on the playing fields of Boy’s Latin School as well as the Jesuit House grounds. Impressive but not grand, the wow factor is supplied by a beautiful large pool, a rarity in Roland Park, nestled next to the house, with a bluestone surround and overlooked by a stone terrace. Interiors are sensible and well proportioned, with many high-quality details  — “random width peg installed hardwood flooring,” crown molding, wood-burning fireplaces and a library with custom shelving. The master bedroom has it’s own wing with en suite bathroom.  Bedrooms are fine, and generously supplied with closets.  Kitchen was built in the nineties and, like much of the house, it will want some cosmetic updating eventually.  It does have a wrap-around seating area in the bay window, which is very cozy.  Zoned a/c. Three car, heated garage. 

Where: Bellemore Road is a left turn off of Roland Avenue if you’re heading south towards Lake Avenue (there is a First Christian Church on the corner of Lake and Bellemore). 904 is on the right, with stone pillars leading up the drive to a large parking pad. It’s a pleasant mile-or-so walk down Roland Avenue to the schools and Eddie’s. Bellemore Road continues down the hill, and has access to Falls Road at the other end, with Whole Foods and Starbucks and all of Mount Washington nearby.

Why: You could live here a long time. The house is plenty large for a family, but not so rambling or hard-to-keep-up that you feel like you have to move when the last kid leaves home. Pretty neighborhood, lots of people walk around here. Great pool.

Would Suit: Kids from one to ninety-two, with tons of fun stuff to do – billiards room, rec room, swimming pool, fish pond, playing fields and popular sledding hill right next door.

NB: Pool may be a little scary for people with non-swimming toddlers. Not a real “neighborhood” feeling on Bellemore.  House is all front, no backyard to speak of, but still very private.

Hot House: 1022 Saint Georges Road, Baltimore, 21210

Storybook stone lodge/compound on 3.5 acres in North Roland Park: $2,195,000

What: Built in 1900, a Tudor style estate home, a hunting lodge in the city. Owned by recently deceased prominent attorney H. Morton “Mort” Rosen, who clearly loved to entertain. Formal living and dining rooms on the first floor are impressive — masculine but still warm-feeling, with a wood-paneled library, sun room and eat-in kitchen. Downstairs, a second catering kitchen and giant oak-paneled, timber-ceilinged great room, with huge fireplace and French doors out to the garden.  Awesome gathering space for big groups of family/friends. Five bedrooms, four full baths. Could use a little updating, mainly cosmetic, as the place has been scrupulously cared for. The grounds are landscaped and lovely, private and partly wooded.   Surprising that there’s no pool, although plenty of space for one.   

Where: at the end of a long private lane on St. Georges Road–one of  north Baltimore’s most beautiful streets.  Nice for walking, and good access to Roland Park amenities, private schools, post office, grocery and Starbucks. 

Why: One of a kind, extremely private home in the city. Masterful stonework outside and no-expense-spared details inside all done with great taste. 

Why not: House is a little dark, although views of the sunny, landscaped grounds are nice. 

Would suit: City lovers who need their own space. Don Corleone.