Yale Heights (Baltimore)
Encyclopedia
Yale Heights is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Beechfield
(west) and Irvington
(east). Most of its homes were built in 1955 as a development of two-bedroom, brick townhouses. Its population in 2008 was estimated at 2,916.
The community's boundary with the Beechfield neighborhood runs along South Beechfield Avenue from South College Road (south) to Frederick Avenue (north). Its boundary with Irvington follows Maiden Choice Run from Frederick Avenue (north) to Loudon Park Cemetery
(south).
to Gwynns Falls
, flows along the boundary between Yale Heights and Loudon Park as well as the Irvington boundary. In 2008, the stream
was selected for a $1.4 million urban stream restoration
project as part of efforts to improve the water quality
of Chesapeake Bay
tributaries.
Continuing efforts to improve water quality of the Gwynns Falls watershed resulted in a $1.6 million restoration project for Maiden Choice Run in December 2009. This project involved planting 140 trees and thousands of native plants along 2,700 feet of the stream near Beechfield Elementary School. A storm drain in this section of the stream was removed to stabilize the natural flow of water.
.
Passenger service on the Catonsville Short Line became unprofitable when the electric trolley began service along Frederick Road in 1897 and was discontinued by the railroad in 1898. Hudson Realty Company purchased the rail line in 1945, changing the name to Caton & Loudon Railway. From this point, the rail line's freight business steadily declined as the highway system was developed throughout the area. The last carload traveled along the line in April 1972. It was officially abandoned by Penn Central on July 28, 1973.
A plan in the 1970s to develop the former Catonsville Short Line into a hiking trail never got past the concept stage; the route's right-of-way was forgotten and allowed to grow wild. The portion of the rail line passing through Yale Heights, between the point where it exits Loudon Park to the Beechfield Avenue crossing, became overgrown with a thicket of trees. The crossing was paved over, but portions of the rails remain visible on each side, protruding slightly through the soil and grass.
The wooded area between Loudon Park Cemetery and the houses along Yale Avenue is known unofficially as the "Catonsville Short Line park". The southern portion of the "park" is part of the former railroad right-of-way; the northern portion of the wooded area grows along the banks of the Maiden Choice Run.
and Catonsville
. The bus serves stops along Yale Avenue from Frederick Avenue in Irvington to Cedar Garden Road in Yale Heights. From Cedar Garden Road, the bus turns North onto Beechfield Avenue, as it returns to Frederick Avenue from its loop through Yale Heights.
Quickbus Route 46
stops at Yale Avenue and Eldona Avenue in Yale Heights as it travels between the Paradise Avenue Loop and the Cedonia Loop. It provides service only on weekdays, from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The UMBC shuttle bus makes three stops in Yale Heights.
Beechfield, Baltimore
Beechfield is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Yale Heights and the Baltimore County line . Its population in 2008 was estimated at 3,789....
(west) and Irvington
Irvington (Baltimore)
Irvington is a neighborhood in the Southwest District of Baltimore, located between Yale Heights neighborhood to the west and the Gwynns Falls neighborhood to the east.More than 50 percent of the homes in Irvington were built before 1950...
(east). Most of its homes were built in 1955 as a development of two-bedroom, brick townhouses. Its population in 2008 was estimated at 2,916.
The community's boundary with the Beechfield neighborhood runs along South Beechfield Avenue from South College Road (south) to Frederick Avenue (north). Its boundary with Irvington follows Maiden Choice Run from Frederick Avenue (north) to Loudon Park Cemetery
Loudon Park Cemetery
Loudon Park Cemetery a subsidiary of Stewart Enterprises, Inc., the second largest operator of funeral homes and cemeteries in the United States, is a cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. It was incorporated in 1853 on the site of the "Loudon" estate, previously owned by a local merchant and politician...
(south).
Maiden Choice Run
Maiden Choice Run, a small tributaryTributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
to Gwynns Falls
Gwynns Falls
Gwynns Falls is a stream located in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, Maryland. The headwaters are located in Reisterstown in Baltimore County, and the stream flows southeast, entering the city of Baltimore and emptying into the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. The Patapsco drains into the...
, flows along the boundary between Yale Heights and Loudon Park as well as the Irvington boundary. In 2008, the stream
Urban stream
An urban stream is a formerly natural waterway that flows through a heavily populated area. Urban streams are often significantly polluted, due to urban runoff and combined sewer outflows....
was selected for a $1.4 million urban stream restoration
Stream restoration
Stream restoration or river restoration, sometimes called river reclamation in the UK, describes a set of activities that help improve the environmental health of a river or stream. Improved health may be indicated by expanded habitat for diverse species and reduced stream bank erosion...
project as part of efforts to improve the water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
of Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
tributaries.
Continuing efforts to improve water quality of the Gwynns Falls watershed resulted in a $1.6 million restoration project for Maiden Choice Run in December 2009. This project involved planting 140 trees and thousands of native plants along 2,700 feet of the stream near Beechfield Elementary School. A storm drain in this section of the stream was removed to stabilize the natural flow of water.
Catonsville Short Line Railroad
Although the train made no stops in Yale Heights, the Catonsville Short Line Railroad passed through the southern end of the neighborhood before crossing Beechfield Avenue. The 3.5 mile, single-track line of the Catonsville Short Line Rail Road Company began operating on November 10, 1884. It provided passenger and freight service from Baltimore & Potomac Railroad at St. Agnes station (near St. Agnes Hospital to Mellor Avenue in CatonsvilleCatonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
.
Passenger service on the Catonsville Short Line became unprofitable when the electric trolley began service along Frederick Road in 1897 and was discontinued by the railroad in 1898. Hudson Realty Company purchased the rail line in 1945, changing the name to Caton & Loudon Railway. From this point, the rail line's freight business steadily declined as the highway system was developed throughout the area. The last carload traveled along the line in April 1972. It was officially abandoned by Penn Central on July 28, 1973.
A plan in the 1970s to develop the former Catonsville Short Line into a hiking trail never got past the concept stage; the route's right-of-way was forgotten and allowed to grow wild. The portion of the rail line passing through Yale Heights, between the point where it exits Loudon Park to the Beechfield Avenue crossing, became overgrown with a thicket of trees. The crossing was paved over, but portions of the rails remain visible on each side, protruding slightly through the soil and grass.
The wooded area between Loudon Park Cemetery and the houses along Yale Avenue is known unofficially as the "Catonsville Short Line park". The southern portion of the "park" is part of the former railroad right-of-way; the northern portion of the wooded area grows along the banks of the Maiden Choice Run.
Public transportation
Route 10 (MTA Maryland) passes through Yale Heights as it travels between DundalkDundalk, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,306 people, 24,772 households, and 16,968 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,689.5 people per square mile . There were 26,385 housing units at an average density of 1,985.9 per square mile...
and Catonsville
Catonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
. The bus serves stops along Yale Avenue from Frederick Avenue in Irvington to Cedar Garden Road in Yale Heights. From Cedar Garden Road, the bus turns North onto Beechfield Avenue, as it returns to Frederick Avenue from its loop through Yale Heights.
Quickbus Route 46
Route 46 (MTA Maryland)
Route 46 is a limited stop bus route, identified as a "Quickbus", operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in Baltimore. The line currently runs from the Cedonia Loop in Northeast Baltimore to the Paradise Loop, in Catonsville. Service operates every 15 minutes during rush hour only...
stops at Yale Avenue and Eldona Avenue in Yale Heights as it travels between the Paradise Avenue Loop and the Cedonia Loop. It provides service only on weekdays, from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The UMBC shuttle bus makes three stops in Yale Heights.
External links
- Baltimore City iMap. Interactive maps of Baltimore neighborhoods.
- Gwynns Falls watershed history and map. Includes Maiden Choice Run.