Baltimore's Little Italy is a neighborhood that is dear to many of my fellow Baltimoreans. We're very fortunate to have a real deal generations old immigrant neighborhood in the heart of our downtown corridor. Family owned Italian restaurants are on nearly every corner. Real estate is often sold by word of mouth. Benvenuti alla Piccola Italia.
Ahh, Sabatino's Resturant on the corner of Fawn and S. High St - my sisters favorite restaurant in all of Baltimore. This place is a landmark and an institution of red-sauce Italian cuisine. You will be served abundant portions by waitresses in old-school uniforms. It feels like coming home (well at least to anyone that has an Italian mother like me). The food is delicious, unchanged over time. Sabatino's is an especially good late night dining, most nights of the week it is open until midnight and on Friday and Saturday it stays open until 3am.
Osteria da Amedeo, a corner wine bar on S. Exeter St
Currently there are two properties for sale on / near S. Exeter St; one is a rowhouse listed for $229,900. It is a property that was foreclosed and now being managed by a company in Texas. At the time of this post it has been on the market for 105 days and has been reduced $30,000 since it first hit the market. The 4 bedroom 1.5 bath residence is tidy albeit uninspired on the interior - lots of fresh drywall, beige carpeting and Home Depot grade finishes. The price is right as the average property in this neighborhood sold in the last year traded around $238,000.
The second property for sale on Exeter St is under contract contingent on appraisal. It was initially offered at $350,000 and then reduced to $325,000. It is a two unit property that has more of an open plan design. Exposed brick, concrete counter-tops, and multiple decks make it an enticing option. The seller is also offering "one year of off-site parking in a nearby garage".
Friday night in Baltimore's Little Italy outside of Caesar's Den Restaurant
In the 1980's there was less competition in the downtown Baltimore corridor as far as dining destinations. Little Italy was a place you'd see mover and shakers on date night. Some of the most glamorous restaurants from that era have closed. Nowadays Baltimore's Little Italy has some serious competition coming from the Harbor East neighborhood to the south. The future of Little Italy is uncertain, and there has been some unflattering press recently in the Baltimore Sun - click here to read the article. Even better, you may elect to skip the negative press and read Rafael Alvarez's beautiful article about The Ravioli Queen of Baltimore.
Personally I don't buy into the naysayers theories. I know this is a gem of a neighborhood, worthy of my clients consideration. Where else in Baltimore will you find bocce courts, Italian festivals, and the Sons of Italy lodge? Sure it could use some contemporary updates, but the history must be respected. This neighborhood survived the great Baltimore fire of 1903, the riots of the 1960's, and the drug trade that devastated huge swaths of Baltimore in the 1990's.
Cinema al Fresco in Baltimore's Little Italy
Inspired by a trip to Sicily where you can see open air cinema, a prominent Little Italy resident was inspired to create some of the same magic in the heart of her neighborhood. Friday nights July through August you can see great movies over Da Mimmo's parking lot.
Folks awaiting Cinema al Fresco in Baltimore's Little Italy
Arguably, it may be the perfect time to invest in Baltimore's Little Italy - why wait until it comes fully back in fashion? This neighborhood is walking distance from the Inner Harbor, Harbor East, and Fells Point i.e. its got location, location, location.
Get to know Baltimore's Little Italy. I'll be glad to meet you here for a cappuccino and cannoli to discuss the real estate offerings.
Did you know Baltimore also has a historic Chinatown?
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