Charles Village

The University of Chicago's efforts to revitalize the neighborhood surrounding its campus suggests a similar opportunity is available for the Baltimore City neighborhood of Charles Village. As recently reported elsewhere, the University of Chicago has made a $250 million investment in the neighborhoods surrounding the Hyde Park campus. The plan includes the renovation of retail properties and the redevelopment of unused buildings into commercial spaces like a movie theater, shops and office space.

The city's spending panel approved an $18 million loan agreement on Wednesday to turn hundreds of vacant houses and lots in North and East Baltimore into new and rehabbed homes. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the development will breathe new life into the neighborhoods of Barclay, Midway and Old Goucher "after years of neglect. " City housing officials chose Telesis Corp. in 2006 to build about 325 rental units and owner-occupied homes in neighborhoods between Charles Village and Station North.

Terrance Gough bought a king-size mattress, unpacked his clothes and arranged the bedroom in his uncle's Southwest Baltimore home just the way he liked it. The 26-year-old never got a chance to sleep in the bed, however: he was gunned down the next afternoon at an intersection around the corner, one of 11 people added to the city's growing list of homicide victims over the past nine days. "That was the first night he was going to stay here," said Gough's uncle, Andre Foote, 44. "He was shot twice, once in the heart, once in the lung.

A police investigation into how the body of a Charles Village woman ended up badly decomposed in a neighbor's apartment this month will continue after a state medical examiner was unable to determine a cause of death, according to Baltimore police. The body of Kristie Hufnagel, 41, was found July 21 in an apartment at 123 W. 29th Street, after police entered the apartment following the arrest of its lease holder, Marvin White, 67, on drug charges, said Anthony Guglielmi, a police spokesman.

The body of a woman found in a Charles Village apartment Saturday was so decomposed that police have been unable to confirm an identity or determine whether there was foul play involved, Baltimore police said Sunday. According to Detective Donny Moses, a police spokesman, the body was found Saturday afternoon at 123 W. 29th St., on the edge of the Charles Village neighborhood just south of the Johns Hopkins University campus. That address is for the Wyman House, a mixed-income building of 168 efficiency and one-bedroom apartments that is owned by the Housing Authority of Baltimore City.

Charles Village Pub is all grown up — mostly. Before the January 2011 fire that destroyed its building, Charles Village Pub in Towson drew a local lunch crowd, but it was mostly known as a bar for college kids. It was a fun place for after-school beers. CVP is still a good place for drinks. But these days, thanks to a newly rebuilt interior and revamped menu that puts a local spin on traditional bar food, it's a nice place for a meal, too. After the fire, the building had to be completely reconstructed.

Each spring my enthusiasm for Baltimore neighborhood house and garden tours outpaces my ability to walk them all. I recently visited Reservoir Hill and Charles Village, but missed Dickeyville and Butcher's Hill. Maybe next year. Tours that emphasize spring gardens invariably involve a turn through a city back alley. I learned to love these much-maligned city thoroughfares as a child, when my mother, never an enthusiastic auto driver, used sturdy steel and wicker baby carriages to navigate behind-the-scenes Baltimore.

When the Charles Village Pub and Patio, a staple for Towson students since 1985, was destroyed in January 2011 after a kitchen fire, its patrons mourned the loss as if it were a rock god who had tragically died too soon. An outpouring of concern and memories came through Facebook messages, phone calls and voice mails. There was even a memorial in front of the wreckage that included carnations and, of course, plastic shot glasses. CVP was a Towson institution - one frequented by middle-age regulars and college kids alike - and its loss, albeit temporary, was keenly felt.

Word got out on area blogs over the weekend, and it's true. The Donna's on Snowden River Parkway in Columbia closed Sunday after a 10-year run. “It's been tough,” onwer Alan Hirsch said about the closing. ““It was a great experience. Our customers became our friends. We had a decent business there but just not enough for us to commit to another 10-year lease.” Hirsch said that business continues to be excellent at the Donna's locations in Charles Village and Cross Keys.

Update April 17 : CVP has set the official opening date as April 23, after a week or so in soft mode, reports Explore Baltimore County . That's a month later than co-owner Rick Bielski had anticipated in early March, when he last spoke out about the reconstruction's progress. Towson's Charles Village Pub, closed for over year after a devastating fire, expects to re-open by month's end, owner Rick Bielski said Tuesday. The pub, a favorite of Towson residents and college students, was struck by a catastrophic, two-alarm fire January 2011 that required some 100 firefighters to put out. Reconstruction started last summer, but was delayed by weather complications.