Residents mixed on Baltimore's charms

Baltimore is a dirty city with few good jobs. But its also a green city whose residents love their neighborhoods, public parks and libraries. Their biggest worry is crime, but they consider their own blocks quite safe.

Those are among the sometimes-contradictory feelings to emerge when 1,812 Baltimoreans were asked about their city. Mayor Sheila Dixon, who commissioned the $60,000 survey by the Schaefer Center for Public Policy, said it is the first of its kind for the city and would help her determine where to focus her attentions - and budgetary dollars.

Other findings: City residents think the Fire Department does a better job than the Police Department. Few see high taxes as a major concern. Most would tell a friend to live here.

And: Drugs, homelessness, property crime and vacant buildings are major citywide problems, but the vast majority of residents say that their own neighborhood is safe.

What works in Baltimore? Parking. There is plenty of it, residents say. What doesn't work? Rat control.

The mayor said the findings of the survey, which was paid for with general city funds, reinforce much of her agenda of pushing for a cleaner, greener and safer Baltimore.

"These are all issues we are working on," she said. "There are areas I think we came out fairly well in, and there are some where we need some improvement."

In one of the more striking findings, 93 percent of those questioned said that they feel safe or very safe in their neighborhoods during the day, but most also listed public safety as their biggest concern, and most who plan on leaving the city said crime is too high.

"They don't want us to lose sight that public safety still has to be a priority in the city," Dixon said.

The mayor noted that violent crime is down in the city - by 7 percent - and blamed news reports for creating what she views as an inaccurate perception of the problem. "Of course, the great media helps us to keep reminding people that we have a serious problem, when overall we've reduced crime in all areas," Dixon said.

Compared with other cities, though, Baltimore remains a violent place, ranking as the second-most murderous city last year despite deep reductions in killings.

Jobs are another problem - 70 percent of those polled said the availability of work was either "fair" or "poor."

But that finding didn't ring true for Edward Dennis, 38, who lives in Edmondson Village and spoke to a reporter while shopping at Lexington Market yesterday. He works three jobs and said all of his employers are hiring.

"There are jobs," he said, noting that some of the stalls in the market were looking for help. "A lot of people just don't want [a] Lexington Market job," he added.

Most of those polled - 78 percent - view homelessness as a significant problem, and it is one that Dixon has vowed to end within a decade. Despite budget cuts, she pushed successfully for a new $9 million homeless shelter that is under construction.

Many found the city to be filthy, with 72 percent rating cleanliness as "fair" or "poor." The appearance of the city has long been a top concern, and Dixon says residents agree with her calls for more cleaning. Amid budget woes, she has reduced trash pickup, but increased recycling, and also launched a program in which workers are sent to clean up alleys.

Though the Fire Department got the highest marks of all city services, Dixon said she does not regret deep cuts to its budget this year. She acknowledged that there are "some struggles and issues" with rotating closures of fire companies. But she concluded that "people felt that fire protection was very important and we were providing a quality service."

The mayor was displeased with attitudes toward recreation activities - 66 percent of those surveyed reported, for example, that they never visit parks or visit only occasionally.

"We have the best parks in the state, and we've got to get people who feel safe in coming into the parks and increasing activities and using them," she said.

But most respondents - 53 percent - said they believe their neighborhoods have "good" or "excellent" green space.

Those who use the parks say they love them - with large numbers of users calling them clean, safe and convenient. The most common reason for not using a park: concerns over safety.

The city's libraries appear to one of its best-kept secrets. Seventy percent of the respondents said they used them occasionally or never. But among those who do use them, 94 percent praised the staff.

"That is something that we have to market more," Dixon said. She believes, though, that the economic downturn will continue to draw residents to libraries, where they can use free Internet services to hunt for jobs.

Residents viewed the city's swimming pools as the least important service, which could give Dixon some cover to cut them further as she makes deep reductions in next year's budget. Last budget season, she shut some of the city's pools.

Only 6 percent said taxes are a problem, though Baltimore has the highest property tax rate in the state. White respondents were slightly more sensitive to the issue, with 9 percent saying taxes "need improving" compared with 2 percent of African-American residents who said that.

Dixon said she believes the issue is low on the list of concerns because her administration has not discussed raising taxes.

"I think that people realize for the quality of service they are getting, what they are paying is fair," she said.

Shopping trends revealed that most - 46 percent - leave the city when they want to buy consumer goods. Less than 1 percent said they shop online. Dixon wants more stores to open and pointed to her efforts lobbying retailers such as Filene's Basement to stay in the city.

Grocery stores, though, appear to be available, with 78 percent saying they live near a "well-stocked" grocery store.

Though the survey reflected uneven attitudes about the city, most residents said they would recommend the city to a friend.

"I'm used to Baltimore," said Edward Dennis. "I was born and raised here."