Loch Raven Village / Knettishall in Towson, Baltimore County.

In Bel Air the neighborhoods of Majors choice, or harford woods, or shamrock (the area bounded by route 22 on the south and east, hickory avenue on the west, and lee way on the north). Great starter homes less than a half mile from Main Street, mostly brick ranchers and some duplexes.

Baltimore City - Windsor Hills

Brewer's Hill

Baltimore City/County line: Kensington. Designed as a trolley neighborhood in the early 1920s, bounded by Wilkens Avenue, Beechfield and Our Lady of Victory school grounds.

+1 for Hamilton. With the additions of Clementine and Hamilton Tavern to eat, and new shops like the Heart of Hamilton, it is moving in the right direction.

ah, yes... the hidden gem that is brooklyn park.

Hi there, adam -- is that sarcasm or a nomination? (I hate to assume.) Brooklyn Park isn't on the list, in any case. Brooklyn is -- that's in the city. Brooklyn Park is in Anne Arundel County.

Brewer's Hill has attractive residential streets, prevalent parking, proximity to popular Canton, and you can buy a garage townhome in move-in condition for $230K. (I know ... I have one listed for sale.) The 1-mile commute to the Hopkins main or Bayview campuses doesn't hurt, either.

I think Constant Friendship II, built around 2003, is a hidden gem in Harford County. Easy access to major retail services and I-95, as well as within walking distance of pristine, natural, Winter's Run.

Union Square/Hollins Market
An area that had rightfully earned a bad rap, but is getting better and better each day.

Brewers Hill is a great hidden gem. I lived there for a couple of years and had great neighbors and plenty of parking. You can also walk to canton square and tons of other restaurants.

Brewer's Hill is a gem of a neighborhood. We have all the fun of Canton, but non of the parking headaches or intoxicated frat boys.

Coldspring Newtown: just off 83 and Coldspring to convenient to everything; low crime; great pool; cool architecture; great neighbors (lots of Hopkins people and Sinai staff); in the fabulous Mt. Washington Elementary/Roland Park Middle School zone.

Jamie,

What is wrong with Brooklyn or Brooklyn Park? I hear the area of Cherry Hill is a wonderful place. (sarcasm off)

-Kevin

Mayfield is a superfine neighborhood. Beautiful Homes, lakeside setting, close to downtown, cool restaurants nearby.....don't miss it!

I'd nominate Washington Hill, the neighborhood immediately south of Johns Hopkins Hospital, which has been a stable, well-kept neighborhood for many years.

Brewer's Hill is a great neighborhood. I bought a home in the neighborhood 7 years ago when I could not afford the prices in Canton. Best decision I ever made, this neighborhood is fantastic!

Owings Mills New Town is great!
Metro access, low crime, close to great shopping, convenient to 695/95, not too far from the airport.

I hate to be a party pooper, but how do Lutherville and Perry Hall qualify for "being under $250K"? Both the average and the median sale prices in those areas are over that threshold. Yes, there are occasional homes that sell for less, but I would think that in itself should not be enough to qualify.

I'm sure there are at least several nominated neighborhoods that don't qualify based on price, John. I'll be doing a price check.

Jamie:
The Residences at Bulle Rock is right above your price point in Havre de Grace, however, we have attracted many visitors from Ft. Monmouth and other BRAC relos.

Abell Neighborhood (in NE Charles Village)

Before prices dropped the Abell neighborhood was probably at or over $250K but Zillow seems to think we've dropped below that now.

Either way it's a great neighborhood, with iconic porches, small front and back yards, a pocket park with swings, small kids, and a summer movie series, walking distance to at least two grocery stores and a half-dozen restaurants, very friendly neighbors, and the best farmer's market in the City (IMHO).

http://abellimprovement.org/

jamie,

When will you be doing an article about the hidden gems? Be sure to give some Harford County places a chance. Thanks! Keep up the great work on here, its a cool source of info.

Hi, Mike -- I never thought it'd take this long, that's for certain, and it's going to be even longer. ETA is now November, for various reasons that I'll explain once we get there.

I'm glad you're interested! And don't worry, I'm looking at every Baltimore-area jurisdiction.

How about Arbutus? Really reasonable housing prices, close to downtown, good access to mass transit, decent sized lots and homes, a downtown you can walk to with restaurants, grocery store and a movie theater, good sports programs for kids, and schools that are improving!

Hi, Tracey -- thanks for the nomination, but this is an old post. Last call was in August. I'll be revealing the hidden-gem neighborhoods next month.

Stay tuned.