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Belair-Edison, Baltimore facts for kids

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Belair-Edison
Neighborhood of Baltimore
Rowhouses on Parkside Drive
Rowhouses on Parkside Drive
Country United States
State Maryland
City Baltimore
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) EDT
ZIP code
21213
Area code 410, 443, and 667

Belair-Edison is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is located near Harford and Bel Air Roads, just above Sinclair Lane. On its eastern and northern sides, it is bordered by Herring Run Park. This area is mostly residential, meaning it has many houses. The homes here vary, from those for middle-class families to those for lower-income families.

Exploring Belair-Edison's Past

Belair-Edison has a rich history, showing how neighborhoods can change over time. It was once a community where many white middle-class and working-class families lived.

How the Neighborhood Changed

Over the years, many white residents moved away from Belair-Edison. This happened partly because jobs at big companies like General Motors and Bethlehem Steel became harder to find. Another reason was a process called white flight. This term describes when many white families move from city neighborhoods to the suburbs.

Understanding White Flight

White flight was made worse by something called blockbusting. This was a tricky practice where real estate agents would try to scare white homeowners into selling their houses cheaply. They would tell them that African-American families were moving into the area, which would lower property values. Then, these agents would sell the houses at much higher prices to African-American families. This practice caused a lot of stress and change in many neighborhoods.

A New Community Emerges

By the 1990s, the neighborhood had changed a lot. It went from having mostly white residents to having mostly African-American residents. This shift created a new and vibrant community in Belair-Edison.

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