Did you know that Brooklyn Park has a book dedicated to it? In 1976, the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay Historical Committee published the "A History of Brooklyn-Curtis Bay," which details the history of the area and is dedicated to the people who live there -- past, present and future.
With an abundance of shopping areas and parks strewn throughout this census-designated place, Brooklyn Park is perfectly situated for people traveling along Interstates 695, 895 and 97 to take an exit and enjoy a day in the sun or picking out a new living room set. And while the area's population was in constant decline since 1970, the recent growth since the turn of the new millennium shows that people are once again choosing to call Brooklyn Park home.
Moving to Brooklyn Park
The common theme for many people living in Brooklyn Park for a few decades was moving away, but many have noticed that this has changed since the turn of the year 2000. It's really no mystery why. Anne Arundel County has actually made a valiant effort at revitalizing its communities, and a population increase of over 30 percent in the first decade of the new millennium shows that it may just be working. As with any area on the way up, though, you'll need to do a little planning if you hope to snag any of the rental homes in Brooklyn Park.
When to Start Looking
There's really not a shortage of apartment and home rentals in Brooklyn Park, but like we said, this is an area on the way up. That means that there are probably certain neighborhoods that you'd feel better about living in. If you don't start your research about two months in advance, you're likely not going to end up in the area you want to be in.
When to Make the Move
Though the summer months aren't too hellacious around here, they can push up to the 90 degrees mark. The big problem you might run into during the summer though, is the fact that tourists start showing up in Baltimore and countless other East Coast cities at this time of the year. Since Baltimore is only minutes away, you could end up catching traffic during the move. While it shouldn't be that bad, if you want to avoid any traffic, the colder months are the way to go.
What to Bring Along
This depends on where you want to live. If you're seeking out one-bedroom apartment for rent behind a heavily trafficked gas station in a bad neighborhood that's open 24 hours, you'll likely be able to get the place just by saying "Hey, I got money!" If you're looking for nicer surroundings however, at least bring along a reference from a former landlord and proof of income. A credit check would go even further, and this is especially the case if you're aiming for a high-end apartment.
Brooklyn Park Neighborhoods
Though the revitalization of Brooklyn Park is still a work in progress, it doesn't mean that the areas around the census-designated place don't already have little perks to living in them. After all, it's not as if stuff started showing up when the revitalization started. These neighborhoods have long had specific things to attract people to them, so stop being a Negative Nancy and check these places out.
Arundel Gardens: This community in southern Brooklyn Park has a host of awesome features. First off, you can get all of your shopping done at Ritchie Highway Shopping Center. Additionally, there are a host of other businesses along Governor Ritchie Highway; and since the bus route runs right along the highway, you've got great transit opportunities.
East Brooklyn Park: Since Arundel Plaza Village Shopping Center is located here, there's also shopping options in eastern Brooklyn Park. If you'd like to avoid the hustle and bustle of shopping centers though, head over to Arundel Village Park.
West Brooklyn Park: The western area of Brooklyn Park is actually home to, wait for it...Brooklyn Park. The actual park, that is. The area is densely populated, and if you're lucky, you might be close enough to the South West Area Park model air flying field to see fake airplanes ripping through the sky from your rental apartments.
Living in Brooklyn Park
The neighborhood areas around Brooklyn Park all have great little perks to living in them, but the efforts made through the revitalization movement and the inherent features of the area are what really drives it home for most people. Seriously, look at all the great things you'll have access to by living here and then tell us it's not pretty cool. Go ahead...do it.
Interstates 97, 695, 895, and 195 all either go through, go around, or are nearby Brooklyn Park. With both Baltimore and the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport only minutes away, you can literally get anywhere once you find an apartment to rent.
You're essentially in Baltimore's backyard, and the capital city of Annapolis is only half an hour away. If you can't find exciting nightlife and great daily activities with these two cities around, maybe you're not as exciting as we thought!
The B&O Railroad Museum is only a few minutes away from Brooklyn Park. We're not sure whether this is a reference to the game Monopoly or not, but finding out has got to be half of the fun.
Most places have cultural destinations where you can watch art and culture in motion. The Chesapeake Arts Center though, actually immerses you in it. Seriously, you can learn arts of all types. You've got to have a creative side hidden in there somewhere!
