Ridgely’s Record

Ridgely’s Delight Association (RDA) community meeting canceled

The monthly meetings for July have been canceled. Check our website, and follow Ridgely’s Delight on Facebook for updates on future meetings.

July Street Sweeping Dates

Street sweeping has been canceled until further notice. If you’re able to help, please take a moment and clean in front of your house.
Trash is picked up every Wednesday.
Recycling pickup has been suspended until further notice.

Dumpster for community use

A dumpster for community use is scheduled for Saturday, July 11. It will be located in the 600 block of West Conway St., and should arrive sometime between 8 and 9am. It will be picked up approximately 4 hours later. Here’s a chance to remove large branches or debris from the neighborhood. Broken furniture, old rugs or a few things from your basement are fine. Please do not dispose of any building materials. No lumber, drywall, siding, roofing material, etc. Empty or dried up latex paint cans are ok, but not oil-based paint. No electronics or hazardous material. Thanks in advance for helping keep our neighborhood clean.

Curbside pickup is now available at the library

The Pratt Library is now offering Sidewalk Service, a contact-free way to check out and pick-up books and other materials from the Pratt Library. Sidewalk Service is by appointment only. Here’s how it works:

1. You can place a hold on a book or other material through the library’s catalog or by calling (410) 396-5430.
2. Schedule a pickup
3. Arrive at scheduled time and location, follow the signs to the area for Sidewalk Service. At most locations, this will be a table set up outside the branch.
4. When you’re done, all Sidewalk Service books and materials can be returned to the contact-free book drops available outside at all Pratt locations.

In addition to Sidewalk Service, you can also receive Pratt Library books by mail.

You deserve your just desserts

Hamden’s famous Charmery ice cream parlor has recently opened a store in Federal Hill at 42 East Cross Street, open 7 Days, 3 p.m. — 10 p.m.

Just around the corner from there is another great dessert option, Midnite Confections Cupcakery at 1051 South Charles Street, open Tuesday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday 12:00 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.

City recycling and bulk trash pickups have been temporarily suspended

As a precaution, some trash services were suspended in March to protect Department of Public Works employees. Additional services, including recycling pickup were suspended last month after several employees tested positive for COVID-19 and many others self-quarantined due to likely exposure.

Ridgelys residents can bring their recycling and large items to one the city drop-off centers that remain open. 

Sisson Street Citizen Drop-Off Center
located at 2840 Sisson Street
Monday —Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Quarantine Road Landfill
6100 Quarantine Road
Monday — Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Curbside Baltimore gift card program

Downtown Partnership has created a gift card program to help support Downtown restaurants and retailers. Purchase $20 or $30 gift cards to your favorite Downtown restaurants and retailers, and as a gift, Downtown Partnership will add in a $10 bonus to each one. Visit CurbsideBaltimore.com for more information.

Renovation reminders

All home improvement renovation work requires a Baltimore City permit. Additionally, Ridgely’s Delight is a historic neighborhood in a CHAP district and exterior work on your home requires CHAP approval prior to the start of any renovation. To review the guidelines, please visit chap.baltimorecity.gov. You may also contact the chair of the neighborhood architectural review committee with any renovation related questions: arc@ridgelysdelight.org.

Black lives matter to Ridgely’s Delight

The members of the Ridgely’s Delight Association, along with the rest of the world, have watched as millions have been marching for racial equality and important social, political, economic and legal change over the last several weeks. As perhaps one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, we understand that diversity is a source of strength for any community as long as all are treated equally, fairly and with respect and made to feel welcome and included. On behalf of our neighborhood and association, we want to take this opportunity to state our strong support for equality for all, especially in the areas of racial, social, economic, political and legal equality that are driving this protest.

The Ridgely’s Delight Association was established in the 1970s, during a period of enormous transition for the neighborhood, the city and the entire country.  At that time, we had many newcomers moving in while many families who had been here for generations remained.  It was important to the founders of our association to ensure that all who lived here were made to feel like an important part of the community. Out of that grew a vision of inclusion, respect and equality that lay at the core of our association’s bylaws and practices, a vision that actively welcomed and embraced all who live and work here and understood the enormous benefits that come from having a neighborhood like ours that is made up of people who have a wide diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

Today, as we watch so many of our fellow citizens speaking up and working for change, for true equality and for social, economic, political and legal justice, we are reminded of the core values that drove the neighborhood to create the Ridgely’s Delight Association.  And we want to affirm that the objectives of equality and inclusion that people are marching for are still at the very heart of our association and neighborhood. 

But, these protests have taught us all that, no matter what our vision of ourselves is, we need to constantly be taking stock of how well we actually live up to that vision.  And this is a moment to reflect on how we can ensure that we are true to the driving values of the founders of our association. And the truth is that we have not done enough to foster diversity, and that is a problem. 

We want to help make our community, our city, our nation and our world a more just and equal place for all. And we have some ideas.  But we also recognize that words are not enough, which is why we are asking you to support and help your community, especially those within the Black community, to attain these goals.

There is much we can do right now on the human level, neighbor to neighbor. Get to know your neighbors, it’s a little harder right now because of COVID-19, but say “hi” and introduce yourself and make everyone feel welcome. Reach out and become friends. 

And that is where the Ridgely’s Delight Association comes in again. Because of COVID-19, we have been unable to hold community meetings in recent months.  We are working to address that and begin safely holding meetings again in the near future. We want to take this opportunity to invite and encourage all members to become involved and attend meetings if you can. This will be an additional opportunity for neighbors to meet and get to know one another. 

And to become more inclusive, we need to hear from the widest-possible audience of neighbors about what they are thinking, needing and wanting. We hope you will be able to join us. And we need to hear from you about what can be done to make our association more inclusive and welcoming to all.

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