![]() Inspired by her enthusiasm, people latched on to her vision, first through financial contributions, then by coming out to plant trees, paint the playground and rejuvenate the park. She and her small group of supporters successfully raised the $15,000 required to redesign the space. Nelson began by collecting money door-to-door, selling pies and cupcakes at the local Credit Union, and calling on anyone she could to help with the project. ![]() In Pigtown, people came together to make a difference. That’s when I began to work on the playground, on the Pigtown Tot Lot.” “From that very day I said I will not live here all my life and see an eyesore like this. When she moved in, the park was nothing but weeds. Edith, the 76-year-old has lived in Pigtown since 1989, across the street from the Tot Lot. Affectionately referred to by her community as Ms. One name you likely haven’t heard is Edith Nelson. When you hear Baltimore, you may think of Freddie Gray or even the fictitious Omar Little from The Wire. In Pigtown, kids who grew up playing at the Tot Lot have gone on to become drug dealers on the park corner. Abandoned homes, poor neighborhood lighting, and a lack of community spaces are just a few of the contributing factors. The city of just over 600,000 has one of the highest homicide rates in the United States. ![]() Nicknamed ‘Charm City’, Baltimore’s beautiful row houses, Inner Harbor, and historical attractions have been overshadowed by its drug culture and rampant crime. To many, the Tot Lot is anything but inviting. ![]() The brightly colored jungle gym is surrounded by an iridescent wall, and would never allude to the ominous ambiance: just under a year ago, four people were injured in a shootout next to the park. This Tot Lot was one of four projects chosen by one of the community problem-solving teams during the latest Baltimore SafeGrowth course (another project appeared in this blog earlier). At the corner of Carroll and Archer Streets in Southwest Baltimore sits the Pigtown Tot Lot, a park complete with a playground and plenty of space for a community gathering. ![]()
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