Would you move to a predonimantly Jewish area?

[Anonymous]

There is nothing happening in Pikesville--It's got to be one most boring, least child friendly places that I have encountered. My in-laws moved there about 10 years ago--it's awful.

I would consider living in Homewood or somewhere else in the city, near the reasonably affordable private schools.

[Anonymous]

here's some info from wikipedia:There were 12,747 households out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them.

Under 25% of households have kids--and that seems about right. The population skews very old or orthodox (which tends to be rather insular in their community.)

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Pikesville. My WHOLE family still lives there. I am Jewish, and my public high school was 96% Jewish when I graduated. The area is very Jewish, and there is an orthodox community, but most of it is secular. The Starbucks stocks Channukah stuff during the holidays with barely any Xmas stuff to be found. The Panera will serve you your sandwich on matzah during passover. But other than the little things like that, the community is not that different from other places that I have lived.

That being said, I would not move back, but mostly because Pikesville (and Baltimore) does not have many of the great things that the DC area has- Theatre scene, museums, great non-chain restaurants, employment opportunities, and so on. And the population in Pikesville is getting quite geriatric....most of the young families live in Owings Mills.

[Anonymous]

...and there are no public playgrounds there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Pikesville. My WHOLE family still lives there. I am Jewish, and my public high school was 96% Jewish when I graduated. The area is very Jewish, and there is an orthodox community, but most of it is secular. The Starbucks stocks Channukah stuff during the holidays with barely any Xmas stuff to be found. The Panera will serve you your sandwich on matzah during passover. But other than the little things like that, the community is not that different from other places that I have lived.

That being said, I would not move back, but mostly because Pikesville (and Baltimore) does not have many of the great things that the DC area has- Theatre scene, museums, great non-chain restaurants, employment opportunities, and so on. And the population in Pikesville is getting quite geriatric....most of the young families live in Owings Mills.

14:16 again. This is definitely true, but it still has a nice little hometown feel to it. And I do have several friends who have bought homes there recently, in their 30s, although not with kids. I dunno. I'm just fond of it myself.

[Anonymous]

There is nothing happening in Pikesville--It's got to be one most boring, least child friendly places that I have encountered. My in-laws moved there about 10 years ago--it's awful.

I would consider living in Homewood or somewhere else in the city, near the reasonably affordable private schools.

This. When I saw your post, I thought that the Jewishness would not be an issue, but I think of Pikesville as boring and suburban, so it will be hard to make friends. The Orthodox poster also has it right - if you don't keep kosher and understand and participate in Jewish life, it will be hard to make friends - lots of acquaintances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In an ideal world, no. I would hope for a neighborhood where I wasn't already automatically "other". Also, my middle-eastern husband has been treated badly by Jewish people, more so than by any other identifiable demographic, so I tend to be a little wary. However, if the location, the house, the price, the schools were all what I wanted, the jewishness (or baptistness, or blackness) wouldn't be a deal breaker, as the mean/racist Jews are in the minority.

14:16 here. Just curious, is your husband wary, or just you? Because mine survived two wars with Israel and has no qualms with Jewish people at all. (I couldn't have married him if he did.) His thoughts on the state of Israel -- that's a different matter -- but Jews and Muslims are much more alike than you'd think and my husband feels very comfortable here.

I am wary. He lived in France-- the second most racist country on the planet-- for years. He has thick skin. Me, not as much. Too naive, maybe.

He is not Muslim, by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In an ideal world, no. I would hope for a neighborhood where I wasn't already automatically "other". Also, my middle-eastern husband has been treated badly by Jewish people, more so than by any other identifiable demographic, so I tend to be a little wary. However, if the location, the house, the price, the schools were all what I wanted, the jewishness (or baptistness, or blackness) wouldn't be a deal breaker, as the mean/racist Jews are in the minority.

14:16 here. Just curious, is your husband wary, or just you? Because mine survived two wars with Israel and has no qualms with Jewish people at all. (I couldn't have married him if he did.) His thoughts on the state of Israel -- that's a different matter -- but Jews and Muslims are much more alike than you'd think and my husband feels very comfortable here.

I am wary. He lived in France-- the second most racist country on the planet-- for years. He has thick skin. Me, not as much. Too naive, maybe.

He is not Muslim, by the way.

My bad. I'm thinking of my husband's native country. I'm sorry to hear about what he's experienced. But the thick skin thing is relative -- I'd take a whole lot of abuse myself but would hate to see anyone try to bother my husband or anyone else I loved -- so I empathize.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would not recommend moving to Pikesville (I grew up there--family still there). It's not the Jewish factor though. It is not a very welcoming community for "outsiders". It does have a small town feel in many ways and most people have been there forever. Everyone seems to be connected in some way. In fact, there was a Homicide episode many years back where Richard Belzer's character made a comment referring to how nobody leaves Pikesville. Clearly, they do...but many go back. It's a tough town to make new friends in. The local elementary schools are decent, but the Pikesville MS and HS have declined quite a bit.

Just my two sense....

[Anonymous]

What does being blonde have to do with it? You do know that Jews come in blonde, don't you? And in redhead, and in we now appear in black skin too! Also in Asian!

[Anonymous]

I would not move to a mostly Jewish neighborhood. There are lovely homes in Kemp Mill, Silver Spring that are affordable, but I don't want to be an outsider. there are many Orthodox jews there. There are fewer Orthodox Jews in my neighborhood, and they never smile at me or wave at me when I sit on my front porch. I get the feeling they only are friends with each other. The only time I have talked to my Orthodox Jewish neighbor is when I was offering a free bike and he asked if he could have it. I have never seen him before or afterward. And a teenager down the block saw the parking sticker on my car for the local Jewish school and asked if I worked there. When I told her the sticker came with the car, that was the end of the conversation. I shop where my Orthodox neighbors shop and it is almost as if I am a ghost. They just see other Orthodox Jews. I don't know what Pikesville is like, but I would certainly hang out there as much as possible before buying to really get an idea of what living there is like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not move to a mostly Jewish neighborhood. There are lovely homes in Kemp Mill, Silver Spring that are affordable, but I don't want to be an outsider. there are many Orthodox jews there. There are fewer Orthodox Jews in my neighborhood, and they never smile at me or wave at me when I sit on my front porch. I get the feeling they only are friends with each other. The only time I have talked to my Orthodox Jewish neighbor is when I was offering a free bike and he asked if he could have it. I have never seen him before or afterward. And a teenager down the block saw the parking sticker on my car for the local Jewish school and asked if I worked there. When I told her the sticker came with the car, that was the end of the conversation. I shop where my Orthodox neighbors shop and it is almost as if I am a ghost. They just see other Orthodox Jews. I don't know what Pikesville is like, but I would certainly hang out there as much as possible before buying to really get an idea of what living there is like.

I am sorry you had that experience. I am the PP from the orthodox background/neighborhood.

DH is from Kemp Mill and we have many friends that live there now. Most of their friends (and DH's friends growing up) come from the jewish schools and synagogues. Thats not to say that they arent friendly with their non-jewish neighbors, I just dont think they have as much opportunity to interact with them. When we visit Kemp Mill, we are always friendly with all the kids on the playground - jewish or non-jewish. I grew up in a similar neighborhood outside the DC area. Neither DH nor I had a non-jewish friend until much later in life as all of our activities centered around school or synagogue social events. We werent opposed to it, nor were our parents, it just wasnt part of our lives. My parents had friends from other backgrounds but due to our socializing revolving around the Sabbath, we didnt see them nearly as much.

In college and grad school many of my closest friends were not jewish, but given the difference in lifestyle, its difficult to mesh socially on some levels.

[Anonymous]

PP here -

Thats not to justify being unfriendly to non-jewish neighbors. I think all neighbors should be friendly. Just offering some perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After spending 3 years in a temple preschool as a non-Jew, and married to a non-observant but very, very cultural Jew, and living on a street that's probably 85% Jewish ...

no, I would not. I would pick out a locale with more balance. It's hard to be the shiksa who doesn't give a toot about Kashrut when absolutely everyone else around you does and thinks you're lesser for your goyim ways.

As a non-Jew dating a Jewish only child/son, I was always the shiksa and his mother barely spoke to me. No, I would not move to a predominantly Jewish neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Jew here.

Some of my neighbors aren't particularly friendly to me. Some of our conversations don't really go anywhere.

It never occurred to me to blame it on their religion (Most aren't Jewish). Or to think...maybe I shouldn't have lived in a "non-Jewish" neighborhood. Or to think that other, different neighbors would be friendly just because they ARE Jewish.

If your neighbors aren't friendly, maybe they are having a bad day. Or maybe they aren't friendly people. Or maybe this place, Pikesville, is inclusive. I really don't have any idea.

And the notion that all Jews are Orthodox and Kashrut...please!