On Sept. 10, 47 university and health system employees reserved not-yet-built or under-construction townhouses in Eager Park, a new East Baltimore neighborhood. The buyers were lured by one-day-only grants of $36,000 from Live Near Your Work, a Johns Hopkins program that helps employees buy homes in Baltimore. Additional incentives for the one-car-garage townhouses, which start at $270,000, came from Baltimore City and Ryan Homes lender NVR Mortgage.

The homes are part of a revitalization project that began in 2003 when The Johns Hopkins University and other public and private partners created the nonprofit East Baltimore Development Initiative. The 88-acre community already features a K–8 grade school, offices, businesses, restaurants, a high-tech incubator, graduate student housing and Johns Hopkins research facilities. Coming soon: a Marriott hotel, 5.5-acre park and a community of people putting down roots in Baltimore.  

Peggy and Jordan Billingsley

Peggy is an assistant research scientist in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

The newlyweds currently rent in Charles Village. “It’s our dream to own a house and finally call Baltimore our home,” says Peggy. “This seems like a good opportunity to get into an up-and-coming neighborhood.”

Sisters Shannon and Sheena Seopaul

Shannon is a program coordinator in the school of nursing.

Shannon Seopaul, left, is moving from an Upper Fell’s Point rental. “There’s no way I could have afforded a house like this on my own,” she says. “And I know the city is where I want to be.”

Terrence Woods, Chimere Walden and their daughter, Camryn Woods

Terrence is a senior financial analyst with the Johns Hopkins Health System.

Woods, who is moving from an Owings Mills rental, chose a rehabilitation. “They knocked down everything but the foundation and rebuilt,” he says.