Brooklyn Park, MD

Comprised of several smaller neighborhoods, the Brooklyn Park census designated place includes Old Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Heights, Arundel Village, Roland Terrace, Arundel Gardens and Pumphrey. Brooklyn Park expanded southward as development from the Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn grew toward Curtis Bay.

A large Polish-American community exists within Curtis Bay and Brooklyn Park. In 1925 the United Polish Societies purchased the Curtis Bay meeting hall and renamed the building Polish Home Hall. To this day it remains an important central hub for social, educational and political activities to the surrounding area.

Looking for a little education with your entertainment? The National Electronics Museum, on Nursery Road west of Brooklyn Park in Linthicum Heights, provides visitors with engaging and interactive exhibits outlining the history of defense radars and satellites. Admission costs $5 for adults and $3 for children and students. Kids under 5 years old are free.

Residents in need of a quick bite to eat have their pick of chain restaurants and fast-food locations along Governor Ritchie Highway and Patapsco Avenue. Head south past Interstate 695 to find a hub of authentic international restaurants and electric nightlife shared between the residents of Brooklyn Park, Ferndale and Glen Burnie.

Located on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Willy's Kitchen serves patrons farm-fresh and locally produced foods, including locally roasted coffee and all-natural bread baked at Uptown Bakers. From the cozy interior to warm and fluffy pancakes made from scratch, Willy's Kitchen makes its customers feel at home. Meatloaf lovers should not miss out on the homemade meatloaf.

Little India Cafe on Ordnance Road provides the Glen Burnie and Brooklyn Park areas with some of the most flavorfully spiced Indian and Pakistani dishes in the Baltimore area. Order a side of garlic naan with the saffron-flavored lamb roganjosh for a tender meal with a bit of heat. Rice and dessert come complimentary, and if you're looking to save a little cash, the lunch buffet makes for a great and filling $10 treat.

El Salto off of Ritchie Highway treats its customers to freshly made salsa and strong margaritas, making it the ideal authentic Mexican restaurant. Locals favor the El Salto tacos for their surprising heat. Plan to wait if you drop by in the afternoon, as seating fills up quickly during the weekday lunch rush.

Exemplifying the local flavor of Brooklyn Park, Tropic Thunder Bar & Grill provides residents of the area with a place to unwind after a long day's work. Bring some friends out to dance the night away, play a round of pool or take advantage of the full bar service while you get to know the regulars.

Interstates 895 and 695 outline Brooklyn Park, and Route 2 runs north and south through the district's center, providing easy access into and out of Baltimore. In addition to services like Uber and Lyft, Baltimore taxi cab companies ferry Brooklyn Park residents to and from the city. Hailing a cab can prove difficult, so call ahead if you know you'll need one. The Maryland Transit Administration services bus stops all along Ritchie Highway, Patapsco Avenue and Pennington Avenue, providing a relatively quick and viable commute into the city.

Public parking is freely available along many of Brooklyn Park's major roads, though the roads lack designated biking lanes, relegating cyclists to side streets. Due to its reliance on major throughways, Brooklyn Park requires residents to make use of the bus or a car to get around.

The Arundel Village Park central to the area provides a natural escape where Brooklyn Park locals come for a breath of fresh air. Bring your dog along on-leash to walk through the tree-lined paved trail, or pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at the pavilion while you watch the kids play in the park's expansive fields or on the basketball court.

Open for the beginning of May each year, the Sowebo Arts and Music festival takes place on the corner of Arlington and Hollins Street in Baltimore's Hollins Market neighborhood. This free to the public festival features three stages of live local musicians, interactive children's events and an array of local vendors. Bringing together the greater community for over 30 years, the Sowebo Arts and Music festival makes for a delightful weekend event with the family.

Brooklyn Park's cost of living averages 9 percent greater than the Baltimore average. A month's rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the surrounding area costs an average of $800. A day-pass allowing access to the MTA's bus and metro subways costs $3.50. A pint of beer costs around $5 at local pubs, and gas prices hang around 6 percent above that of the national average.

Ritchie Highway, Pennington Avenue and Patapsco Avenue all contain a number of popular chains, convenience stores and specialty shops, providing Brooklyn Park residents a wealth of options. The Ritchie Highway Shopping Center to the southwest of the district collects a number of high-value shops in one location for your convenience.

Restock on groceries at Shoppers before filling those prescriptions over at Walgreens. Short on cash? The Shell station has an ATM available. Save-A-Lot, Royal Farms, 7-Eleven and M & C Food Market make up the other popular supermarkets in the area.

Thrifters and avid shoppers head north into Baltimore or south into Glen Burnie to take advantage of the surplus of excellent stores and deals in the surrounding area. Cloud 9 Clothing's Boston Street location collects a number of known designer brands and unique consignment pieces to provide shoppers with a range of prices and options. Major styles include classic fashion and bohemian pieces, and the store stocks men's fashion items as well.

Located along Crain Highway south of Brooklyn Park, deVintage packs its walls full of vintage items, antique collectibles and vinyl records. Presented as a sort of year-round indoor yard sale, deVintage has something for everyone. Avid collectors and those who enjoy hunting for unique and interesting trinkets can lose themselves digging through the hundreds of mugs, CDs, cassette tapes and toys.

The Baltimore Farmers' Market and Bazaar can be found on Saratoga in southern Baltimore and represents the closest producers-only market to Brooklyn Park. With dozens of vendor stalls selling all manner of local produce, meat, bread, fish and crafts, the Baltimore Farmers' Market and Bazaar remains Maryland's largest farmers' market as well, with over 37 years in operation.