“Kids and the City”

Baltimore Sun: Kids and the City (registration needed)

Federal Hill in Baltimore, MD is well known for attracting the creative class, but who knew kids (and their parents) would think it’s cool too?

The number of Federal Hill children under age 4 grew by 16% between 2000 and 2003 while the neighborhood’s overall population increased just 7%. Why? The main reason is that the parents who make up the creative class are… well, creative. Here are some of the reasons why their kids are so lucky:

– A renowned Easter Egg hunt, Fourth of July parade and Halloween brings out the neighborhood kids in droves
– An active group of 200 parents plans activities and play dates.
– Free plays in the park offer interactive performances for children.
– Port Discovery (“the kid-powered museum”), the Maryland Science Center and the National Aquarium in Baltimore are a kid’s walk away
– Parents lobbied for and won the city’s first elementary-school version of the Ingenuity Project, a nonprofit math and science program, and test scores improved noticeably.

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neilkt