01 Feb D.C. Native Loves to B.E. Home in Baltimore
Writer, real estate investor, Uber and Lyft driver, social media consultant. Cheryl Crockett is all these things, and as of Thanksgiving 2017, she’s also a Belair-Edison homeowner. It’s no wonder she describes herself as “energetic about life.”
Cheryl was born and raised in northwest Washington, DC, in the newly fashionable neighborhood of Petworth, east of Rock Creek Park. Well before prices rose and new residents began moving in, Cheryl describes a close-knit neighborhood “where people cared about one another.” Although new to northeast Baltimore, she believes she’s found similar qualities in Belair-Edison. What’s more, her renovated rowhome reminds her of her family home.
Cheryl first became familiar with the Baltimore market through her real estate investment group, which focuses on Baltimore City. She began spending time in Baltimore looking at houses for the group to consider investing in and was struck by how much parts of northeast Baltimore reminded her of neighborhoods in northwest and northeast DC. When it came time for her to move, she initially thought of looking in Montgomery or Prince George’s County, but she realized that Belair-Edison would offer her everything she was looking for.
“The DC market has exploded,” she says, “but Baltimore is extremely affordable. I’m so happy to be in an area that seems to be so much like my popular neighborhood in DC.”
After many years of taking care of her ailing father and then having to pack up and sell the family home, Cheryl was looking for a house that was “move-in ready.” She found that and more in her “absolutely delightful” rehabbed home, which was built in 1950. It has 3 bedrooms and a bath upstairs, and a finished basement and bath downstairs. In between is a kitchen and dining area that were opened up and finished with an island and granite countertops.
Cheryl also loves the style of her home, which is brick with painted trim, a refinished wooden banister, and a skylight in the upstairs bathroom—so much like her family home in Petworth. Another similarity to her DC neighborhood is the neighbors, who she describes as “awesome.”
As she “gets to know the house,” Cheryl spends most of her time in the open kitchen-dining area, and her many business and personal interests keep her busy. She is “grateful for the opportunity” to drive for Uber and Lyft, which is giving her a thorough introduction to her new city and its inhabitants. Her experiences may also fuel her writing.
A writer and poet, Cheryl writes poetry for hire—for weddings, birthdays, retirement parties, and funerals. She also writes a daily haiku and posts it via social media at #cherylseverydayhaiku and #oneaday2018. She describes herself as “very into social media,” and has started a social media consulting business to help people understand “the value of social media in marketing businesses and products.”