Lakeland - Baltimore, MD

Among the earliest settled places in the Baltimore area, farms began sprouting up in the community as early as 1675. As wealthy merchants began to buy up and consolidate land in the area, a number of communities formed, including the present-day neighborhoods of Westport, Mount Winans, Morrell Park and Violetville. The Baltimore Iron Works furnace attracted many miners to the area who bought property along Annapolis Road during the 19th century, helping Lakeland to grow and develop over time into the residential community it later became.

If you're looking to spend a quiet afternoon immersed in the area's history, Carroll Park north of Lakeland contains the home of Charles Carroll at its center. Named the Mount Clare Museum House, this establishment opens to the public year round, documenting life for one of Baltimore's most wealthy plantation owners. The well-maintained home displays a number of artifact's documenting life during Maryland's colonial era.

Head to the southwest corner of Lakeland along Patapsco Avenue to sample some of the local restaurants, or take a trip north into Baltimore's downtown to enjoy the city's vibrant nightlife. In addition to a bevy of local chains and fast food joints, a number of smaller home-grown establishments serve up some of Baltimore's best food at low prices and with little wait.

Serving some of the best pizza and subs in Baltimore, John's Italian Deli often tops the Lakeland resident's list of recommended local eats. Order the chicken parmesan sandwich for a heaped serving sure to satisfy even the hungriest of patrons, or bring along some friends to devour a pizza with the deli's homemade marinara sauce.

The cozy interior of Chicken Shack says all you need to know about the friendly service and home-cooking slant to the food it provides. The chicken wings come hot and in a variety of sauces and flavors, and the seasoned fries make a great side, ensuring the Chicken Shack remains a guilty pleasure of many Lakeland locals.

If you're hoping to enjoy tasty food from the comfort of your own home, look no further than Pizza Pleasers. Located on Hollins Ferry Road, this carry-out and delivery pizza place serves crispy crust and hot wings smothered in tangy sauce. Pizza Pleasers guarantees speedy service, making them a great go-to when you don't have time to cook for yourself.

Take Patapsco Avenue north of Lakeland into Halethorpe to party the night away any day of the week at Loafers. Sports fans can catch the latest Orioles game in good company at the bar, and those looking to cut loose can dance to the tunes of the nightly DJ. Happy hour specials happen every day of the week and offer some of the best drink deals in the Baltimore area.

Routes 295 and 648 run along Lakeland's western edge, making travel north into Baltimore or south to Washington D.C. a breeze. In addition to services such as Uber and Lyft, Baltimore provides Lakeland locals with a number of taxi cab services. If you're looking to hail a cab, head down Patapsco Avenue or Hollins Ferry Road.

Lakeland's northern, central and western residential areas provide free public parking along many roads, and most businesses along the southeastern commercial district have attached parking lots. The area's residential nature means most residents rely on an automobile or the MTA bus service to get around, and bus stops can be found throughout the neighborhood along Hollins Ferry Road and Patapsco Avenue.

Lakeland residents can head east to the beautiful views of the Chesapeake along the Middle Branch Patapsco River or take advantage of the Lakeland Park for a more local escape into nature. The park includes a recreation center used to host a number of local children's sports leagues throughout the year, and the expansive greenspace makes a perfect place to curl up with a book, take the dog along on leash for a scenic jaunt or enjoy a picnic lunch with the family.

Head north of Baltimore to the suburb of Towson the first weekend in May each year to join Maryland in its largest open-air celebration. The Towsontown Spring Festival provides an incredible amount of variety in its activities with over 40 live performances from local and international acts as well as more than 450 food vendors, a carnival and a rock climbing wall.

The average cost of living in the area runs around 4 percent lower than Baltimore's. A typical one-bedroom apartment in Lakeland costs an average of $772.81 for one month's rent. A 24-hour pass for the MTA bus and metro service costs $3.50, and pint of beer at local bars runs around $5. Area gas prices hover 2 percent beneath the nation's average.

Most local residents head to the Hollinswood Shopping Center in southeast Lakeland to meet their shopping needs. The center collects a number of useful stores in one convenient place, including Walgreens, a CVS Pharmacy, La Fiesta Mexica for imported Mexican groceries, a Dollar General and the Gold Broker Pawn Shop. Other local grocery market options include ALDI, D & B Groceries and Royal Farms — all of which can be found in western Lakeland along Washington Boulevard.

Specializing in architectural salvage and consignment antiques, Second Chance on Ridgely Street in downtown Baltimore makes a trip north well worth it. Those who enjoy hunting for hidden gems and unique era-specific home decor should not miss out on a chance to browse this renovated warehouse's stock. Try and come when the Orioles or Ravens aren't playing because parking in the area becomes scarce on game days.

A local relic in its own right, Powerhouse Video maintains the pleasant '90s charm of a hometown video store. Well-stocked with recent releases, timeless classics, cutting-edge Blu-rays and a variety of video games, Powerhouse Video warrants a visit for that quiet movie night in with the family.

As Maryland's largest producers-only market, the Baltimore Farmers Market & Bazaar fills Holiday and Saratoga Streets Sundays from April through December each year with dozens of vendor stalls selling seasonal produce, organic foods and local arts and crafts.