Charles Village- "One of the Great Places in America"

Anyone who has ever navigated the streets of Baltimore knows when they come upon the center city neighborhood of Charles Village. One can’t help but notice all of the Victorian houses that are painted in quirky colors.

In 1998, Linda Brown Rivelis and Steven Rivelis from Campaign Consultation organized - along with a couple of their neighbors - the “Painted Ladies” campaign, encouraging homeowners and renters to paint their houses in three or more colors. This effort to display a streetscape statement of pride spread quickly throughout the community.

Today, there are over 200 brightly painted homes in the community. Each Painted Lady is a visible commitment to making Charles Village a great place to live, work, learn, and play.

The Painted Ladies campaign, along with several other grass roots initiatives (also backed by Campaign Consultation) - the nation's first residential/business community benefits district, a community parade and festival, and a neighborhood driven PUD (planned unit development) - got results. Crime went down, home ownership went up, civic engagement increased.

In recognition of this urban success story, the American Planning Association recently named Charles Village "one of the Great Places in America." Read more….

The Campaign Consultation team could not be more proud to call Charles Village home.