Above all, Baltimore loves its rooftop decks

Dawood Thomas swallowed his fear of heights and climbed to the rooftop deck of a friend’s Fells Point home.

Awestruck, he took in the maritime views and the sea of other rooftop decks. And he was flummoxed: Why am I, at 35, just getting this feeling?

That was almost 20 years ago. Thomas, now 53, added a three-tiered rooftop deck four years ago to the headquarters of his nonprofit youth program in Pen Lucy. It’s a rarity in that part of North Baltimore.

“I just thought about the next generation and what I wanted them to see,” Thomas said.

Rooftop decks — as synonymous with Baltimore as crabs and a cold Natty Boh — are concentrated in waterfront neighborhoods, but they also pop up on homes across the city, permitting data shows. The outdoor perches offer respite from the noise and activity below and “flex” space that makes a traditional row house feel roomier.

The city has issued 2,607 permits mentioning rooftop decks since 2015, a Banner analysis of public permit data found. Eight hundred were issued to properties in Canton, nearly as many as in every other neighborhood west of downtown combined.

Baltimore’s rooftop deck obsession began in the early 1990s, as city shipyards shut down and gave way to views of marinas, docks and luxury yachts. In South Baltimore in particular, young urban professionals (yes, the “yuppies”) moved in and leveled up, covering their flat roofs with ornate pergolas, decorative lighting and weatherproof furniture.

Today, it’s not uncommon for a new row home to include a bird’s-eye view. Mark Sapperstein, the developer behind the new Locke Landing residential community in Baltimore Peninsula, said every house includes a rooftop deck.

“It’s another option for outdoor space,” said Sapperstein, who noted that residents of Baltimore County, where he also develops, have easier access to backyards. “When you can do it, you should do it.”

Many Baltimore homes are historic and must follow guidelines set by city preservationists. For rooftop decks, simple designs are recommended. Balusters and rails should complement the style of the building, city guidelines state. Decks aren’t supposed to be visible from street level.

James Kowalewski, a professional engineer and contractor, remembers building for himself what he thinks was one of Baltimore’s first rooftop decks in the late 1980s.

Living in Canton, Kowalewski sought vistas of downtown and Fort McHenry. The deck stayed in place for almost 40 years.

Homeowners are as interested as ever in the addition, he said. But many change their tune after learning about the price tag.

Builds can range from $20,000-$45,000, he said. And that doesn’t include maintenance a house might need to support a deck addition.

Decks might be more trouble than they’re worth in some neighborhoods, Kowalewski said, especially those with height or zoning restrictions that require special approval from the city.

As more neighborhoods undergo revitalization, rooftop decks are sprouting in even more communities.

Bree Jones’ development company, Parity Homes, rehabs and rebuilds homes in West Baltimore’s Harlem Park and helps would-be homebuyers become mortgage ready. When they secure a loan commitment from a bank, they can begin to request certain customizations to their new homes, including electric fireplaces, kitchen islands and rooftop decks. The base price for these homes without customizations is on average $340,000 in the Harlem Park area, according to Jones.

A rooftop deck could run someone an extra $15,000. Half of Parity’s past 10 homebuyers have requested one.

Jones herself lives in a Parity home with a rooftop deck. Each Fourth of July, she heads up for a 360-degree view of fireworks lighting the skies.

She points to socioeconomic differences as one of the reasons rooftop decks are not as widespread in West Baltimore. But there are other considerations, including the neighborhood’s population of older adults and limitations on who’s willing and looking to do that kind of contract work.

“As more capital begins to move in West Baltimore and more vacants are renovated, we’ll start to build the infrastructure of contractors who can do the work,” Jones said. “It’s a social network effect, essentially.”

To Mark Moyer, a real estate agent who specializes in Southwest Baltimore, rooftop decks are like pools: It’s nice to know someone who has one.

Moyer, who has lived in Baltimore for more than 20 years, has shied away from owning one himself, saying they require too much maintenance. And in much of the city, including his focus area, the value of the house might not justify the expense.

Thomas and his daughter Aiyana made their way to the rooftop deck on a recent Friday afternoon. They draped themselves across sun-kissed pink cushions as clusters of puffy clouds rolled across the blue sky.

Thomas, whose family lived in the home before he started his nonprofit, My Fathers Plan, said he wants neighborhood kids to experience the high of a “mansion in the hood.”

It’s not the only amenity he’s added to the house. But for him it’s the one that rises to the top.

Banner data editor Greg Morton contributed to this article.