Baltimore is an American success story. Once a dowdy, down-at-the-heels city where, in the 1970s, blighted houses near Baltimore's Inner Harbor were sold for $1 by desperate city officials praying for a renaissance, Baltimore has undergone the longed-for rebirth. Today, those dwellings sell for six figures, their sweeping vistas of the city's dramatic neon-lit skyline a major drawing card. Such growth has fueled a rebirth of this once blue-collar steel town led in part by construction of two new downtown stadiums and countless harbor-side condominiums and neighborhood renovations.

After a dizzying rise in prices in the region, the average cost of a home has settled at $307,000. Water view homes and luxury condos continue to get top dollar, with neighborhoods like the Inner Harbor consistently topping the million dollar mark. More modest neighborhoods like Mayfield or Charles Village stay comfortably in the $110,000 to $150,000 range, while mansions in the upscale neighborhoods of Guilford and Roland Park, which are filled with Victorian and Colonial mansions, prices start at $500,000 and climb up from there.

We've turned our spotlight on to four neighborhoods that reflect Baltimore's diverse architecture and community spirit. Our picks are Ashburton, a solid lakeside city neighborhood; Canton, the city's trendy new hot spot; Ellicott City, a historic gem located between Baltimore and Washington and Owings Mills, an upscale, planned community in Baltimore County.