Garwyn Oaks is one of Baltimore's older communities and is part of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative. Many residents have lived in the community for 30 years or more. The community is nestled among bountiful trees, flower gardens, open spaces, and wide, well-lit streets. The beauty of the area is in its tranquility, abundant greenery, and variety of housing. It is a community of families, children, and seniors alike; backyard cookouts, young people playing ball and riding bikes. The community is comprised of professionals, white and blue collar workers, self-employed, and retired individuals. The community has over 300 properties.

The neighborhood is minutes away from downtown as well as suburban townships such as Towson, Columbia, and Owings Mills. The neighborhood has public transportation. It also accommodates recreational facilities such as the Cahill Performing Arts and Cultural Enrichment Center, Liberty Recreation Center, Forest Park Golf Course, Carrie Murray Outward Bound Center and three beautiful parks - Druid Hill, Hanlon with Lake Ashburton, and Leakin with the Gwynns Falls Watershed Trails. Medical services are available nearby at the Garwyn Oaks Medical Center, University of Maryland Outpatient Care, Sinai and Kernan Hospitals.

Garwyn Oaks boasts a diversity of quality-built homes, some dating back nearly 100 years! The area is characterized by medium to large detached two and three story wood frame homes in the colonial, traditional, Victorian, and cottage styles. There are also some two-story brick town houses. The houses have front and rear porches, ample front and rear yards, shrubbery, trees, and flower gardens, with off street parking for most homes.

Garwyn Oaks' history is intertwined with the communities of areas known as Walbrook and Windsor Hills, which were formed from the estates of Baltimore's elite. The estate of George R. Vickers, Mount Alto, provided the land for the community of Garwyn Oaks. Much of the distinctive development in area, that is, the single family detached, wood frame and shingle cottage homes were built in the early 1900s. The Garrison Blvd. United Neighbors Association (GBUNA), founded in 1982, has worked to maintain the beauty, tranquility, and distinction of the area.