Baltimore, What Happened?

Our tiny family reunion happened in Baltimore. That is where Carter’s flight came into. So we booked a hotel and drove up and met her. My best college friend grew up outside Baltimore. She got married there. I spent plenty of time there back in my younger years. When I lived in Washington DC I used to go to Baltimore regularly to visit my customers there. It was in the 80’s when the Inner harbor had been built and Baltimore was doing well.

Then came Camden Yards, the downtown ball park of the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore was doing well. Yes, it was not perfect. There was crime, but downtown had workers, residents and visitors.

When Carter was in elementary school we went to Baltimore to visit the National Aquarium and spend the night. Baltimore was good. In Middle school we stopped in Baltimore on our way home from Maine and visited the Under Armor store and eat some good Seafood. Baltimore seemed good.

We drove in yesterday. We stoped at a market for some lunch. The homeless people out numbered the patrons by 3:1. Stores were boarded up. The streets were dirty.

We went to our hotel. One we had stayed at before. The hotel itself was fine, but the buildings around it were empty. Beautiful buildings. Ones from the 20’s, 30’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and so on. Empty, with graffiti on windows or the plywood covering windows. There was not much traffic as there was not much to do.

We did not let the city keep us from a great visit. He holed up in the hotel having a great time. We dressed for dinner and decided to walk the half an hour. It was daylight out. We felt relatively safe as we’re were a group of big people strong people.

As we walked the most direct route we eventually came upon the first store front businesses we had seen open. Four sex shops. The run down kind of places that looked like they had been there since 1965 with no improvements. Only the drug addled bouncers who stood in the door ways looked newer than 1965.

We rounded the corner and continued our walk eventually coming to the waterfront district where there were some going concerns. The Four Seasons Hotel and successful restaurants. Not as much poverty or homelessness that was apparent not far off.

The prosperous area was small and felt like it was tenuous as so many beautiful buildings lay fallow close by. A city on the way down takes decades and strong will to turn around. Also good luck and great leaders. I pray that Baltimore has all that and can come back from its decline.

I know wonderful people who live in the area. I know Baltimore can do it. It’s still called charm city.