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Old 10-24-2014, 02:17 PM
 
5,289 posts, read 7,381,009 times
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*Interesting..and funny!

When did Baltimore become so chic? - Baltimore Sun

When did Baltimore become so chic?
By Sarah Rose Attman

I grew up here, so I'm allowed to say this: Baltimore is not known for being "cool."
We're not Manhattan with its Broadway shows and billionaires. We're not Los Angeles with its sunshine and celebrities. Heck, we're not even D.C. with shiny politicians, international flair and national monuments. The weather is cold in the winter and painfully muggy in the summer. When I tell people that I'm from here, I usually get one of these three responses:

1) That's where The Wire was filmed! (They assume the whole city is a ghetto.)
2) Are you a Ravens fan?
3) They have the best crabs!

Let's just say Andy Cohen isn't planning a Real Housewives of Baltimore anytime soon.
That being said, in recent years there's been a definite shift. It's like I went to sleep, woke up and all of a sudden — boom! — there's Harbor East. There's Whole Foods, Lululemon and the Four Seasons with its magical infinity pool. We've got the Ravens winning Super Bowls and the O's in the playoffs. Even Town & Country Magazine just voted Oakland, Md., No. 1 for viewing the vibrant fall colors.

Walking through Fells Point on a brisk Friday evening, it's a vibrant scene with live music and attractive young people ambling down cobblestone streets. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I've waited in lines here — lines — to get into certain bars.

I'm sorry, but when did Baltimore become so chic?
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Old 10-24-2014, 09:01 PM
 
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Not one word??!
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Old 10-26-2014, 10:20 AM
 
478 posts, read 806,300 times
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I don't really think that lululemon, wholefoods, and the four seasons are images evoked by the word 'chic.' This isn't to disparage the considerable progress that some areas around the harbor have made, but the better parts of Baltimore have more of a quirky hipster appeal or a kind of down home, salt of the earth feel IMO.
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Old 10-26-2014, 12:31 PM
 
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I think it will be interesting to see if/how these prosperous young people integrate themselves into the "real" Baltimore as they age. Recently, I saw a statistic that almost 90% of Canton homeowners move out of the city when they buy another house. Personally, I don't think these relatively chic people are really part of the Baltimore story - at least not yet. Perhaps, we can think of them as long term visitors.
If Baltimore is going to take best advantage of (in my opinion) its good fortune, it will need to do two things:
(1) Integrate the millennial migration into the Baltimore story. Perhaps Baltimore can now be the city of the Wire and Millennials. Murder AND Millennials?... kinda catchy???
(2) Actually integrate the Millennials into more city neighborhoods. Since the city's white blue collar neighborhoods have already been colonized by well educated young people, the only place left to go is into mostly African American neighborhoods. We can expect some friction - both race and class based - if that happens.
Anyway, it is time for Baltimore's leaders and residents to tell a new and more interesting story about the city.
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Old 10-26-2014, 01:10 PM
 
1,114 posts, read 1,479,942 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pwduvall View Post
I think it will be interesting to see if/how these prosperous young people integrate themselves into the "real" Baltimore as they age. Recently, I saw a statistic that almost 90% of Canton homeowners move out of the city when they buy another house. Personally, I don't think these relatively chic people are really part of the Baltimore story - at least not yet. Perhaps, we can think of them as long term visitors.
If Baltimore is going to take best advantage of (in my opinion) its good fortune, it will need to do two things:
(1) Integrate the millennial migration into the Baltimore story. Perhaps Baltimore can now be the city of the Wire and Millennials. Murder AND Millennials?... kinda catchy???
(2) Actually integrate the Millennials into more city neighborhoods. Since the city's white blue collar neighborhoods have already been colonized by well educated young people, the only place left to go is into mostly African American neighborhoods. We can expect some friction - both race and class based - if that happens.
Anyway, it is time for Baltimore's leaders and residents to tell a new and more interesting story about the city.
Well said. Every other neighborhood not on near the harbor would not be considered 'chic'. Why are we always taking pieces here and there. The harbor, the stadiums, the casino, fells point, canton etc. Baltimore has over 600K residents and they don't all live near the harbor. A story to fill the paper. Baltimore has so much more to offer and so much more work to be done.
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Old 10-27-2014, 06:53 AM
 
5,289 posts, read 7,381,009 times
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Interesting comments!


Quote:
Originally Posted by ktaadin View Post
I don't really think that lululemon, wholefoods, and the four seasons are images evoked by the word 'chic.' This isn't to disparage the considerable progress that some areas around the harbor have made, but the better parts of Baltimore have more of a quirky hipster appeal or a kind of down home, salt of the earth feel IMO.
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Old 10-27-2014, 06:56 AM
 
5,289 posts, read 7,381,009 times
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"..I think it will be interesting to see if/how these prosperous young people integrate themselves into the "real" Baltimore as they age..."

It's interesting now! There is some level of jealousy and hatred that the city is being gentrified and re-vitalized for young, urban whites; while the black and poor white Baltimoreans are being shut out of this revitalization.




Quote:
Originally Posted by pwduvall View Post
I think it will be interesting to see if/how these prosperous young people integrate themselves into the "real" Baltimore as they age. Recently, I saw a statistic that almost 90% of Canton homeowners move out of the city when they buy another house. Personally, I don't think these relatively chic people are really part of the Baltimore story - at least not yet. Perhaps, we can think of them as long term visitors.
If Baltimore is going to take best advantage of (in my opinion) its good fortune, it will need to do two things:
(1) Integrate the millennial migration into the Baltimore story. Perhaps Baltimore can now be the city of the Wire and Millennials. Murder AND Millennials?... kinda catchy???
(2) Actually integrate the Millennials into more city neighborhoods. Since the city's white blue collar neighborhoods have already been colonized by well educated young people, the only place left to go is into mostly African American neighborhoods. We can expect some friction - both race and class based - if that happens.
Anyway, it is time for Baltimore's leaders and residents to tell a new and more interesting story about the city.
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Old 10-27-2014, 06:58 AM
 
5,289 posts, read 7,381,009 times
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When I came back to Baltimore from many years away, people treat you're really different. Like you're not part of the city anymore. Smh!
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Old 10-27-2014, 07:10 AM
 
66 posts, read 114,232 times
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LOL @ Whole Foods and generic sports bars being "chic".

Baltimore, IMHO, is one of the most frustrating places on earth. Because there is so much visible potential, yet that potential is so hopelessly impossible to capitalize on.

At some point (hopefully), there will be a Black gentrification of Baltimore in which there's enough momentum/capital to force out the ghetto element from the more promising neighborhoods, like Marble Hill. The obstacle is that young Black professionals, like most other YPs, leave the city in their late 20s to start their families. Then, Baltimore County, DC, or DC suburbs.

The deal breaker is, and will continue to be, crime and schools. Crime can be reasonably contained, but the cost of private school and taxes keeps people from making a long-term investment in the city.

Baltimore has the potential to become a culturally rich metropolis, positioned as a more authentic, more accessible alternative to DC. Baltimore has always seemed to me like a blue collar town with an unspoken ambition for more, but the problems always seem too much to overcome.
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Old 10-27-2014, 07:29 AM
 
8,168 posts, read 13,234,167 times
Reputation: 2529
Quote:
Originally Posted by pwduvall View Post
I think it will be interesting to see if/how these prosperous young people integrate themselves into the "real" Baltimore as they age. Recently, I saw a statistic that almost 90% of Canton homeowners move out of the city when they buy another house. Personally, I don't think these relatively chic people are really part of the Baltimore story - at least not yet. Perhaps, we can think of them as long term visitors.
If Baltimore is going to take best advantage of (in my opinion) its good fortune, it will need to do two things:
(1) Integrate the millennial migration into the Baltimore story. Perhaps Baltimore can now be the city of the Wire and Millennials. Murder AND Millennials?... kinda catchy???
(2) Actually integrate the Millennials into more city neighborhoods. Since the city's white blue collar neighborhoods have already been colonized by well educated young people, the only place left to go is into mostly African American neighborhoods. We can expect some friction - both race and class based - if that happens.
Anyway, it is time for Baltimore's leaders and residents to tell a new and more interesting story about the city.

I see those "next" areas to be colonized by young urban whites where they will come into more contact with African Americans being north of Orleans (or fayette depending on your tolerance for City Life).. in the area around JH that is already being hollowed out along with the possible removal of Perkins Homes; the incremental growth into Barclay/Greenmount as part of the Stations North, Charles Village, JHU expansion; Res Hill as part of improvements to Druid Hill Park, MICA expansion and North Ave improvements(i.e Murder Mall removal) and possibly Washington Village/Pigtown with continuing improvements around the Biotech zone-Union Square, Hollins Market.

I didnt list these in any particuliar order thought the Union Square example will be the most difficult. Also the East Baltimore -JHU is only going to happen because they have totally removed EVERYTHING and starting from scratch so "incremental" intergration which is usually the most sustainable will not take place like it is in Charles Village/Station North- Barclay and Res Hill scenarios.
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