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The Inner Harbor promenade is definitely the busiest area in Baltimore, but there are many neighborhood streets that are busier than most streets Downtown. The only busy area Downtown is the low-income shopping area around Lexington Market, which can actually get pretty busy. There are way fewer people Downtown, both residents and workers, than in the other NE cities. There's still very little pedestrian activity in Baltimore to be sure, but what there is is largely outside of Downtown.
I agree with some of what you said. In a high crime, low employment neighborhood, you'll see people out doing nothing all day, but thats in any neighborhood. Just like anywhere else, you'll see people out getting things done in neighborhoods that aren't as crime ridden and has low unemployment rates. I will say that Baltimore has a level of ignorance that I haven't found in any other city that I've been to.
It's not just that there's high crime and high unemployment. Those two things also exist in Harlem and the South Bronx. It's more that there's a very high rate of abandoment. You have whole streets of vacants. And the only person you might see outside is a druggie sitting on the stairs of an abandoned home getting his fix in.
Philadelphia may have terrible-looking areas, but there isn't the same degree of wide-scale abandoment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly
Well I went and added up the zips from the core to get to 47 miles.
Population 1.030 Million and a density of 21,726 ppsm (about 4K ppsm more dense)
It's not just that there's high crime and high unemployment. Those two things also exist in Harlem and the South Bronx. It's more that there's a very high rate of abandoment. You have whole streets of vacants. And the only person you might see outside is a druggie sitting on the stairs of an abandoned home getting his fix in.
Philadelphia may have terrible-looking areas, but there isn't the same degree of wide-scale abandoment.
I will do a calculation for Baltimore City later.
From my experience, Philly and NYC is no different than anywhere else in their depressed areas. They wouldn't be so depressed it that wasn't the case. Remember the Bronx in the 70's-early 90's?
From my experience, Philly and NYC is no different than anywhere else in their depressed areas. They wouldn't be so depressed it that wasn't the case. Remember the Bronx in the 70's-early 90's?
So if I walk down Grand Concourse or Amsterdam, a majority of the buildings are vacant with few people outside except for junkies? In case you haven't noticed, there's a huge difference in the way 125th Street and Greemount Avenue feel.
Kodeblue - can you provide a similar array of photos for Baltimore as the ones above for Seattle?
I am sure he can. Just drop your pin anywhere in Mt Vernon, Bolton Hill, Harbor East, Federal Hill, the area east of Johns Hopkins (Homewood?) -- to name just a few -- and you will find some of the best urban bones of any city in the country. If you are looking at a 2-3 mile radius from Downtown, as impressive as Seattle is in its core, I think this is a very even match-up with a slight advantage (IMO) to Baltimore.
Poor New York neighborhoods are nothing like those in Baltimore. Even the "worst" hoods of the South Bronx and East Brooklyn have very few vacants or crumbling buildings, which are everywhere in Baltimore, and also, on account of their much higher density, have way more people on the street.
Nothing in Philly is quite as abandoned as Baltimore, but there are significant parts of North Philly that are pretty close. There are about 45,000 vacant properties in Philly
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