Downtown Frederick of the Past (Potomac, Hagerstown: living, restaurants, dangerous)

[kleep]

So I've been lurking here for years, and wanted to make my first post on something important to me. My family moved to Frederick County around fifteen-ish years ago, and just in that time growing up and living here I've noticed downtown having gotten a decent bit more crowded/gentrified. There's a bunch of new restaurants, touristy looking decorations, walking areas, etc. Walking through Market Street and Carroll Creek I swear I didn't see this many people maybe even just 5 years ago. Not that it's a bad thing at all, I mean it's great that the city is investing in downtown and tourism and such. Brings in money and people and respect on our name lol. But this did get me thinking, what did the area look like in decades past, to all the old timers out there? I've seen areas like Urbana and the outer ring of Frederick develop a lot, but I've always remembered downtown as being fairly touristy, albeit not to the extent it is now. Feel free to share your stories and/or pics if you have them! Would totally love to hear from those who came before me, as a guy in his early 20s with some passing interest in local history.

[DaveinMtAiry]

It was referred to as Fredneck for a reason. The downtown now is SOOO much better than it was decades ago, I'm sure in your time there you can see the improvement.

[westsideboy]

Gosh, I lived in Frederick from about 2003 to 2007. I remember the downtown being gentrified by my definition then. The only sorta sketchy spot was South St. and the blocks around where it met Market, but even then it was dangerous, just more rundown.

TBH, I haven't been to downtown Frederick other than to see some plays/silent films since we moved away, so I would likely be shocked by whatever it looks like now.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Gosh, I lived in Frederick from about 2003 to 2007. I remember the downtown being gentrified by my definition then. The only sorta sketchy spot was South St. and the blocks around where it met Market, but even then it was dangerous, just more rundown.

TBH, I haven't been to downtown Frederick other than to see some plays/silent films since we moved away, so I would likely be shocked by whatever it looks like now.

We attended a free concert at Baker Park last night. The band said it was the best venue they have played in the entire DC region. I had to agree, it is just beautiful and we are so luck to have it. It had not been built, nor had all the development along Carroll Creek, when you were there.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

We attended a free concert at Baker Park last night. The band said it was the best venue they have played in the entire DC region. I had to agree, it is just beautiful and we are so luck to have it. It had not been built, nor had all the development along Carroll Creek, when you were there.

Nope, Carroll Creek was still just a flood control ditch, although the first of the new buildings were being built around the time I left. Oh, and I had a typo, I meant "was not dangerous."

I have to make it a point to check it out when we are down in that area next. Church and the Weinberg are the only places in the city we have been to in many years.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

Nope, Carroll Creek was still just a flood control ditch, although the first of the new buildings were being built around the time I left. Oh, and I had a typo, I meant "was not dangerous."

I have to make it a point to check it out when we are down in that area next. Church and the Weinberg are the only places in the city we have been to in many years.

I didn't even notice the typo, I understood what you meant. The area around Bentz and South Street is still a bit run down, by downtown Frederick standards anyway. In any other city it would be fine.

[ion475]

Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry

I didn't even notice the typo, I understood what you meant. The area around Bentz and South Street is still a bit run down, by downtown Frederick standards anyway. In any other city it would be fine.

"Rundown"...meanwhile basically the entire downtown Hagerstown outside of the 2 blocks on Potomac is worse .

[CrosbyStills]

In the mid-1980's, downtown Frederick (i.e.- Market St) was still trendy - Nicole's cafe, Bushwallers, Donnelly's, the ”Bull On Market” were nice places to eat. Shipley's was a nice department and sporting goods store, there were boutiques all over. The town's only Mexican restaurant, La Paz, was much better than it is now, and it was tucked away next to the parking structure behind the water department. Now it is in the Carrol Creek redevelopment zone.

All Saint's St and the Projects area were not someplace you wanted to spend much time, but I understand they are gone now - not sure. The library and museum on W. Patrick St. were also nice, even then. They used to have an annual summer event, ”In The Streets” which brought bands, music, and vendors to a closed-for-the-day Market St., and that was always a good time. It was all also part of what was called ”The Circuit” which people cruised on weekends. It went up Market and circled around Church to Bentz and out Patrick St to the Golden Mile on Route 40 to the Fredericktowne Mall. People usually pulled a U-Turn at Denny's or way before it at Interstate 15.

The south end of Frederick really ended below MSD at FSK Mall. Areas like Urbana, OpossumTown and Buckeystown Pikes were pretty far out and away from everything. Even Linganore, Middletown, and Walkersville were a bit of a hike and out of the way. Don't get started on how far away Thurmont, Union City, Johnsville, Woodsboro, Myersville, etc. were considered. Out in the sticks.

Great people, good times, and fond memories.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by CrosbyStills

In the mid-1980's, downtown Frederick (i.e.- Market St) was still trendy - Nicole's cafe, Bushwallers, Donnelly's, the ”Bull On Market” were nice places to eat. Shipley's was a nice department and sporting goods store, there were boutiques all over. The town's only Mexican restaurant, La Paz, was much better than it is now, and it was tucked away next to the parking structure behind the water department. Now it is in the Carrol Creek redevelopment zone.

All Saint's St and the Projects area were not someplace you wanted to spend much time, but I understand they are gone now - not sure. The library and museum on W. Patrick St. were also nice, even then. They used to have an annual summer event, ”In The Streets” which brought bands, music, and vendors to a closed-for-the-day Market St., and that was always a good time. It was all also part of what was called ”The Circuit” which people cruised on weekends. It went up Market and circled around Church to Bentz and out Patrick St to the Golden Mile on Route 40 to the Fredericktowne Mall. People usually pulled a U-Turn at Denny's or way before it at Interstate 15.

The south end of Frederick really ended below MSD at FSK Mall. Areas like Urbana, OpossumTown and Buckeystown Pikes were pretty far out and away from everything. Even Linganore, Middletown, and Walkersville were a bit of a hike and out of the way. Don't get started on how far away Thurmont, Union City, Johnsville, Woodsboro, Myersville, etc. were considered. Out in the sticks.

Great people, good times, and fond memories.

I really enjoy the input from those who were familiar with Frederick before we moved to Mt Airy in 2002 and started to experience it. Thanks for this. I'm pretty sure those projects are gone now.

I drove an Uber in Frederick for a few years. I picked up several couples from the region, Annapolis, DC, Northern VA etc, who came to Frederick for the weekend because it's just such a nice place to spend a weekend.