Why can't Baltimore make an urban turnaround? (Fairmount: real estate, 2015)

[the_curious_urbanist]

Since 2000 we've all seen the other 4 cities of the Northeast fix their problems and revitalize their cores after decades of decay and population loss. Baltimore, compared to them, hasn't made a dramatic change and even now still has much higher crime, blighted neighborhoods, and lack of investment. Plus Baltimore's transportation isn't as developed and Baltimore was the only city to show a population loss on the last census compared to the other 4 Northeast cities. Having visited Baltimore I see that it has the urban fabric and interesting architecture to be a really livable city. What's keeping the city back?

[Tallybalt]

What are the other four cities? Boston, New York, Washington and ?

If you're thinking of Philadelphia, while Center City and parts of West Philadelphia and surrounding areas have seen redevelopment and growth, you're ignoring that large swathes of north Philadelphia, South Philadelphia and far West Philadelphia and areas along Fairmount Park remain deeply deprived and as challenging as anything found in Baltimore.

And since you are not familar with Baltimore, you are also not aware that there has been major investment and growth in the city over the last 10-15 years. The waterfront areas have exploded and the north-south arterial is rapidly gentrifying. Baltimore today is in a much better position than any time since the 1970s.

Originally Posted by the_curious_urbanist

Since 2000 we've all seen the other 4 cities of the Northeast fix their problems and revitalize their cores after decades of decay and population loss. Baltimore, compared to them, hasn't made a dramatic change and even now still has much higher crime, blighted neighborhoods, and lack of investment. Plus Baltimore's transportation isn't as developed and Baltimore was the only city to show a population loss on the last census compared to the other 4 Northeast cities. Having visited Baltimore I see that it has the urban fabric and interesting architecture to be a really livable city. What's keeping the city back?

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

What are the other four cities? Boston, New York, Washington and ?

If you're thinking of Philadelphia, while Center City and parts of West Philadelphia and surrounding areas have seen redevelopment and growth, you're ignoring that large swathes of north Philadelphia, South Philadelphia and far West Philadelphia and areas along Fairmount Park remain deeply deprived and as challenging as anything found in Baltimore.

And since you are not familar with Baltimore, you are also not aware that there has been major investment and growth in the city over the last 10-15 years. The waterfront areas have exploded and the north-south arterial is rapidly gentrifying. Baltimore today is in a much better position than any time since the 1970s.

If you have to compare the 1970s with 2015 that is sad.

I keep hearing from you guys that the city is doing better and better and yet I hear about minors punching pregnant woman at the same time!!!!

I guess as they say "better" is very subjective.

[choccity]

The crime in Baltimore in my opinion, is the main problem keeping the city back.

[Infinite_heights77]

"you are also not aware that there has been major investment and growth in the city over the last 10-15 years. .."

*Where is the major investment and growth ignited by African American business development and advancement?

"Baltimore today is in a much better position than any time since the 1970s.[/quote].."

*Interesting comment?!

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

What are the other four cities? Boston, New York, Washington and ?

If you're thinking of Philadelphia, while Center City and parts of West Philadelphia and surrounding areas have seen redevelopment and growth, you're ignoring that large swathes of north Philadelphia, South Philadelphia and far West Philadelphia and areas along Fairmount Park remain deeply deprived and as challenging as anything found in Baltimore.

And since you are not familar with Baltimore, you are also not aware that there has been major investment and growth in the city over the last 10-15 years. The waterfront areas have exploded and the north-south arterial is rapidly gentrifying. Baltimore today is in a much better position than any time since the 1970s.

[Infinite_heights77]

Crime and IGNORANCE!

Originally Posted by choccity

The crime in Baltimore in my opinion, is the main problem keeping the city back.

[Mimidae]

Originally Posted by Tallybalt

What are the other four cities? Boston, New York, Washington and ?

If you're thinking of Philadelphia, while [blah-blah bad neighborhoods every city has]...

Are you out of your gourd? Philadelphia has experienced a MAJOR and well-documented turnaround in the past 10 years, possibly the most of all 4 of these. It's enormously popular, and people who have been priced out of Manhattan are moving there in droves, driving housing prices (both rentals and real estate) way up. I have a few friends who bought houses in the 'frontier' on the border between the greater West Philly ghetto and the UPenn area, and now their streets are really sought after and their houses are worth double and triple what they were 5 years ago. Yeah, I could name a few bad neighborhoods in any city, even and especially NY. That doesn't mean anything.

I love Baltimore for the record. When I went to college there a few years ago, the nice sections were fairly limited, and I see on subsequent occasional visits that more of the city is (dare I use the controversial word?) gentrifying. Maybe it just hasn't hit the tipping point yet. It will. It has all the right elements.

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by the_curious_urbanist

Since 2000 we've all seen the other 4 cities of the Northeast fix their problems and revitalize their cores after decades of decay and population loss. Baltimore, compared to them, hasn't made a dramatic change and even now still has much higher crime, blighted neighborhoods, and lack of investment. Plus Baltimore's transportation isn't as developed and Baltimore was the only city to show a population loss on the last census compared to the other 4 Northeast cities. Having visited Baltimore I see that it has the urban fabric and interesting architecture to be a really livable city. What's keeping the city back?

Baltimore didn't hit bottom until the middle of the past decade and it has been a slow crawl back. I do expect Baltimore to show significant progress during the current decade when the Census is done.

One interesting feature of Baltimore population growth (or lack thereof) is the continuing very rapid drop in household size. This is caused by two factors, one good and one bad: The very strong ability to attaract well educated millennials and also (unfortunately) the inability to keep well educated people with young families in the city schools. Philadelphia isn't experiencing the same rapid drop in household size.

Baltimore mayors have left public transportation policy up the the state government. I'm not saying the mayors would have done any better, but the state has made mistake after mistake. Baltimore needs to start with a public transportation system that does a good job of serving the urban core (where so many people are carless) and then build outward to the suburbs. Progress on schools is limited and there is very little progress whatsoever on crime. I'm not sure that Philly is doing any better when it comes to schools.

[Sunflowery]

Because Stephanie Rawlings Blake is the worse mayor ever! She could do more to reduce crime.

[Infinite_heights77]

LOLOLOL!!! Hahahahahaha! I told ya'll that she is mere corporate puppet!

Originally Posted by Sunflowery

Because Stephanie Rawlings Blake is the worse mayor ever! She could do more to reduce crime.