Natalie Portman's show shuts down filming in Baltimore due to threats of violence (price, dangerous)

[personone]

Crazy story. I see that this happened on Park Ave.
I don't really remember that section of Baltimore off the top of my head.
Is that a bad area? Did anyone local see them filming?

https://nypost.com/2022/08/29/natali...oting-threats/

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/...d-in-baltimore

[North Beach Person]

Likely didn't kick 10% upstairs.

Even if it's "safe" a movie production is going to draw attention and spectators, some of whom may be less than virtuous.

[NJ2MDdude]

I used to walk through that area during the work week. I'd go to Lexington Market to grab lunch. Sometimes, I'd park at Lexington Market and walk to work for the exercise. When I was much younger, I'd walk to Lexington Market and then on to Penn Station. I never encountered any problems. What I saw was typical for a large city: a lot of drug users and I imagine drug dealers. Obviously, I'm not going to ask a person standing against a building or simply loitering whether they have any drugs to sell.

It's in the arts district. The southern end is flanked by the Royal Farms arena and the Bromo Seltzer tower. The nothern end converges at MLK Blvd and the State office buildings. Light rail runs through it. It's an area that has been gentrifying VERY SLOWLY over the last 35 years.

[ion475]

They just got "charmed" .

As far as the area being "bad" or not, I won't be able to give a truly accurate answer since I rarely head that way, but the blocks surrounding Lexington Market AFAIK is full of drugged out people and likely some dealers. For all the homicides and shootings in Baltimore City it is unlikely that you will get shot there, but it is also not a pleasant area being run down and full of homeless.

[james777]

A television report on this story that I was watching said that it happened on Park Avenue in Reservoir Hill.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by james777

A television report on this story that I was watching said that it happened on Park Avenue in Reservoir Hill.

I thought Park Ave ended in Bolton Hill. I guess that's because I never crossed over North Ave into Reservoir Hill. That's not a place I would want to be in. It must be a low budget movie. Lol...

[ion475]

Originally Posted by james777

A television report on this story that I was watching said that it happened on Park Avenue in Reservoir Hill.

All the news source said this is in Downtown (The "Bromo Art District"), though. 200 block of Park Avenue which is two blocks east of Lexington Market.

[feck]

Movie production company sets up a scene in an unsavory
part of Baltimore City. Local thugs proclaim strong arm ownership
of the block where the scene is set up. They demand payment
for use of it or there will be violence. Production companies leaves
and sets up elsewhere. I don't even know if this incident occurred.
If it did happen, did it happen as reported? Where is security?
Did the PC see any episodes of The Wire? Baltimore is dangerous
and they paid the price with lax security.

[ion475]

Originally Posted by feck

Movie production company sets up a scene in an unsavory
part of Baltimore City. Local thugs proclaim strong arm ownership
of the block where the scene is set up. They demand payment
for use of it or there will be violence. Production companies leaves
and sets up elsewhere. I don't even know if this incident occurred.
If it did happen, did it happen as reported? Where is security?
Did the PC see any episodes of The Wire? Baltimore is dangerous
and they paid the price with lax security.

I was wondering about security also. It doesn't matter whether it's Baltimore or not - how in the world some stupid druggies just walk onto the set?

[MidValleyDad]

A few details I picked up on the news last night. The series is based on a story by Laura Lippman, a Baltimore area native who was a reporter for the Sun and wrote a series of detective novels based in Baltimore. She is the Wife of David Simon, the executive producer of The Wire. So it was not a group unfamiliar with Baltimore.