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So far you have seen two Baltimores: the waterfront and the ghetto.
Before you settle into your new groove, I suggest you take a Saturday and explore the city. Check out Mount Vernon and nearby Bolton Hill for a Baltimore with a very different vibe from Canton, and drive up to see the Hopkins-Homewood campus and the leafy neighborhoods along Charles Street and Roland Avenue, and take a side tour to Mount Washington opposite I-83 from Roland Park. These places will show you a very different Baltimore.
I am constantly surprised at the number of people I meet who live in Canton and Federal Hill but who have never ventured north of Baltimore Street. Always a shame.
So far you have seen two Baltimores: the waterfront and the ghetto.
Before you settle into your new groove, I suggest you take a Saturday and explore the city. Check out Mount Vernon and nearby Bolton Hill for a Baltimore with a very different vibe from Canton, and drive up to see the Hopkins-Homewood campus and the leafy neighborhoods along Charles Street and Roland Avenue, and take a side tour to Mount Washington opposite I-83 from Roland Park. These places will show you a very different Baltimore.
I am constantly surprised at the number of people I meet who live in Canton and Federal Hill but who have never ventured north of Baltimore Street. Always a shame.
I agree. There's so much to see. I particularly like the neighborhood around North Belnord St. More people from Canton should take a walk up there.
Tallybalt has the right idea: You will enjoy Baltimore more if you get around and experience different neighborhoods. Talk to people.
You'll quickly see that there are Baltimoreans who are thoughtful and inspiring and then there are some who are out-of-their-mind negative and tiresome.
This was once a great city and in many ways still is. Take advantage of the variety.
"Are you kidinme", seriously, what gives? Why are you so interested in highlighting the bad parts of our town. More specifically, and of greater interest because it may lead to a post that is more intriguing than your typical snyde one line trolling, what is your macabre fasination with McEldery Park? It's not a great neighborhood at present, but folks are trying to bring about positive change. Instead of directing new arrivals to check out the mess, why don't you try to help clean it up. Were you helping the Friends of Library Square in their clean up efforts a few weeks back? If not, why? Do you attend the meetings of the 2 north group? If so, why not? I guess my point is that your help isn't needed in pointing out the problem, um, hello, we know. Your energy could be much better spent trying to make a difference, and griping on the Baltimore forum won't change things but for the worse. People from all over the US read these boards, and some of them may not spend enough time on the board to know that you have a chip on your shoulder, and that your posts need to be read through the crab ass filter. Have you ever taken a second to consider that you may be responcible for making folks who could come here and offer their own brand of insight in to Baltimore's problem, turn away from our town. If you are unhappy with the city, why don't you direct your energy toards making a difference. If you are really so unhappy, and are convinced that Baltimore is such a hell hole, I challenge you to Get off your butt and help turn this town in to the place you want it to be.
"Are you kidinme", seriously, what gives? Why are you so interested in highlighting the bad parts of our town. More specifically, and of greater interest because it may lead to a post that is more intriguing than your typical snyde one line trolling, what is your macabre fasination with McEldery Park? It's not a great neighborhood at present, but folks are trying to bring about positive change. Instead of directing new arrivals to check out the mess, why don't you try to help clean it up. Were you helping the Friends of Library Square in their clean up efforts a few weeks back? If not, why? Do you attend the meetings of the 2 north group? If so, why not? I guess my point is that your help isn't needed in pointing out the problem, um, hello, we know. Your energy could be much better spent trying to make a difference, and griping on the Baltimore forum won't change things but for the worse. People from all over the US read these boards, and some of them may not spend enough time on the board to know that you have a chip on your shoulder, and that your posts need to be read through the crab ass filter. Have you ever taken a second to consider that you may be responcible for making folks who could come here and offer their own brand of insight in to Baltimore's problem, turn away from our town. If you are unhappy with the city, why don't you direct your energy toards making a difference. If you are really so unhappy, and are convinced that Baltimore is such a hell hole, I challenge you to Get off your butt and help turn this town in to the place you want it to be.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. My thoughts on Baltimore are well founded in my experience living here. I can only hope that I am performing a service to those folks considering a move or visit to Baltimore. This forum is monopolized by a handful of posters with a pollyanna view of the city which I feel need some balance. Anyone with an opposing view is banned, which should be a sign to anyone looking for information of the bias. I give people enough credit to determine on their own the veracityof the posts they read. One thing I have never done is attack or engage in name calling of those with an unrealisticly positive view of the city. I read the posts and often disagree, but never question the posters right to post their opinion. It's as simple as this. I have a decidely negative view of the city and think that information should have a way to get out. When I mention shootings in and around Patterson Park or a picture that excludes an entire block of boarded up dwellings, I feel like people should know. I'm not making things up. If every person who disagrees with the handful of megaposters is a troll then that's unfortunate and dishonest.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. My thoughts on Baltimore are well founded in my experience living here. I can only hope that I am performing a service to those folks considering a move or visit to Baltimore. This forum is monopolized by a handful of posters with a pollyanna view of the city which I feel need some balance. Anyone with an opposing view is banned, which should be a sign to anyone looking for information of the bias. I give people enough credit to determine on their own the veracityof the posts they read. One thing I have never done is attack or engage in name calling of those with an unrealisticly positive view of the city. I read the posts and often disagree, but never question the posters right to post their opinion. It's as simple as this. I have a decidely negative view of the city and think that information should have a way to get out. When I mention shootings in and around Patterson Park or a picture that excludes an entire block of boarded up dwellings, I feel like people should know. I'm not making things up. If every person who disagrees with the handful of megaposters is a troll then that's unfortunate and dishonest.
same ol--same ol. We've heard it before. Your martyrdom. It's tiring. Unfortunately, what you express is your own slanted opinion based on your growing up in burbia. Baltimore has been your only urban experience so you base all social ills on this city. By the way, in terms of megaposters, I think you win that award. You have been posting longer on this site than anyone, even with all of your name changes.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. My thoughts on Baltimore are well founded in my experience living here. I can only hope that I am performing a service to those folks considering a move or visit to Baltimore. This forum is monopolized by a handful of posters with a pollyanna view of the city which I feel need some balance. Anyone with an opposing view is banned, which should be a sign to anyone looking for information of the bias. I give people enough credit to determine on their own the veracityof the posts they read. One thing I have never done is attack or engage in name calling of those with an unrealisticly positive view of the city. I read the posts and often disagree, but never question the posters right to post their opinion. It's as simple as this. I have a decidely negative view of the city and think that information should have a way to get out. When I mention shootings in and around Patterson Park or a picture that excludes an entire block of boarded up dwellings, I feel like people should know. I'm not making things up. If every person who disagrees with the handful of megaposters is a troll then that's unfortunate and dishonest.
How is lying to people telling them to go to Mcelderly Park (You're most favorite Neighborhood to lie about) and other bad sides of the city "Because it is such a lovely place ", not trolling, espcially when it's "decidely negative view of the city", which can obviously be voiced in an untroll like manner? Without you're "help", people are pretty much completely already informed of Baltimore Issues. Its much more helpful for the overly positive members to even out a damaged image of a city that is ready to get better and move on. It's people like you who cause people not to move to a city, and if they did otherwise, would completely transform it, which would change you're mind of the city. Not that people like you are responsible for all of it, but definently some. The way you talk about Baltimore in the troll manner you do makes you lose your creditability, im afraid to tell you. You might have some valid points if you weren't a troll otherwise
Thanks for the kind words and tips. Baltimore continues to be great.
Saturday was all chores until it was time for it to not be chores. We just do not have enough closet space, so we've been improvising. I went to Ikea again, and built one of those monstrosities of closet systems. Now we're good, but had to give up a wall. Still better than having our stuff on 3 floors of house, and my nice coats sharing a closet w/ cat boxes.
Saturday night was live music at Cat's Eye. Nice place with an older crowd. Lots of talkers that gave us the lowdown on the history
Took in the Fell's Point Festival. Went on Sunday hoping the Ravens' game would pull some of the crowd off the street. It was awesome.
Texans brag about our State Fair and the food, and I'll be the first to admit that a deep fried Twinkie has absolutely nothing on the food at the festival.
It was incredible! Crab Cakes the size of a small child, strips of deep fried bacon as thick as my wrist, and whatever those corn patties w/ mozzarella are. Man, oh man those were serious business. I loved seeing big pieces of cooked animal on the bone, and folks drinking lemonade. Another observation on Baltimore: I think the name is a derivative of "Bras are optional". Loved it, but got smacked by the wife a couple times for staring. Totally worth it.
Caught some Ravens and drank grapefruit crushes until it was time for my Cowboys to let me down. Did not enjoy seeing both my hometown teams lose close ones, but wasn't going to let it ruin my day.
This weekend is going to be Karaoke where we can find it, a trip to Mt. Vernon on Saturday Night, a little Comic Con cruising, and we'll see if my tickets for the Ravens come through. I'm super jazzed about that. I like defensive football, and Ray Lewis always delivers.
Concerning the negative:
When I first visited Baltimore, all I could see were the boarded up buildings, the roves of gang members walking the bad streets, the unemployed, the underemployed, and the homeless. If you're not from the city, it's going to freak you out. Some of the 'gang members' I saw ended up being regular school kids in uniforms. They were walking in packs b/c they were walking home, or to the bus. Now they say, "Hi!" when they walk past. Many of the boarded up homes ended being renovated on the inside by some really cool guys, and they let me use their dumpsters.
If you've lived in South Chicago, Brooklyn, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit...it's the same. The details vary, but it's the same. If I didn't get to know my neighbors, I'd consider them semi-toothed homebodies, and miscreants. They aren't. They're awesome locals with their own customs. Just b/c they don't act like Dallasites, and put on their best clothes everyday doesn't mean they aren't good people.
Muggings and break-ins still worry me. I'm getting a security system upgrade, and stronger pepper spray for our walks. We just cab it home if we're feeling too drunk to keep our wits. By my bed and in a few hidden places are the kind of protection every home should have.
Last edited by KennyP; 10-08-2009 at 01:08 PM..
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Yes, get around
