Important Remington, Charles Village news (friendly, metro, island)

[Danbo1957]

The Giant, and the Safeway down on 24th, are half as large (in sq ft) as a normal Publix or Kroger's. The latter stores have a greater selection of goods and services, instore cafes, full service banks, full service pharmacies, public utility kiosks, etc.

And to be personal about it: the Giant is dirty, disorganized, and it's impossible to find a cart during rush hours; the staff is rude and ignores you at counters and checkouts. When I'm near campus, I go to the Safeway - it doesn't serve the needs of students, but at least it's clean.

[jonjj]

That's odd. I admit I haven't been in that Giants in awhile but I used to go there pretty regularly and never found it to be any of those things.

[atariwhizkid]

@Danbo1957 There are already banks, full service pharmacies and public utility kiosks in that area. Wouldn't it stand to reason that a super-sized grocery would just be doubling services that already exist in the neighborhood? As for selection at Giant and Safeway, I've generally found that Giant to be superior in selection to the Safeway. The Giant is definitely more crowded. However, the instances when I can't find something at either of those stores is very rare.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by barante

Let me second the previous poster on Falkenhans. We used to patronize Sirkis's hardware store on Falls Road, a great place that repairs window and door screens, etc. But Falkenhans is far superior. People there know what they are doing. If they don't have a certain type of a screw or implement, they will tell you how resolve your problem by using something else. A great place.

Ditto: I have gone there to get keys made for a storm door.. Home Depot said they didnt have the Key.. but Sirkis did. I believe they can continue to thrive particuliarly as a neighborhood store for people who has very specific needs and cant get down or up to the larger stores

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by barante

Lowe's, grocery planned for lower Charles Village site -- baltimoresun.com

Cool.. I have read that more and more "suburban" type of retailers are looking at cities/urban markets for stores.. The main reason being..that the suburban markets are saturated...ex there is a Home Depot in every quadrant of the Baltimore Metro and other stores have similiar "outpost" around the City...inside of the City is void of many of these stores. The first ones in could stand to reap huge profits if they are at the right location. Fears of crime/shoplifting are still abound in some instances..but advances in loss prevention technology can continue to reduce losses.

[Tallybalt]

Giant is not wildly popular. It survives because it's one of the few supermarkets in the city, but for every local resident who shops there 4-5 make the longer trek elsewhere, including as far afield as Wegmans. I have to agree that the Giant is dark and not orderly and the staff have never been friendly to the shoppers.

I have long wondered why Trader Joe's has held off from opening a store in Baltimore. It has markets in urban locations across the country and the Giant site would be ideal for Trader Joe's.

[barante]

The same Germany company that owns Trade Joe's also owns Aldi's, a bare-bones grocery store that has several locations in poorer sections of Baltimore. I patronize Aldi's regularly. Quality is good. And while the variety is somewhat limited they have some intriguing items, including German Christmas stollen (sweetbread with nuts and marzipan) and sausages. Occasionally I have spotted items like fish stuffed with crabmeat that also appear at Trader Joe's.

[atariwhizkid]

Just saw this post and wanted to revive the conversation, now that more information has been revealed about plans for this area...

Howard Street project criticized - baltimoresun.com

Will this mean revitalization in Remington, which seems to already have a lot of upsides? It's proximity to I-83, Penn Station, Hampden and Charles Village seem to be a lot of pluses.

[Woodlands]

I think that the revitalization of Remington is inevitable...Its very strategically located near all those amenities that you mentioned. I think the community is in favor of the project (or atleast the community "leaders" are.. the guy at the corner bar may or may not be ). I applaud them for critiquing the design and pushing for those changes that enhance their community as opposed to simply opposing the project. Many neigborhoods in Baltimore exist either in APATHY or in NIMBY. Its nice to see some that can balance between the two

[rudy_d]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

Many neigborhoods in Baltimore exist either in APATHY or in NIMBY. Its nice to see some that can balance between the two

I've always considered the city's vocal NIMBY and anti-development crowds to be one of the main obstacles to Baltimore's full revitalization. However, I hope the Howard Street project is closely scrutinized to make sure that it fits in with an urban neighborhood. It's a great opportunity for a central section of the city if done right.

This article raises concerns about a similar project the developer has done in DC:

What the developer proposing a Lowe’s for Remington has already built in DC – a cautionary tale. - Baltimore Brew