This blog is about Baltimore, Maryland. Located in the mid-Atlantic region of the US, it sits at the upper end of the Chesapeake Bay. It has a varied and rich history. Once a major stop on the Underground Railroad [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad] many of the houses still have hidden cellars, walled closets, and tunnels. Much of the old architecture still stands in spite of the 'great fire' of 1904 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Baltimore_Fire]. I renovated an old house that managed to escape the ravages of that fire. It was built at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
The reason I'm writing this is because, after living in Baltimore for five years [my youngest son was born there] I wish for people to have a different view of the city than the one which has been constantly in the news these last few days. I want people who've not spent time there to see a more varied view of a complex and colorful city. Yes, it has it's depressed neighborhoods. Possibly more than many cities. But there are neighborhoods where people live and pull together to make a pleasant place to be. We were lucky to find such a place when we bought our house. That isn't to say there weren't challenges. Anyone who has ever renovated or restored an old house while living in it knows about that. And living in the middle of a major city has it's adjustments, too. It's noisy, aromatic and occasionally dangerous, even in the more stable neighborhoods. But it also offers so much in the way of cultural pursuits.
There are many colleges and universities in Baltimore and the surrounding county. It has a wonderful symphony orchestra. Art galleries and theatre presentations...it's all there. And some of the greatest libraries I've seen.
And then there's the violence. That's there, too.
Baltimore is and has always been considered a blue-collar city. It was a working harbor for the steel industry, fishing and incoming supplies for the mid-Atlantic region. More than anything it has always been a roll up your sleeves and get down to work kind of place. When many of the residents have nowhere to get down to work things become grim. The unemployment rate in Baltimore is inordinately high. Many of the businesses that brought so many there are no longer providing jobs. Many are out of work. The problems in Baltimore are much more class based than race based. I say this because I know it. I lived it. The population of Baltimore is 65% black. Many of the sitting professionals are black, including the mayor. Many of the police are black as are many of the teachers, bankers, fire fighters...just about any job you can think of. What is inequitable is the amount of unemployed. Of all races. This creates areas of poverty that are difficult and undeniable. And it has been this way for a long time.
When the situation surrounding the arrest and death of Freddie Gray became the most recent fulcrum for dissent and violence in the US, Baltimore took center stage in the portrayal of a media production of mass hysteria and retribution. That's not the city in general. So much of what Baltimore is got shoved into the shadows, the only illumination that of the fires and protesters and looters bent on destroying an historical city. I just wanted to say there is so much more there.
I brought my sons into my living room and took them on a virtual photographic journey of the city as I came to know it. I wanted them to know, as they were too young to remember, that where we'd lived was a colorful, vibrant and complex place. It saddened me to see the entire city brought low.
Over the following days much of what has made Baltimore strong came into the light.
re: cleaning up after the riots
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/29/us/gallery/baltimore-protests-cleanup/
The libraries [main branches]
Inner Harbor
The Arabbers
