WESTPORT: As a frequent visitor growing up Westport is what Baltimore was to me. Yes there would be trips to the Inner Harbor & Fells Point, maybe catch ballgames at Memorial Stadium, but Westport was my Baltimore home. It was a source of comfort every time I saw the Westport exit sign on the B&W Parkway. Every morning there I looked forward to sitting on my grandma’s porch and talking with her about the changes she had seen and sharing family stories. I remember counting the Chessie System train cars as they passed down the street eagerly awaiting the caboose, and playing with her quirky but kind neighbors in the stifling heat. I used to love to visit Miss Mary’s corner store for candy when it was open (it rarely was and she didn’t really sell much more than that, bread maybe?). I realize childhood memories can be rose colored but there was something genteel about Sidney Avenue, despite the troubles the community was experiencing. Crime, drugs, and poverty were rampant then too. However, the distressed New York City neighborhood I grew up in seemed worse to me. Perhaps it was due to the southern civility that underlied social interactions in Westport, a civility I continue to find in Charm City. People were addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘maam’, and ‘cussing’ was something to be shocked at (or at least pretend to be). Proposals to reinvigorate beleaguered Westport have been going on for years in fits and starts. Considering its location near major highways, Downtown, Camden Yards, and its valuable Light Rail stop, it is quite shocking that progress has not yet manifested in this waterfront community. Funny, for years I was unaware of its proximity to the water, despite the PORT in its name! An electric power plant and the former Carr Lowrey Glass factory acted as a wall between the neighborhood and the waterfront, stymying redevelopment efforts. I remember visiting the city as an adult and when I rode the Light Rail past Westport I was completely shocked to see those barriers removed and the beautiful view of the picturesque Hanover Street Bridge that this new open space provided. What a resource! Who knew? Surely investment would now be attracted. But once again plans came and went and nothing happened. With the rampant development that has spread around the harbor in the last decade though, it now only seems a matter of time. Look at a map. Westport looks like it’s next in line for investment. Unlike glittering Harbor East & Harbor Point, which were urban wastelands whose reinvention into Millennial oases did not displace anyone, Westport is like an old forgotten industrial town, one with history, an existing culture, and sense of place. Despite the urban problems that have plagued it for decades, I hope any revitalization scheme rewards the genteel, quirky neighbors of Miss Alice (as grandma was known there) that chose to stick it out in this formerly blue collar, and now truly waterfront, community.
MOUNT WASHINGTON: Not to be confused with urbane Mount Vernon, Mount Washington is for people who want to live in the city but pretend that they live in an idyllic New England mill town. The last stop within the city on the Light Rail as you head north, when you walk from the station you feel as far away from the city of rowhomes, crabs, the Wire, etc, as you can get without leaving it. It is a large arcadian community of hilly terrain, winding roads, historic stone buildings, and repurposed mills with a very crunchy cultural vibe. Think Seattle, the Berkshires, and Baltimore rolled into one neat package. The nature boy in me has always loved this area. It satisfies both often warring parts of my psyche. I can look out my window and see nature, go on a hike at lovely nearby Lake Roland State Park, or eat dinner in a quaint historic district. On the other hand, I can take the Light Rail and enjoy the rich cultural life, food, and drink the heart of Baltimore has to offer. Currently the city boy in me is relishing life in central Mount Vernon. However, if nature boy starts getting the upper hand in my head, life in Mount Washington could be the basis of a very pleasing peace treaty.
You captured ‘my’ neighborhood well. I look forward to seeing future posts.