DOWNTOWN/INNER HARBOR: When I was a child my family would visit my grandmother for a couple of weeks every summer in Westport. One of the highlights of the trip would be to visit the glittering Inner Harbor. We loved exploring every nook and cranny of Harborplace & the shiny Gallery and ultimately going on the classic Carousel once located near the Maryland Science Center. Actually riding the Carousel was more my Mom’s thing. Each of us had our routines and different must visit shoppes, and back then the Inner Harbor accommodated all of our interests: Christmas Store (unique at the time), fruit shake stand, comic book store, the recently shuttered Fudgery, etc. As an adult I visited the Aquarium, the USF Constellation, and even the kid friendly Science Center. When both my New York brothers got married their destination Bachelor Parties started with dinner in Harborplace. Sadly, while the Inner Harbor has wonderful attractions and is a great place for a stroll, its former crown jewel Harborplace has lost much of its shine. I had long wondered how a complex like that, perfect for the late 20th Century, could adjust to new tastes, and more importantly, to the new reality of Downtown Baltimore. When I was younger Downtown Baltimore was bustling during the day but a ghost town at night. Only the Inner Harbor had life after 6pm. By 9pm everyone headed home, back to their hotels, or east to vibrant Fells Point to continue with their entertainment. Over the last decade however, Downtown has reinvented itself into a large residential community with apartments and condos inhabiting splendid former office buildings. It seems the harbor and the lovely downtown architecture was the perfect draw for young professionals seeking an affordable urbane lifestyle. The problem is the Inner Harbor traditionally catered to the needs of tourists and not residents. With the rapid rise of Harbor East focus on the harbor seems to have shifted eastward and away from Harborplace. The funny thing is the decline of this one time icon is in a way a result of its success at injecting vibrancy into Downtown. I love how the beautiful monuments to 20th Century Capitalism have found new life there, sparing them from the wrecking ball, the fate of many of their counterparts in other aging cities. The gorgeous Art Deco skyscraper 10 Light Street is a great example of this repurposing. Once a bank headquarters it has been converted into stylish flats with a rooftop pool. What a tragedy if that got torn down! Despite the huge population growth, Downtown still lacks some neighborhood amenities like a grocery store and it definitely can use some street level beautification to compliment the impressive architecture. Flower planters and trees would be nice. Safety is also an issue at night. But Downtown is not just for daytrippers anymore. It seems to me that Harborplace & the Gallery, once so vital to the economic health of the district, also can reinvent itself to meet the needs of not only tourists heading east to the Power Plant & Aquarium, but to the large populace that is making Center City, as it’s rebranding itself, one of the largest downtown residential districts in the country. The success of the Inner Harbor fostered the reawakening of Downtown Baltimore. Harborplace as part of the social fabric of Center City could be the key to its continued relevance and restore its iconic luster, along with that Carousel.
SETON HILL: Seton Hill is a quiet neighborhood with a rich history just west of Mount Vernon, but frankly feels completely different. Formerly known as French Town, it probably appears much the same way General Lafayette might have seen it if he visited Baltimore. Federal style homes dominate here, making it much more reminiscent of Fells Point than adjacent Mount Vernon or Bolton Hill, communities featuring 19th Century opulence. French refugees from Acadia, and later from the French Revolution, resided here and founded the first Catholic Seminary in the United States, leaving their spiritual imprint in this country. While only the historic Seminary Chapel remains, the seminary’s footprint has been preserved & transformed into Saint Mary’s Park, a lovely green lending an old village aesthetic to the community. Another Catholic remnant is the house of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American Catholic Saint after whom the neighborhood is now named. Perhaps due to the religious heritage of this community, and its small size, there is little in the way of commerce or entertainment here. There are some small businesses on its fringes and a big hospital, but for the most part you have to head to the emerging Westside entertainment district or Mount Vernon for any walkable amenities. While a lovely place for a stroll or to walk your dog, outside of the park and some picturesque blocks, this is not a very walkable community. Fortunately, both the Metro & Light Rail are within close proximity. Though seemingly untouched by time, Seton Hill has not been untouched by the city’s notorious drug and crime problem, and parts of the area have unfortunately languished. Now however, the district has an up and coming feel despite its timelessness. Lovely large buildings on the eastern edge of the community are being refitted into apartments for the growing number of people who want to live near downtown or Penn Station. This revitalization and the annual French Fair (though the French left centuries ago) has increased interest in the historic and affordable homes the neighborhood is known for. Its distinct look for this part of Baltimore should continue to set it apart from abutting communities and help it maintain its unique identity, like so many of Charm City’s neighborhoods are known for.
You captured ‘my’ neighborhood well. I look forward to seeing future posts.