How and why is Baltimore so troubled? Is there any solution or is it terminally doomed?

[Anonymous]

Too many lower skilled industrial factory and port jobs that attracted population in the early twentieth century, jobs that are not coming back. Same problem as Detroit, new Orleans, and other cities which had their heydays then.

Lots of poor couldn't (or wouldn't) leave their community and families, couldn't find jobs or good jobs, and became trapped.

The city I am from finally had to buy people out and bulldoze huge swaths of houses and commercial areas, as well as build.new public housing and attract and train for new industry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how flyover places like St Louis and Detroit are sort of doomed due to economics and migration patterns. But Baltimore is East Coast, ocean front, proximity to D.C., Acela line, international airport, wealthy/educated state, decent weather (compared to Chicago, NYC, Boston), all the bygone era legacy universities, arts, etc.

Seems so bizarre. Is there any way to fix Baltimore?

Tommy D’Alessandro did to Baltimore what his daughter is doing to the United States.
Create an underclass and eventually people fight back. You have crime in Baltimore and nationalism in the States.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:White flight killed Baltimore. I’ve been to a lot of mid Atlantic cities and it’s the most extraordinarily segregated. Whites took off to Baltimore and Howard Counties and let the city die.

(Whites leave) White flight! Racism! Bad!
(Whites stay) Gentrification! Racism! Bad!

No, “whites stay” is when whites stay. Gentrification is when they come BACK after leaving, but this time they make everything cost more.

Hey, that's quite an interesting angle.

Want to make housing more affordable?

Just organize some fun blm riots and drive all whites away.

The 21st C version of blockbusting. Follow the money

[Anonymous]

For anyone busting on gentrification, name one functional and successful American city where the majority of the population is poor and black. I expect crickets. . .

[Anonymous]

Study the history. Racist housing policies created dead zones in the inner city. Invest in some stores and businesses and medical facilities and grocery stores in areas that have nothing but liquor stores. A resident can’t get a job if s/he can’t get to it.

Investment happens in whites areas, just perpetuating the same problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For anyone busting on gentrification, name one functional and successful American city where the majority of the population is poor and black. I expect crickets. . .

Well, I think Baltimore has an entrenched underclass with a culture of poverty. There’s no clear pathway for those folks to improve or get out and the cycle continues.

[Anonymous]

Grew up in Baltimore. It’s a cesspool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For anyone busting on gentrification, name one functional and successful American city where the majority of the population is poor and black. I expect crickets. . .

When I was growing up, DC. You wouldn’t walk the city at nigh. Cap Hill was the worst neighborhood, now people have million dollar homes (seriously). Logan Circle was where you bought fake IDs and weed. Now it’s lattes, yoga, and babies. I just can’t even with that.

[Anonymous]

Huge drug place because 95 and 70 meet there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Study the history. Racist housing policies created dead zones in the inner city. Invest in some stores and businesses and medical facilities and grocery stores in areas that have nothing but liquor stores. A resident can’t get a job if s/he can’t get to it.

Investment happens in whites areas, just perpetuating the same problems.

And stores can’t stay in business if the merchandise keeps disappearing, they are regularly robbed at gunpoint, and the local job pool is filled with people with poorly developed work habits.

[Anonymous]

Lots of commerce goes through Baltimore so it’s a hub for drugs and the drug issue runs down 70 and 68 which was National Highway.

Baltimore -> Frederick -> Hagerstown

All were heroine hubs... Frederick is getting better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For anyone busting on gentrification, name one functional and successful American city where the majority of the population is poor and black. I expect crickets. . .

Well, I think Baltimore has an entrenched underclass with a culture of poverty. There’s no clear pathway for those folks to improve or get out and the cycle continues.

Finishing school, not getting pregnant and not taking or selling drugs would be a step in the right direction. But I guess even that’s hard when there are no good examples or role models.

[Anonymous]

We briefly considered moving there. We’re in SoCal so not really aware of local impressions. We were attracted to proximity to DC, Europe, etc, and house prices. We started researching it more, figured out the area was mostly black and that didn’t bother us. But then we looked at crime stats and stories and decided no way. We don’t even want to pass through there, let alone live there. I think they’d need to clean it up a lot to make it attractive to the people who would ultimately improve the area. A catch 22, I know.

Maybe they need to give a REALLY sweet deal to a big tech company or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Study the history. Racist housing policies created dead zones in the inner city. Invest in some stores and businesses and medical facilities and grocery stores in areas that have nothing but liquor stores. A resident can’t get a job if s/he can’t get to it.

Investment happens in whites areas, just perpetuating the same problems.

And stores can’t stay in business if the merchandise keeps disappearing, they are regularly robbed at gunpoint, and the local job pool is filled with people with poorly developed work habits.

That’s not true. It’s just your racist stereotypes. You aren’t looking for solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Study the history. Racist housing policies created dead zones in the inner city. Invest in some stores and businesses and medical facilities and grocery stores in areas that have nothing but liquor stores. A resident can’t get a job if s/he can’t get to it.

Investment happens in whites areas, just perpetuating the same problems.

And stores can’t stay in business if the merchandise keeps disappearing, they are regularly robbed at gunpoint, and the local job pool is filled with people with poorly developed work habits.

That’s not true. It’s just your racist stereotypes. You aren’t looking for solutions.

Yeah, sure. It’s all just racism.