Baltimore - The Small Town of Big Cities
Written: Aug 17 '00 (Updated Aug 18 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: small town feel, unique neighborhoods, nostalgia
Cons: too many things are no more
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| MsBayLady's Full Review: Baltimore |
I consider myself very fortunate to been able to call Baltimore, Maryland my hometown for most of my life. Much about Baltimore has changed since my childhood and many things are long gone but I'm still quite happy to have my life in Baltimore.
Many people call Baltimore a big city with a small town feel. It couldn't be described any better because Baltimore is actually a big city that is made up of many specific neighborhoods. When you meet a local and they ask where you live, the first thing you tell them is the name of the neighborhood. Historically these neighborhoods were ethnic enclaves and many of them still are.
My grandfather grew up in Fells Point ,the Polish neighborhood that was named for Admiral Fell - the man who saved it from the British. This neighborhood is right on the inner harbor and many of the families that made their homes there did so right when they came off of boats from Poland. The neighborhood is made up of rowhomes, many of which have marble stoops. Most of the people worked in the shipyards, such as Camden Yard that is now home to our baseball stadium - Oriole Park.
There are still shops that are owned by the Polish families that founded them when they first came to America. You can still go to Ostrowski's for your Kielbasa made fresh every morning. You can still go to Mass that is said in Polish at St. Casmir Catholic Church. Even though the streets have been improved over the years, they are still brick.
Another hallmark of Fells Point is Broadway Market. This is one of the largest markets that are known by all longtime Baltimoreans. Inside there are many vendors that sell everything from fresh seafood to the kitsch that Baltimore is famous for.
Fells Point is also where Senator Barbara Mikulski began her life in public service. Senator Mikulski's family owned a neighborhood Polish grocery and bakery. The government planned to destroy much of the neighborhood to build a highway. Barbara Mikulski is not large in size but that didn't matter when she grabbed a bull horn and started screaming that if the British couldn't take Fells Point, the residents certainly weren't going to give it up to the government. Shortly after that Ms. Mikulski was elected to the city council.
In the seventies, the Polish families in Fells Point did start to share their neighborhood with a new and growing trend - nightclubs. In the present day, there are virtually two different faces to Fells Point - one that is seen during the day and one that is seen at night. During the day, Fells Point looks like it always has. Lots and lots of little shops with odds and ends and many terrific finds along with delicious Polish food. I spend many of my days haunting through the shops for fun, topped off with homemade pierogi or kruschiki.
At night, Fells Point is the hot spot for nightlife in Baltimore. The term "bar hopping" was invented for Fells Point. You can find a club to dance to any kind of music you like. You can find a club to listen to local and national bands. You can find a club just to sit and listen to a couple of people on acoustic guitars with the whole bar singing along. You can find a place to sit back or play pool or drink a microbrew. If you want, you can do all of the above in the space of a few hours.
Nostalgia
Many of the things that I fondly remember from my childhood in Baltimore have either closed down or been built over. No longer can you go to Berg's Farm and watch the cows getting milked followed by eating the best homemade ice cream known to man. The days of spending the Christmas season just looking at the window displays in the big department stores like Hutzlers, Hecht Company and Bamburgers are long gone.
No longer can you go to see the Orioles and Colts play in Memorial Stadium. In fact, the stadium is slated to be demolished later this year. My Thanksgiving mornings are no longer spent watching my "brother school", Poly, whomping their arch-rival, City, in the football event of the year.
Even though I miss doing all of those things, I do still get to relive my childhood with my own children in many ways. We still go to get our real Baltimore snowballs at My T Fine and Walther Gardens. For those of you who have been deprived, a snowball is crushed ice with flavoring poured on it. My favorite is egg custard with ice cream on the bottom and marshmallow on the top. My children know what it is like to smell the spices in the air coming from the McCormick Building.
We still go to Loch Raven Reservoir on sunny summer afternoons to wax our car. We either throw a frisbee around, take a walk or just lounge on the grass while we're waiting. We still rush to the store to buy our milk and bread when there is a slight possibility that an inch of snow may fall. My children will have the same memory I do of seeing the tall ships make their way into the inner harbor and being awed by the size and beauty of all of those sails.
We have also helped my children make some nostalgia of their own. They will remember ice skating at Rash Field at the Inner Harbor. They will remember walking around the Inner Harbor that was William Donald Shaeffer's vision for rebuilding the hallmark of the city. They will remember going to see The Ravens.
Most of all, my children will have the same memory of going to Saint Casmirs to hear Mass said in Polish on Christmas Eve. And probably so will their children.
This review is part of the my hometown write-off put together by one of Epinions' best and brightest - IrishMa4. Please take the time to check out her review as well as all of the entries from the other wonderful Epinionators about their own hometowns: annexation, levda, jenninca, Chelie11, Frani49, blollies, julieinid, lucky47, Elorraine, Saprswife, Cheynasmom, Benagee, Prepoia, Francesca57, Frazzledspice, Amykhar, Slicksbabe, Barefooter, Boosters, Kinganamort, ElmoTicle, JenN2Kids, BeanieRandy, MeNMyZach, GizyKat, CeltMom,Foberswife, Trawma, Mom2Twinz, Endora60, Prncess,Braggio, SunnydayM, KaraHoo, VeeZee, Thinkerlady, Redlass, NYLawgirl, KCFemme, Laryan, BigJack, Jenb123, Pmckay, jo.com, 29th_Candidate, moderngypsy, file13, Y2JMcDohl, Disartain, Dr_Steph, Amykahr, BeeCharmer, Kassie, Ahiggs, Elizajane, Erin5oaks, menomonee1, driver4t5, & jankp.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MsBayLady
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Member: Jacquie
Location: Baltimore, MD
Reviews written: 98
Trusted by: 214 members
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