Yesterday I showed you what it looks like to run from one end of North Avenue to the other, today I will show you the rest of my 17.3 mile run which took me through some very rough parts of East Baltimore.
Not all of East Baltimore is in horrible shape, but Gay Street (I started above North Avenue where it is Belair road) and Greenmount have seen much better days. These two infamous streets are filled with ruins that are begging for rehab and brighter futures. Before the buildings can be rehabbed there is going to have to be some sort of change in tone from the people in the streets and the elected officials of the area.
Oldtown Mall was the one place where I ran into very angry people during my entire 17.3 mile run. When I started to film the paved over northern Gay Street entrance to the mall a group of young men who were loitering beyond it (and who were so distant that I had not noticed them until they started to scream) started yelling at me and threatened to injure me and take my camera. I immediately turned off my camera and ran toward the area behind the mall while two of the individuals briefly pursued me.
Gay street and Greenmount have plenty of liquor stores and “convenience” stores on them and many of these establishments still have large political signs on the front of them. I have always said that our leaders endorse these establishments when they allow their names to be placed on them. What does it say about our leaders when they do not take down their signs from these questionable establishments weeks and months after the elections? They should live in the community and be familiar with where their signs are posted. Many leaders in Baltimore have their signs taken down the day after the September primary election. The outdoor ones are obviously the easiest to remove. Most candidates know exactly where every sign of theirs is located during the campaign and they always are monitoring them to make sure rivals do not rip them down. Why do candidates care about their signs during the campaign and then forget about them once the campaign is over? It reminds me of the candidate who talks a big game during the campaign, but does little over the next four years. The somewhat scary state of the parts of East Baltimore that I ran through makes it obvious that there are plenty of elected officials in that area who fit the above profile. How many people would have run where I ran on Sunday? For the few who would I challenge them to explain to me how things can look the way they do and how some of it can not be the responsibility of our elected leaders. Where is the accountability in East Baltimore?
It is amazing to see how close the sleazy Block and and its anchor Hustler club are to City Hall. The proximity speaks volumes about the state of Baltimore.
Adam is the most recognizable face of the recent resurgence in Reservoir Hill. He has appeared on many national and local radio shows, in several news publications, and at numerous events discussing his innovative urban redevelopment ideas and his unique lifestyle. Adam is a successful entrepreneur, community activist, and a local political guru who ran for city council in 2007. He is the founder and director of the TechBalt.com Buy a Block Project and BaltimoreHourly.com. His fearless local political commentary has rocked the local blog scene for most of this decade and he plans to take it to the next level in the next decade here on Charm City Current.