Exploring Baltimore’s Nearly Abandoned $100M Waterfront Shops | Inner Harbor Pt. 2
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- čas přidán 1. 04. 2022
- Exploring Nearly Abandoned $100M Downtown Waterfront Shops | Baltimore's Inner Harbor Pt 2.
Join me for the second part of our exploration of Baltimore's dying Inner Harbor region as we explore the two waterfront retail pavilions that were once the crown jewel of the city's downtown, but now sit nearly abandoned in plain sight..
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All music licensed under Creative Commons
I've lived here my entire life. The Inner Harbor died once tourists and families became scared with all the shootings and fights that took place down there on a regular basis.
that pretty much sums up the impression of that cesspool from all that i have ever heard
You mean people don’t want to take their families to see the shootouts? Nah they must be racist instead
It’s just malls in general. Why would anyone pay for parking to go to an indoor shopping center with generic food options? There’s so much more available at Harbor East, Canton, Fells Point, Fed Hill, Mount Vernon and Hampden.
@Jj Dillon Ehh, each has had their issues. Crime happens when there are more people in general. It’s just that other neighborhoods have a more local feeling that tourists would rather experience. People aren’t as dumb as they were before Yelp and Google could tell them the best off the beaten path restaurants and shops.
@@ericm8504 and those places are close to the harbor. Its not unique anymore
i’m one of the keyholders at the itsugar in the harbor - the entire area is beyond dilapidated and it’s only happened in the past couple of years. the pandemic completely destroyed the inner harbor and the landlords aren’t willing to budge on rent prices either. since this video was made even the uno has closed. if you have any other questions feel free to ask!!
Wow. I was actually surprised it was still open looking at this video. Good times 😢
We went to visit right before the pandemic. Things were a little bleak even then. One of the main museums was closed on that particular weekday we had planned to visit. Had lunch at the main restaurant on the waterfront and then paid to go to the Top of the blg. to enjoy the view there. Even drove by Federal Hill/Riverside. Have not been back there since. Sad to see it go down like this. Would like to visit the B/O museum, but not sure.
Covid and homeless people in area ruined it. Not enough parking either.
It was going downhill way before the pandemic. It started when they allowed panhandlers on the property. The police used to patrol it pretty well. The last time I was there, there were panhandlers and homeless wandering about. Enough to ruin a nice outing to the harbor.
I would like to know the impact the casino opening had on this area. The new casino recently added Top Golf. I wonder if that addition would have been better near the Inner Harbor and not near a casino. I’m not even sure if children can go to a casino.
Additionally, before the pandemic there was a series of staged group meetups planned by young people around the region. I was told at the time that an organizer used IG to direct young people to first Towson Mall, then Golden Ring and then the Inner Harbor. On each occasion people got out of hand. The Inner Harbor meet up was essentially violent and involved attacks on tourist. I bring this up because it was covered with camera footage and was shocking.
Also, there was a well covered incident of a police officer being violent and demeaning to a youth skate boarder. This made national news as well.
Ultimately, the shooting incident with the young man and the motorist I’m sure didn’t help. Frankly, when I first heard about the incident that ended with a murder charge, I was thrown off initially because the early reports used the name of the street (McConnell) and didn’t really say the Inner Harbor. It was until I drove by that I realized the shooting took place so close to the Harbor next to 2 anchor hotels.
My final observation is the draw that the National Harbor in Prince George’s County has become. It maybe miles away but it is not as accessible by foot traffic and is close to DC. It may not have the challenges that Baltimore inner harbor has endured. Hopefully developers at National Harbor are watching what happened in Baltimore.
I promote tourism for the entire state. It’s sad to see this unfolding but there are dynamics outside of the Harbor that impact density. Those 2 commercial attractions should not be hampered by then but they are.
I’m so shocked to see this. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s we made many trips to Inner Harbor with family and friends. It was one of our favorite summer day trips from SE Pennsylvania. This makes me very sad. This was a beautiful place and we made many happy memories there.
Same here 🥲
in the 1990s and 2000s there was not a fake housing boom.
Agree, lived just across the Mason Dixon in PA and spent so much time in the Inner Harbor on family trips or taking dates there in the 90’s.
It had such a great energy, good shops, restaurants and was a great place to be. Sad to see it like this.
I grew up in North Philly and moved to Baltimore when I was 24. Philly ain’t perfect, but damn after moving to Baltimore I realized just how better run Philadelphia is than Baltimore.
same here, from Delco but made plenty of trips to Camden Yards because it was a lot nicer than the "The Vet" lol. My family and I usually got something to eat right there at Inner Harbour. I can remember sitting at a Cheescake Factory somewhere in that place
As a Marylander for my first 65 years, I watched Baltimore decline in the 1960's-70's, try to get back on its feet in the 1980's-90's, and fail miserably. I worked there for many years as a housing inspector for FHA. The police told me to never inspect after 11am because the criminals typically slept between 5am and 11am. It was good advice. My friends who lived in the city next to a park told me they often heard people trying out their new illegal handguns in the park at night. The corruption was palpable. A bunch of midwestern doctors joined together to invest in a phony scheme in which they invested money in Baltimore row house rehabilitation and resale. Houses sold for 8 to 10 thousand, got 5 or six thousand in repainting and plumbing, then flipped for 30 to 40 thousand. I was hired by the doctors to inspect their investment. More than half of their investment consisted of boarded-up shells, the rest barely livable. Somebody got paid well to issue occupancy permits..I actually heard angry screaming over the phone when I told them. Baltimore is a giant hole that sucks all of Maryland's wealth and enriches the corrupt.
Great post.
So incredibly well stated, I concur 100%. This is another example of what goes wrong when politicians and police coddle criminals. Its sad, pathetic and incredibly disgraceful!
Let's not forget Baltimore Behavioral Health, a "co-occuring disorder" drug/psychiatric rehab that was a massive Medicare scam. They took in homeless people, gave them all a phony mental health diagnosis, and billed the state for "treatment" that consisted of daily group therapy and sample drug packets.
Well racism in the job market is rampant too you can have a college degree and struggle to find work if you are black there,easier to commute to DC to get a living wage
@@jamesdombrowski7612 do not forget some of the worst racists in america there too
It was 80 or 81 when me and a buddy were there. The night before we had seen Van Halen in concert. The next day when we were walking through Harbor Place wearing our concert tee's, we met Eddy Van Halen and David Lee Roth just strolling through. Somewhere in a box I still have their autographs. That was the place to be.
"You can't go home again", because home is no longer there. So sad.
Well that’s an amazing story! The line about not being able to go home again is one I think of a lot for numerous situations like this. It’s sad, but true. Thanks for watching!
Great story,sadly that line really applies here.Dead malls~Dead Eddy VanHalen and yet another dying long run Democrat city.Same as in CLEs Tower City Center,filth,crime and high taxes will do it every time.💀
So, so sad. It brought tears to my eyes to see this happen to Harbor Place. We had very happy memories here. Whenever we thought of going someplace special for the day, Harbor Place always popped up. It was never a dull moment. R.I.P.
I miss the fudge guy
My family used to often go to the inner harbor when i was a kid 20 years ago. I miss those days good family days before it started to seemed like everything is feeding as an adult
My family that lived in the area were proud to take us out of towner's to the restaurants and show off the Harbor Place. My nephew drove around pointing out the various attractions and stopping for a meal. Sometimes had a hard time finding a place to park on a Saturday or Sunday, everything was so busy. Last in the area about 5 years ago and found a closed Walmart not far from Harbor Front. My families have all moved away from the area now. No one lives in the city I know, some are still in the Towson area.
Agree. Truly a bummer
As you mentioned in the video I visited this area and eat at several of the restaurants. However if the stores were not kept up and the local and tourist don’t feel safe the mall or shopping center will not be successful. I am from Philadelphia and our downtown mall also was failing. However new management came in and revitalized the old areas. While I would not say it is as successful as in the past it still have many stores and bar/ restaurants are open and doing ok business. So if a good management firm took over these old spaces and repurposed and redesigned the floor area to better serve the local and tourist market it could still be successful.
Wow! Unbelievable! I have not been to Baltimore in a decade, and I am floored by how dead the once lively Harbor Place has become.
So sad to see what happened. I enjoyed going to the Inner Harbor. I remember always going to Philip’s Seafood restaurant.
Yes! They usually had a jazz band playing on the weekends and always good food.
It aint shit to do here nomore
@@1Leeky- you are wrong &*^% is still there in a different form
I feel genuinely lucky to have grown up in the last truly bustling era of the Baltimore downtown scene. The Barnes and Noble, ESPN Zone and aquarium were some of my absolute favorite places as a kid and the shopping center was a major part of my life for a long time. My last excursion there was in 2018 on my 20th birthday where I got my first drink at a restaurant because the staff at Bubba Gump misunderstood when I told them my age and didn't bother to card me since I was with my family. I'll never forget that and many other fond memories I've had in Baltimore's downtown scene. I've been a Baltimoron all my life and it's truly sad to see the places I grew up laughing and playing in slowly die...
The ESPN Zone was a fun place to gather to watch games with sports fans. I was sorry to see it close, that and the one in DC. Barnes & Noble was my favorite place too before and after Orioles games.
Thank democRATS for your beloved ruins.
Keep voting Demonrat, watch it all rot away.
@@JB-lp9xr Nonsense 😂 Poverty and blight destroy cities just as much as firearms. Funny how prosperous cities have been economically run into the ground by the Democrats.
I used to love going shopping at The Gallery
I visited Inner Harbor often about 20-30 year ago . The night life was fun with the entertainment in the harbor and the food choices. Started limiting visits to daytime only due to crime and unruly youth.. My last visit was to an Orioles game in 2015 when we were essentially locked inside the stadium following the game due to the riots. That was enough for me. Never went back. It is a shame to see how this once vibrant location as declined.
The whole area down there just isn’t the same anymore, it’s really disappointing for those of us who knew it during better times.
@@IanMartinExploration You hit the nail on the head with the city opting to pull in major brands over local born business was a detrimental factor causing the decline there.
If the harbor was cleaned,crime put under control,and local business focused on Maryland history,foods,and culture was allowed to thrive i'm pretty sure people would even fight traffic to patronize the inner harbor again.
I worked at the warehouse at Camden Yards from 2016 to 2020. Five days a week. Never had a single issue.
I was there also , we were playing the Boston Red Sox
@@IanMartinExploration Totally Agree! The last time I visited the area was when I went to a concert at Pier 6 with my wife. She remarked the the Pier 6 Concert Paviolin was "not really in the nicest of areas" and I told her that the Inner Harbor was a really nice vibrant area when I was a kid.
This is so disturbing. I have lived in the D.C. metro area for decades. We used to go up to the Inner Harbor frequently in the summers. It was a lively, vibrant, great place with interesting shops, restaurants, a seafood market, sales places for local products, lots of people. I knew that Baltimore's crime problem kept people away and then the pandemic but I never thought it would decline into this state of disrepair. How depressing.
Same memories of fun and vibrant growth accessible for a great weekend trip out of DC, back in the day. I hadn't realized the Inner Harbor had fallen into this sad state of deliberate neglect. And I can't help but think that a certain NY Real Estate Investment firm has been happily squatting on this particular investment because the income loss they get to report on their tax forms is such a lucrative tax write off for them. Just think of how large a tax break they've been able to generate by reducing the taxable income from their enormously profitable portfolio of active properties. Financially, it's a win-win for the smart yacht class, who have simply acquired a legal means of keeping all those taxes they would have otherwise had to pay to the government ... all to themselves! Who cares that the centerpiece of Baltimore's economic revival got sucked dry to keep the rich getting ever richer. How DISGUSTING.
Oh, and now that it's been fully depreciated, it's been sold off to a local developer and so now lucky Baltimore gets the chance to try and pull itself back up by it's own bootstraps and recreate the magic that was going to transform everything once upon a time.
EAT THE RICH
@@thundercrown278 You hit the nail on the head
I think they will build it up again. They redid Lexington market. Trouble is crime. They may have to do a Giuliani here.
Not gonna lie; You can find good deals on meth down there.
Even if you had no money you could sit down the harbor and people watch. This hurts me so bad to see. I live in GA now and had no clue at all that it was this rundown.
My sister works in Baltimore, we often talk about it being a dying city. Bad politicians making bad decisions, recent riots, too much of the dangerous "urban atmosphere" and high crime has hurt even the pro sports teams which fueled the downtown area's. She works at a law firm and they have hired security to walk them to their cars in shifts. It was failing and Covid put a wooden stake in this Metro-Vampire's heart.
The “urban atmosphere” isn’t the problem. Urban living in a good city is a lovely and rewarding experience. The problem Baltimore has is that it isn’t a good city. It’s been run into the ground and has very few walkable and pleasant areas. Simply put, there’s too much brutalist architecture, too many cars, and too much parking. Good architecture, walkable urban design, and making streets more pedestrian oriented would help bring back foot traffic and resuscitate the area. Foot traffic also helps make areas feel safer, because there’s more people around. Criminals mug people in deserted back alleys, not in the middle of a crowd of witness who might try to stop them. And more foot traffic means more businesses, which means more taxes to fund social services. But Baltimore isn’t run by people who are willing to really make the kind of changes necessary to revitalize the city.
@@michaelimbesi2314 Its the joggers.
It sounds like everyone in that city just refuses to change and redevelop, and no one gives a damn anymore. But if y'all wanna let y'all city die, go right ahead.
@@michaelimbesi2314 it's Democrat voters past 50 years
Yeah, the urban atmosphere is totally the problem. 100% agree...those who deny it are wilfully ignorant.
Wow! I'm shocked! I was living in Baltimore and working at Alex Brown & Sons when Harborplace opened. Harborplace was like Disneyland. All the crowds. All the fanfare. All the buzz. Harborplace was Jim Rouse's crowning achievement.
Me too !! This was their crown jewel !!
Same here. I live just outside of Baltimore. I remember the 1980's. It was the place to go eat, shop and walk around. It was bustling and vibrant. This is just sad.
I am shocked. I worked at Alex. Brown too and can remember walking down there at lunchtime. It was bustling with restaurants and gift shops, very sad.
Yup. Even back then there was crime but not as rampant as it was the last time I visited in 2018. I used to walk along the harbor during my lunch breaks or when I just wanted to get away from work and clear my head. I saw the writing on the wall when some stinky-assed, drunken, dirty, homeless black assh*le confronted me because I wasn't speaking "American" (his words) while I was talking to a family member on my cell phone. That was when I decided to find another job away from Baltimore and I ended up moving to Central Virginia in 2000. I haven't looked back since!!
I was working at Merrill Lynch at 25 Charles Street just as Charles Street was in the process of being moved to create the real estate on which this could be developed. I lived close by in Mt Vernon--a true and beautiful urban neighborhood. Urban planners made lots of mistakes in the 70s, but then, they always have. I've lived in NYC for 40 years now. When I got here, virtually none of the waterfront of Manhattan was developed for recreation. It has taken some cities a long time to re-think and re-purpose their natural advantages so they they serve something other than then interests of big business. Failure to do that is a big part of why people increasingly refused to live in the cities in the 50s and 60s.
Growing up in the 80s/90s, coming to the inner harbor on an occasional school field trip or as a family outing was always a special treat, from the science center and the Baltimore aquarium to the malls. Both the streets in the buildings were bustling with people of all ages……… Seeing those empty malls is a sad and eerie sight at the same time………
Malls were THE place to be back then. They'll never be the same.
Used to go before Oriole games or after. Before Ravens games too.
It’s the future. At least in cities like Baltimore
Baltimore was stuck in the 90's with these old pavilions. They were a cool tourist attraction in the 90's, but relying on Hooters, gift shops, a food court, and a few stores to get people to come all the way downtown to a city isn't going to cut it anymore. And those types of attractions faded away over a decade ago. Plus the rowdy crowds of teens downtown don't help. Baltimore needs to get with modern times. It has one of the most depressing and rundown downtowns of any major city. The area around Royal Farms arena (or whatever they're calling it now) is so rundown, and that is smack in the middle of downtown Baltimore. Such a depressing city.
I use to live in Towson and remember fondly going to the inner harbor in the 80's, 90's and early 2000. It was always packed with people.The stores, entrainment and the visual experience at night was wonderful. I fondly remember the smells coming from the former McCormick spice warehouse nearby wafing over the harbor as you walked around. Brings back pleasant memories.
What blows mind is MALL owners drive tenants out with crazy high rent prices on purpose. I’m from TX our only local mall is almost a dead mall only 25% occupants now. I’m a hairstylist and I know the owner of Chick-fil-A and even they left the mall so I asked him, why they left if they are always so crazy busy and he said the mall raised rent to 15K a month in 2019 so that’s why most stores left.
Commercial real estate is a racket
15k a month means theyre ONLY charging 500 a day. At $5 a sandwich they need only to serve 100 sandwich a day.
Which was exactly how management used their greed to justify rent.
They were pinching every penny out of the business that they think the business can afford to pay.
Greed kills business. And the thought process is if the chickfila dont stay then someone else will.
☹️
Hedge fund taking over real estate wanting to make the most profit possible. Driv8ng away tenants with huge rents .
I was born and raised Baltimore and spent my life studying it's history. This is the New World Reformation project.
In the 80s it went from a working port / warehouse area that employed many of the residents to the new tourist attraction for the "We are the World" generation that I was raised in.
The 80s plans were ridiculous from the beginning - anyone that lives here knows that NO one wants to be walking the waterfront in the dead of winter. The summers were amazing times - local performers at the amphitheater, local business owners with stalls in the pavilions and local people strolling around with the fascinated tourists. Then the performers had to get a permit, the local business became commercial chains and "science" capped off both ends.
I watched the Inner Harbor get built from the windows of the News American building across the street. Now, that new is the old and the more money is being spent to create what they destroyed.
Bad policy ruined the entire town. No saving it.
Enough with the touristy crap, Baltimore should have a working waterfront again.
Same thing in San Diego. Total tourist trap now. Was nice conservative navy town , but now, fruits , nuts and homeless
@@davevolz6138 San Diego is savable perhaps.... It's not San Fran or LA at least. Baltimore is beyond saving.
I'm not following what the problem is that you're describing. Please elaborate.
This is really wild to see. Even five or six years ago when I was in Baltimore those spaces were still relatively occupied but it was clearly in decline. I can remember twenty plus years ago when the entire Inner Harbor area was absolutely packed with people and vibrant businesses. It was real experience going down there, on the weekends it was literally packed elbow to elbow inside those two buildings. Hard to reconcile with what I'm seeing in the video.
You are correct. It was elbow to elbow
This guy is lying the Inner Harbor is doing just fine. These buildings on the inner harbor we're closed cause of Covid but they are re-opening again. The inner harbor is still vibrant as ever, he also showed the inner harbor during winter during the pandemic no duh they look dead.
I grew up in the Batimore area. The Inner Harbor was a destination and I was there all of the time as a kid. I moved away years ago, but my wife and I used to come to Baltimore to visit, take in a ballgame, and have dinner. We also later brought our kids to the harbor, the Yards and the aquarium, and go to a restaurant as a treat. We never came back after the riots and the explosion of crime. Honestly, Baltimore was always kind of dangerous, and you never wanted to wander too far away from the Inner Harbor anyway, even in the 80s and 90s. It's also kind of a long drive from where I live now, so it didn't seem worth the effort anymore. It turns our it's not worth it. I'm shocked and saddened to see the Inner Harbor this way, but I am not at all surprised. I've been to other cities whose prime shopping and dining areas have also collapsed over the past decade and it seems Baltimore is no different. Cities are too inaccessible, dangerous, and expensive.
Inner Harbor was bustling when I first went there in 2002. Surprised how different it was when I last went there in 2019.
It’s like the polar opposite of itself from 20 years ago
I was at Harbor Place for its grand opening. Much hype and fanfare. Spent many enjoyable weekends there. Very sad to see what it has become. The entire Inner Harbor area is a sad shadow of its former self. The biggest problem is the demise of Baltimore itself; crime ridden and a scary place anymore 😪
Lots of single people and young couples still go there in the summertime but let's face it no one with the family would ever go there anymore it's just too dangerous.
Baltimore... suffers from a Reign of Error. Put stupid people in government, watch stupid things happen. This, generally, is what to expect when newspapers become stenographers for city hall personalities.
@Spay or Neuter CHRISTIANS It's reassuring for the future of the species that many atheists tend to spay or neuter themselves.
@Spay or Neuter CHRISTIANS Don't start accusing others of being indoctrinated until you can show the data that atheists have more children than Christians.
@Spay or Neuter CHRISTIANS Please read again what I said and explain where the hate, gullibility or ignorance is. Your baseless assertions mean nothing without merit. So please show the empirical evidence you have to prove my "ignorance" and "indoctrination".
This is astonishing; I was last through there about a decade ago to visit the aquarium and it was such a beehive of activity back then.
I lived in Maryland for many years, and I think the last time I came to these malls was in 2008 before I move across the country. This is crazy to see, as in 2008 this place was happening and full.
I live here still. Back in the 90's I made upwards of $500 to $700 a shift working at a restaurant called City Lights in the Light St Pavillion. I gotta say, you're brave walking around there. If you wanna know why it died , look at the crime statistics! Outdoor shopping on prime waterfront property still exists but you need to head to Harbor East, Fells Point and Canton. You couldn't pay me to walk around there now, and I live 5 min away!?
That is a key point you mention - the "places to be" shifted location, including even to some older neighborhoods that got a refresh. You get to the other side of the Aquarium and things begin coming back to life. The redevelopment around Harborplace also happened sort of in a vacuum without really considering how one thing coordinated with another.
Is Fells Point still a good place ?
Forever
Hahaha it's really not that bad at all. I think your a little bit fearful
I agree. I've been down there a few times with guests from out of town. Never in my life have I witnessed so many large crowds of rowdy teens causing trouble in any other city, as I have in Baltimore. It was unreal. When my friends came to visit from Atlanta, we were walking back to their hotel across Pratt Street and witnessed a group of teens jump another teen. He was bloodied on the sidewalk and we had to hail a police to come to his aide. That left a terrible impression of the city for my friends, and they all vowed they would never have reason to come back to Baltimore. I also met up at the harbor with friends visiting from Philly for an Orioles game, and while walking the harbor a huge group of teens were yelling, cursing, and causing mayhem. Everyone was scared and kind of in shock. Luckily there were some police that saw the commotion and approached the teens. I used to live near Detroit, and honestly as bad as it has been crime-wise, I never witnessed the crowds of teens causing trouble to the degree I see in Baltimore. You are correct that if Baltimore wants to ever make that area nice, they are going to have to make it safe.
I can’t continue watching. Breaks my heart. I use to go there in the mid eighties. For some odd reason I thought it might still be full of restaurants and shops! I moved to Hawaii in 1987 and haven’t been back. WOW, just WOW!
Fear of crime caused this once thriving wonderland to close. We visited for years. We called it "Inner Harbor." We always liked "Hooters." t's a wonder people still dare to go to Camden Yards. The entire area is crime ridden, and dangerous after dark. One night (about 13 years ago) after seeing a ball game, we walked about 15 yards to the entry of the subway and were astonished to find that the nearest entrance to catch the subway was chained shut. We had to walk underground about 100 yards to the first open entry to the subway cars. A young woman asked us whether she could walk with us. An armed policeman on foot told all of us, "Be careful, it's dangerous." He would not accompany us. We sensed he was afraid to go with us.
I was a Baltimore City Cop that worked the Inner Harbor for 3 yrs from 2001-2004. When I worked there it was a thriving business center. All the stores were filled and on Weekends you could Hardly walk through the pavilions or the Amphitheater. So many tourist from other countries would stop me and say How beautiful it is! I moved to Florida in 2004 and returned in 2011. When I visited the Harbor I was shocked. Almost all the stores were gone Including the Fudgery,which was a Harborplace institution. How sad. I blame the City government that let this Jewel die! So sad!
Good video. I live in Baltimore. On a beautiful sunny weekend the walkways around the harbor are packed with people walking, jogging, walking their dogs, etc. But nowhere to eat and shop! It's really weird.
Yes the aquarium is jam packed on weekends. But the area has nothing to offer. Meanwhile Fells Point is full of restaurants and bars. I guess everyone just goes there now
Grew up in Little Italy in late 90s early 2000s. This area was buzzing with people at all times. My favorite place was visiting the KBTiys that was there to do Christmas shopping. It broke my heart when going out there a few months back how much the waterfront had changed.
Man I loved KB Toys as a kid. I was always in the same store at Eastpoint mall.
The local experience comment hit the nail on the head. I lived like 10 or 11 blocks from it in the 80's. Harbor Place was a destination. It was cool bringing in nationwide chains like Cheesecake and Hooters to kind of shown they made it for the tourists to have something they are familiar with but we always went for the restaurants, sports bars, top of the world trade center, walk the promenade... But the city had to jump the shark on everything and the harbor was no different. They tried to turn the whole harbor area into Disneyland. Both stadiums (the only team with a half decent record year after year plays 8 games a season there), harbor place, the power plant, the Sci center, Aquarium, the fish market, etc, etc, half of which failed almost out of the box. It got too popular for locals and not popular enough to be a destination for tourists to come there alone for. Then throw in the cops were insanely bad and have just gotten worse. Crime is the same. Going by boat is a nightmare (water cops, harbor master BS). I was there about 10 years ago, Harbor Place lost its shucking oysters, knocking back a couple beers waterfront vibe and turned into any Mall in the country shopping experience. Not to mention it's run down as hell.
The small regional restaurant company I worked for back in the 90s and early 2000s had 2 locations at the Inner Harbor. The rents on the spaces were obscene. We were paying more than rents in Georgetown, Capitol Hill and all DC & Baltimore suburbs. $30,000 per month is a lot of burgers to flip. Landlord greed, along with a perennially losing baseball team, killed Inner Harbor.
Another person commented that about the second floor food court. I remember that as well in the Light Street Pavilion, too. There were lots of different places to get great food and dessert. Even ice cream at Swensen's. My friends and I use to drive from D.C. to the Inner Harbor to shop, eat, walk, talk and sit by the water. We visited from the early 1980s until about 2000. We'd get there early so we could get a parking space in the garage across Pratt Street. There were always soooo many people, and we had a great time every time! We would stay there for hours and head back home that night. It's really sad to see a place (I enjoyed so much) go from restaurants, stores, novelty shops and other businesses that were booming and swarming with patrons...to being vacant and ultimately closing for business. *sigh*
The boardwalk fries and the lemonade stand always had my money. The seagulls ate half the fries though.
@@surelock22That boardwalk fries place had the BEST fries.
Grew up in MD and remember the Inner Harbor being a bustling area always filled with tourists and locals alike. I haven’t been downtown in years though and I’m so surprised to see it basically abandoned like this.
I visited the Inner Harbor in the late 80s. It was a bustling, fun, memorable experience with views of the water. What a failure of the city to let this happen.
I've been downtown twice in 5 years- once for the Xmas market, and once for a concert at Soundstage. Everything else packed up and moved to Canton or Fell's Point, or up to Charles Village and Hampden, or just out of the city entirely.
It was at a teetering point in 2019 where it could either collapse or get a new effort or investment and take off again after the riots. The issue was the pandemic forced the final knife in. They more or less need to start from scratch in the inner harbor. I think a big problem in baltimore especially, is that you have all these nice neighborhoods, Fells, Canton, Federal Hill, Inner Harbor and they are all islands with a no mans land between them. The city needs to make a concerted effort to invest in connecting all of these southern neighborhoods into a new city core and fight to keep it up.
Six Flags had an indoor attraction called "The Power Plant" there. Inner Harbor was amazing when it was built. Then it became "Mondawmin-By-The-Sea". One of the companies I worked for had their convention there and a bunch of people who went to the ESPN Zone ended up being PUSHED into the harbor after being robbed on the way back to their hotel. Once they had something called the AF-RAM festival and there was a stampede that trashed the place just because something fell and made a loud noise.
carpenter ants
The 12:12 mark nails it. Yes, all cities experience decay and rebirth, and I hate to see charm city falter (I moved away in 1999). The remaining shops and restaurants in this video are businesses that can be found in any suburb, USA. When I lived there, the majority were small and/or local entities; the Hard Rock Cafe was a notable exception. Whom are they trying to attract? I hope that anything new will be local and organic, like businesses you would find in Fells Point or Federal Hill.
Awesome video. I left Baltimore over 35 years ago and moved to Florida. This is a very sad trip down Memory Lane. The Inner Harber was once "THE" place to go. Soooooooooooooooooooo sad to see it in disrepair as it is. All of those beautiful and new high rise buildings look awesome but can't believe how Harborplace has deteriorated. But seeing on the TV of the crime that is going on in Baltimore would be a big deterrent to visit. Baltimore was a beautiful city and still is in parts but what is happening in the cities nowadays is tearing it apart. Thank you for your video, I enjoyed it and brought back a lot of memories even those it is sad to see what it is today. Don Hooper Ocala, Fl.
Thanks so much for watching, Don! And I agree with you entirely. This used to be the place to go and now it’s left to just sit half-abandoned right there in the middle of the hustle and bustle going on around it. Such a shame.
Yep and the one in Jacksonville was modeled after this one and now looks like crap too!
Our Overlords are quickly changing the paradigm to the new 15 minute city, where everyone stays put in their neighborhoods so as to not disrupt the rich and mighty in their estates.
Democratic (progressive/woke) politics destroy the fabric of society at every conceivable level.
I lived in BMo from 2012-2016 (Highlandtown) and worked downtown at the Federal building when it was on Howard Street. The Inner Harbor was the place to be on the weekends or at lunch. I was there when the riots happened which really kind of started the down fall. I was telling my wife about how The Gallery had shut down and showed her that video (part 1 of your series). Saw this one even as I was wondering how the Inner Harbor area had ferried everything over the last two years. It is very sad to see these one bustling areas now in this decay. As you panned through the areas I was thinking "Oh, that was the fudge shop" "that's were that cool trinket shop was" and so on. Thanks, Ian, for this and other vid. Heartbreaking, but very informative.
I remember visiting the aquarium in the 80s, and how fun and eclectic the Inner Harbor pavilions were. The food court on the upper level of the Light St pavilion had so much variety and was bustling. There was always a crowd around the singing fudge makers. These pavilions were an indoor market. I went back in the 2000s and it was so commercialized, like a cookie cutter mall - the variety was gone and the food court was replaced with fast casual sit down dining.
I remember going here as a kid and enjoying the funky little shops like the kite store and that crazy place that sold penguin toys and such. And the eatery-ye gods, the eatery! It was easy to kill a day just at the Harbor Place Pavilion alone! So depressing to see yet another favorite place of my youth basically dead and gone!
The old saying was wrong-you really CAN go home again, but the trouble is that some twisted maniac has changed all the locks!
You both hit the key points about what made that area so great for both kids and adults. It was the perfect place to bring dates when I was a little older and always had a great atmosphere. Loved going to the water fountains and then across the street to the Hyatt to ride the glass elevator up at night to get a great view of the city from the top.
There was a great Team sports clothing store that I always loved going to and seeing all the different jerseys and shirts on display. I assume the mall across Pratt is empty now too? Sad what has become of the area.
I remember going here a few times in the early 1980s. It was spectacular, bustling with merchants and people and always something to see. There would be live entertainment outside on weekends and it was so much fun. It was gorgeous at Christmas time. What a loss for Baltimore! I left the area in the 80s and never got an opportunity to go back. The locals get what they vote for
I went here today and I was shocked. Last time I was here was in 2017. There was so many people and things to do. Now it’s just nothing. A few stores here and there. Bubba gump gone. Uno was closed because of a “electrical problem” I doubt that. Employees were just sitting around with nothing to do. This is how I need to remember this place now and it’s sad.
the uno closed because they opened another location in a better part of the city and they couldn’t maintain two unos
What a sad video. This was one of the few things that highlighted the Baltimore area. I'm originally from Baltimore and it is really sad to see everything going completely down hill! And in just two years! So many jobs lost so many people abandoned! Thank you for a truly stunning video!!
Most amazing part is you survived this tour without being mugged
It's like this everywhere.. Formerly fun vibrant places full of good memories just decayed, dead and abandoned. Landlords refusing to lower rents due to speculation investment ensuring the situation never improves. Hopefully things change and it all comes back again someday.
People;e come to areas where they are happening, they are not staying there, they are not eating at restaurants, they simply mob the area and make people who actually being there nervous. This is playing out in Miami, Las Vegas, Ontario Mills in Ca. Low rent go to Resort in a nice area.
This is heartbreaking. I was there in '99 and it was so nice. I never would have thought this happened.
Facts ..I was there in 2000
Very lively , and populated .
..this is unbelievable to me 😵💫
I was a Harrisburg resident. Me and my friends used to pop down there every now and then for a nice day back in the 90s. Despite Baltimore's legendary crime, we never had any problem. This video saddens me greatly.
The Fudgery was such a unique, one-of-a-kind place! A great attraction. Loved the McCormick Spice Museum with its historical displays and wide variety of spices for sale. The great assortment of local eating places. Agreed the quest to bring in national "mall stores" was a mistake!
After Rouse Company was bought by General Growth Properties, HP went downhill. Then the NYers sucked the remaining life. Now squeegee mafia everywhere..and politicians dont care.
Save your dollars and visit a suburb instead.
Agreed, and then it becomes one of those vicious cycles. But y'know... you bring in the national chain so you can make bigger rent$ (loved the fudgery, too!)
I live in the neighborhood and it is heartbreaking to see this is happening right in the heart of the city. Also on the power plant side and water street side, there have been mid-upper scale restaurants but they have been long gone for years and left the many spaces unoccupied/abandoned. Frustrating to see the area going downhill. Why landlords aren’t interested in bringing businesses to make the area thrive?
Businesses will locate where they can make money. If the government won't provide a safe environment, customers won't come.
Thanks for the grand tour. I'm from Philly and the last time I was down to the Inner Harbor area was when my two kids were in elementary school and took a field trip there 18-20 years ago. Who would have thought it could go south so fast ??
They are just letting it die out, luxury buildings are coming, so sad what a nice place!!! Much love to B More from the MIA!!!
That's the key- the landlords aren't dumb, they have a plan.
When they built these malls, the Inner Harbor became the biggest tourist attraction in Maryland. Either the tourist just stopped coming because of boredom, or it was because of the fear of crime. Norfolk tried the same thing with similar results.
I’ve heard that about Norfolk. Is there anything left of their version or is it all gone at this point?
@@IanMartinExploration What surprises me there is no thought of how the riots and the Covid responses affected this.
It is the crime which killed this area, black crime is out of control, but everyone is afraid to say the truth.
@@johnmurray5271 100%!
Yep, they modeled the one in Jacksonville a decade later exactly like this one and when I last was there about 5 years ago, it looked like this as well. This actually more reminds me now of one of the UK locations of Clockwork Orange.
Awesome Video. Happy New Year!
Great video.
I live in DC. When I first moved to the area, Baltimore's Inner Harbour was the #1 day trip. Since then, National Harbor in PG County and DC'S Waterfront have opened, along with at least five casinos, depending on how you count. In 2023, unless I want see the aquarium, the Yankees (!) or the Ravens, there is zero reason to drive to Baltimore. I can visit ItsSugar ten blocks from my house.
Moving forward, the only indoor malls that are going to survive are ones with a compelling mix of tenants, including restaurants and "experiences" that can't easily be replicated elsewhere.
I almost cried going here last year. So many memories, I used to live in walking distance. Such a shame its like this now!
See black people
These kinds of places thrive off both convenience and novelty: once they lose that people start coming less, and because of the super high rents almost all malls charge tenants any loss of customers is deadly.
Plus people go to the inner harbor for an experience, not to do generic shopping you could do at literally countless places throughout the country. The decline of the pavilions is deeply jarring considering the foot traffic around them, but it does make sense.
Agreed. This happens with many former destination centers. The rents get too high and the experience become generic.
I’m truly shocked. I had a friend who lived near Baltimore. Whenever I went for a visit we always headed to the Inner Harbor. It was a real gem. To see it like this is just sad.
I literally grew up at the Inner Harbor. I lived in a housing project near the main post office. My first real job at 16 was in the Light St Pavilion called The Nature Company. My first 3 jobs after high school were located in the Gallery. It is amazingly sad how Baltimore City allowed the Harbor to become what it is today. You made a good point about the unique and local experience and I totally agree with that comment. It has been said that people stopped shopping at the Inner Harbor once the stores that were once unique to that area were made available at other easily accessible areas like Arundel Mills and Towson Town Center. What's happening at the Inner Harbor maybe a little darker than that. The Inner Harbor is alive and well, just not in the former location. It's actually called Harbor East starting at the bottom of President St. When the shops started to close at the Inner Harbor, they were moving straight to the Harbor East location. The H&M opening was right at the water front entrance. The second level in the LIght St Pavilion was closed because it literally was nothing there but the Hooters. The Ripleys took up everything else up there. Everything. I had no clue that the Pratt St Pavilion was completely blocked off from the inside. It use to be a beautiful boutique on the first floor in the middle that sold the most beautiful earrings. Others always mention crime, but the crime is no heavier there than anywhere else in the city. The deserted pavilions mean something else to me, but that's a conversation for another. day.
The ice rink is only December usually. Between the crime, the filth, parking, the economy. Low tourism… the real estate isn’t great. Most malls in md are declining. We barely have Reisterstown Road Plaza 96% vacant. Owings Mills mall is gone. Land redeveloped. Towson is losing stores. I believe Eastpoint may be gone or headed there. Mondawmin only has marijuana and sneakers
You are right...this mall was the flagship for the original developer (Rouse Corporation). They opened so many shopping centers as far back as the 1950's, some of which had mixed use-- even with apartments that far back. I think that they built the Grand Avenue Mall here in Milwaukee (1982-now redeveloped into mostly office space called The Avenue) as well. Harborplace was the example for cities all across America as to how you could redevelop your downtown shopping areas, which were on the decline from suburban development and competition. I appreciate your showing of the directories. and wish you had access to those old pamphlets that they used to hand out with store directories and maps...showing how great, and how many stores (and the names of them) when it was in it heyday. Thanx for posting
Rouse also built Harundale Mall,, the first enclosed and air-conditioned mall east of the Mississippi. That's gone now, too, they opened it up.
Wow, that is so sad. I live near York, PA, and I haven’t been down to the Harbor in several years. We used to love looking through those shops and the mall across the street. Over 20 years ago, I used to work at Allfirst Bank. When I’d come downtown, I would regularly hit up the food places on the 2nd floor of the one building for lunch when the weather was nice.
High rent...high crime...bad traffic...no parking....interior mall...dated aesthetics... . I was a big part of that part of town on 1986. That area was the place to be. 35 years can change everything you know. Time to foreclose...tear down...
It's honestly the perfect storm between, The high cost of operating a business in the area, The preference for online shopping, and being pushed over the edge by COVID. The Galleria mall across the street had their stores shut down 1 by 1 as well.
Don’t forget to add crime to the mix - kids down there from nearby digital harbor harassing people - squeegee boys in every major intersection of downtown harassing people and shooting people!!!
Why didn't you mention the crime? Hummm. I wonder.
@@SimonBarsinister probably because its considered racist now to label what would otherwise be criminal activity as a crime, if its done by a minority group.
@@SimonBarsinister Crime has always been a factor I am speaking on new issues.
I also lived there in the 90s, and experience the crime but it was still an active tourist attraction. I returned after living in DC and while the Harbor was not a unique attraction it still had active stores and the gallery was still opened. With your "Hmmmm, I wonder why" You appear to be making a personal implication. I have no personal interest in convincing anyone that cities don't have crime. All the best.
@@cynthianichole2732 He's just basically saying because you are Black you didn't address the crime issue that he is implying mostly Blacks in the area initiate. Typical racist implications with no context from a moron. Facts are the crime exacerbated after the riots of 2015 and has been a main issue ever since, and yes the majority of the crime is by local urban Blacks in Baltimore with a hood mentality.
I have not seen crime initiated by Blacks that are blue collar-working class, college educated or business-owning professionals. More opportunity and a lack criminalization for non-violent offender may assist with the recidivism issues that usually result in the criminality observed in the city. However, individuals that choose a criminal lifestyle usually because of environment will continue to do so regardless. It is more of a cultural issue starting in the home.
Grew up in Towson,MD. Used to come here a lot on weekends when I was a kid. I moved to Chicago 7 years ago and haven’t been to Harborplace since. Damn, what a fall from grace.
I am heartbroken too bro
This makes me incredibly sad. Just yesterday, I was looking at old childhood photos of me and my family enjoying time here in the early 2000s...
(1) Overall Baltimore is a Blue Collar town and Blue Collar folks can be found @ Walmart type places. (2) Online shopping 🛒🛍️ and Apps like Door dash make it so that you can experience good times at home or a place where you DON'T have to find parking.
(3) Overall Mall Shopping 🛒🛍️ has been on the decline for at least two decades in the USA.
The did renovate the Pratt pavilion (the small one). They put new storefront on the water side and made the stores accessible from the outside, which is why the first floor interior was closed off. It used to be you could only access the first floor shops from the inside. New sidewalks were also put in along the building. Its all the same mall crap you could get anywhere, with really expensive parking and lots of crime. The city ruined it.
Oh nice! I didn’t realize they were redoing the Pratt st pavilion. I think it being all the same stuff you could get anywhere else is what really did it in for them. Why mess with this area when you can get somewhere else a lot easier and cheaper and get the same stuff.
The city didn’t do anything to it, it’s privately owned. And It’s Sugar (one of the stores accessible from the outside) is doing really well.
Parking isn’t expensive, it’s actually below market in the area. Building parking in an urban core is extremely expensive both in land cost and opportunity cost and should be done sparingly. That’s how dead cities are built.
Residents of the city still walk all around the waterfront area (I biked by it twice yesterday) but there is zero appeal to walking inside either of these buildings.
I lived in Federal Hill in the late 90's and I would've never guessed this outcome. The inner harbor on weekends and during Orioles/Ravens games was so jammed packed full of people. It was a fun place to live.
What a sad loss. The Inner Harbor was a regular destination for us, and to take out of town family to visit. Lunchtimes there had the feel of being on vacation! 😊 When daytime shootings began in the Pratt St. Pavillion, the good times came to an end. 😔
over run
I grew up with the Harbor Place being a local day spot. You go to the Science Center or National Aquarium and walk over to the Harbor Place for a quick meal, go to The Fudgery and get a song and a sample. Go to the Discovery Store - etc. Maybe if the sun was right, we would ask to go to the Top of the World Trade Center and look at the water front from the 27th floor. I think the decline started after the Grand Prix in 2011. They made a lot of adjustments to traffic and never reverted it. They updated walk paths for pedestrians. Parking is expensive and far away from the Harbor Place. Theres not a lot of ADA options along the waterfront. Theres bus stops, but the bus sucks. The light rail stop is down by Camden Yards or over by the Shot Tower, so imagine walking along the Block on Baltimore St to get to the water front. The City did a lot of prevent people from easily getting there. The safeness feeling has been going down over the years. If I want to have a waterfront experience, I go to Fells Point. It it much more walkable. Theres more local charm and beauty. I don't have to go inside a liminal 1980's mall to grab a bite to eat...
The problem with a lot of the places around the Harbor is landlords wanting to much for rent. We had Best Buy at one point, Panera, ESPN zone and the list goes on. I worked in Harbor Place Light street pavilion when it first opened and that place was always non stop busy. A lot of the landlords keep raising the price of rent and especially if the business does well. There is a load of reasons why, but it's just sad what Baltimore use to be and what it is now.
ESPN zone was my SHIT
Did you forget the crime?
I blame the landlords for the crime.
Gosh.....I haven't been down there in years but damn that is tough to see. So many good memories from that place. A lot of fun was had.
Wow this was my favorite place whenever we come back to visit families and DC …
Wow! I nearly cried after seeing this! I remember Harbor Place very well in my younger days and remember that it was a day trip just to see everything as the area was vibrant and thriving. Even the Constellation moved as it was originally next to the trade center. So sad to see that the powers that be and corrupt real estate developers essentially ruined the city.
my theory was simple for this mall. why fight with downtown traffic then have to pay for parking only to pay for overpriced items when I could just go to a county mall or mondawmin? I think to get into the Ripley's believe it or not was like 35-45 dollars. that is insane prices. I only go down there for the aquarium and I used to go to the barnes & noble before they closed. it was the best bookstore in maryland to me.
Very valid theory if you ask!
Yeah that Ripley place was insane never touched foot in there because of the price.........but it was other things to see and do the boat trips was too short for the money they was asking I was a young broke father trying to stretch my money
Personal beef with chain restaurants I really didn't eat down there
Absolutely makes sense. Only way you really end up down inner harbor is if you work there or you catch the bus and happen to be in that area. But who wanna find parking to go… there?
@@laurenharris9832 This is so silly, this was the case when harbor place was thriving!
We went there a lot. Rode the paddle boats and ate at the Phillips. Got caricatures drawn inside, took a cruise from the dock, parked in the hotel indoor parking lot and walked across the street using the 2nd fl bridge. Heard that the buildings were dead but sad to see. Thanks for sharing but I am crying....
Wow! This was difficult to watch. Soooo many memories. Hard to believe there was a time when the lines would be so long to get food from the second pavilion. Parking was scarce and expensive! You knew when you reached downtown because there would be traffic and the smell of All Spice would hit you from the McCormick warehouse. Back in the late 70s and early to mid 80’s you could hardly find a place to sit and eat. We sometimes stood at the stand up tables to eat. The Fudgery, fried chicken, pizza, Chinese food, seafood and just about anything else you would want to eat was found there. The sounds of the employees singing as they made fudge was always a delight. Dru Hill started there. The crab balls from Phillips to go were delicious! You could order from a walk up counter with an abbreviated menu or eat in the actual restaurant that offered a buffet,but, the wait was terribly long. There was an overpriced science store on one end that attracted parents and children. The first building was full of specialty shops. White House clothing, Spencer, a doll store that sold miniatures before they became increasingly popular via IG, a store that specialized in Chesapeake keepsakes and paraphernalia that ranged from spices to gear with crabs on them. Domino sugar, Rusty Scupper and The Chart House all occupied prime real estate down there. It was bustling on the weekends and holidays with families, dinner cruises, water taxis, paddle boats and people eating ice cream cones from the specialty shop located outside of the 2nd pavilion. I miss those days! Thank you for sharing this video with us. Nostalgia!
I grew up hanging out there. Its CRAZY to see how its been abandoned.
It’s a great place to visit if you’re looking for diversity.
I think everyone decided to go to genuine Baltimore neighborhood bars and restaurants rather than, like was said in the video, some chain restaurant they can visit anywhere else.
Wow! Surprised to see Baltimore's waterfront shops closed up, just a few years ago, that mall was a happening place, full of specialty shops, restaurants and people. 😪
I used to go there as a kid every time relatives came to visit the pavilions were packed with people.. food.. entertainment.. outside at the apex of the harbor walking area was always some kind of entertainment.. magic.. gymnastics displays.. so sad to see it all now
I was there long ago and I ate at The Cheesecake Factory. Although I hate to see the area dying I have to question your characterization of the place being neglected. It looks sparse and mainly empty but very clean and shiny. It looks like it’s being looked after well at least at get beginning of the video
Oh wow! This was one of my favorate layover stops as a truck driver.
Hadn't been there since relocating to the heartlands years ago,so sad to see how this place had fallen so far from the last time I was there. So much potential with such prime real-estate wasted it's just so sad.
For those of us who remember how great an area this was 20+ years ago, it really is a shame to see it like it is now. Thanks for watching!
@@IanMartinExplorationit’s the retail spaces, not the whole area. There’s still plenty of people in the inner harbor. The district it’s in is one of three districts that is growing in Baltimore city. The mall experience is dead. The shake shack and chic-FIL-a across the street are constantly packed (I was there yesterday for lunch and the lines were so long people were turning around.)
Wow just watched your gallery video and then this one. So depressing, we live in nearby PA and it was a easy day trip or weekend place to go. loved it. So sad to see the decline.
I drove by Baltimore for years to visit relatives in DC and always asked my Dad to let us visit it for a few hours. I'm glad that I finally visited in 2017, but it was a heatwave so you had to stay cool in the retail pavilions and the mall. Back then I would have never imagined that this whole area would die out like this!
I can’t believe it. It’s been a few years since I’ve been around there, but it used to be so lively. I didn’t know alot of it is vacant now.
I visited that second mall building about two months ago. The H&M stuff was all gone and only one gift shop remained open on the right side of the building. In the first building, the Cheesecake Factory was still open ( but in a fairly run down state) as well as a couple gift shops, but the unos pizzeria was closed and you couldn’t even get to the second floor. Definitely a weird experience. Thanks for the video!
Wow! 😮 So Sad 😟to see how far the Inner Harbor has fallen! I have a lot of happy memories of visiting the Inner Harbor with my parents when I was a teenager and going Baltimore Orioles baseball games
I was there last from PA in ‘99 and ate at the Phillips, which I know is long gone now. They also had my favorite buffet ever in Ocean City, also gone. This is insane. Thanks, Amazon!
this is so depressing mainly because i took this place for granted, and ignored its decline from my childhood & thru college, having experienced Dru Hill sing @ The Fudgery, to the flame throwers in corner stage, touching stingrays & baby sharks @ the aquarium, touring the slave ship, swan pedal boating, sushi on the pier, watching the Domino Sugar factory light up @ night, going inside and to the top of the world trade center, eating fresh ben & jerrys, parties @ Power Plant Live, mall shopping, seafood galore @ Phillips, fathers/mothers day brunches @ the Rusty Scupper, walking the promenade after romantic dinner cruise, etc...Planet Hollywood didn't make it but Uno & Cheesecake, & Hark Rock have that corporate backbone ...im not even from Bmore, yet I spent so much time there as a child and in college and didn't appreciate what it meant and now its like a ghosttown, embarrassing ....now all u can do with your kids is to feed the ducks
Omg I did almost all these things you mentioned 😩😩❤️
This is amazing to me, especially given the climate. You'd think people would flock to protected areas at least in winter. I think this desertion of what is actually a nice public area is several things, crime too if memory serves, but largely due to changes in cultural values and tastes. I think it will come around eventually. I'm from Philly but I visit friends in Baltimore occasionally. Similar was happening there too but the Philly Waterfront is in midst of a pretty huge redevelopment right now in late 2022 and promises to be stunning when completed in a few years. Sad since I remember we ate at Obrycki's (that's how long ago) which was already said to be closing, but the Fells Point area was vibrant, well-run and so impressive compared to Philly at the time. Thanks for the local update. Well done btw.
The rapid decline of this area occurred in 2015 after the riots. I remember going to a meeting downtown and seeing the National Guards armed on the streets. The Pandemic put the nail in the coffin for this area.
I remember coming to Baltimore in 87 and the harbor was the go to place to hang. This was Baltimore's ("Georgetown"- Washington D.C. ) It is now just a homeless hangout and various urban blight occupancy. SAD!
I was working in Harbor East in 2015 and the whole feel changed after the riots. Driving by the NG troops lining the street was a memory I'll never forget. I would go to concerts at Pier 6 and walk over to Camden Yards for a ball game. After the riots, I ceased spending any extra time in downtown Baltimore. We left Maryland in 2018, so it's rather stunning to see how far it's changed there.
When I was a kid I went there with my family when it had just opened. We had driven over from the Eastern Shore just for the adventure of seeing the place. I always remember my parents buying me some Dungeons and Dragons dice and other related stuff at some kind of games, toys and puzzles store. We walked around and did some shopping and then went to eat at one of the restaurants, the name I can't remember. I was an Eastern Shore farm kid and so coming to the city and the harbor was a magical experience. And, back then on the local news they were always talking about how Mayor Shaffer had saved the waterfront and the city. He was a big hero back then. Anyway, I am heartbroken to what happened to the place now. I have been back several times over the years just watching the place crumble over time. The magic now only lives in my memories.
I have fond memories of going here as a kid. A lack of will to prosecute criminals and high taxes have destroyed this city.
You and me both! Used to go there a ton as a kid
@@333funkymunky ever since Freddie gray the police have backed off. The states attorney will not prosecute many suspects fir “equity” reasons.
@@schaeferschaefer2624 Crime is at one of it's lowest points ever but thanks for falling for the capitalist propaganda
The city can declare imminent domain, reclaim the property and open bids to redevelop it. I wonder if the new owners are paying taxes.
The crime in this area is not the only reason this place has closed. Folks…times have changed and malls all over this country have met the same fate, and some were locate in rural areas with very little crime. Brick & mortar shops are a thing of the past. Why pay high rents when you can sell products online in your PJs.
The old owners neglected the properties, and pushed out some long time local residents like the sports store (sold baseball caps and team goods) in an attempt to attract chain stores. They defaulted on their loan and this year a local developer bought the buildings. We’re still waiting to see how he will “reimagine” the space. He could try to completely tear down the structures all together.
The build up of Harbor East (one neighborhood over) has definitely hurt the inner harbor area. There are a ton of residences in Harbor East (so a built in customer base) that the Inner Harbor just doesn’t have. The pavilions just aren’t inviting or easy to just walk through on your way to a game or something (the hallways meander). Every time a store or restaurant closes it makes it that much less appealing to even walk in. It’s in a death spiral.
LOVED that sports store! Always had jerseys and t-shirts from so many teams, never found another store quite like it. I remember it had a unique smell, not a bad one but it was something from all the clothing they had packed in there. Bought a few Jersey’s and shirts there.
Do you remember the name by chance?
So sad. That was the place to go. Beautiful location. Always packed. Great food.
Holy crap. That's really sad. I was there last in 2018, I think, attending Baltimore Comic Con. You could tell something was wrong. There were fewer shops and the place wasn't being properly maintained. But it was NOWHERE near this bad. There was a big book festival going on, tons of people, and a really good vibe about the whole place that didn't really carry inside those buildings.
I think you're right about the lack of local shops combined with the terrible traffic in downtown Baltimore. We'd usually drive in early enough to not have to deal with the traffic, but when the pedestrian bridge between the convention center and those shops was down, we didn't try to cross the road for lunch.
Harbor Place was once a great spot but with the high rate of unpunishable crime in the area we no longer consider visiting.
I used to work at that big ship seen in this video. I know another thing that caused the decline was that the rent inside there and in other places in the inner harbor was increased so much that it was hard for businesses to survive and the pandemic just exacerbated the problem. This issue will also hurt the museum I worked at and the Aquarium.
Rent increases drive a lot of business away, everywhere. That would have been my first guess. The second, and combined reason was that it all became corporate chains and people can find those everywhere, so there was no longer anything unique about the place.
@@kilburnvideos I think your two reasons were the beginning of the decline. The whole place became the same tourist trap, with the same businesses that you see in every American city. Add the skyrocketing expense, lack of parking, and increasing crime, and it’s no surprise that people stopped going. I think the rest of the city may follow as the crime gets out of control.
I sure hope that someone is keeping the USS Constellation in good shape. I visited Harborplace once many, many years ago. I think it was just opening. I was fascinated by the warship, not the stores. We need to preserve our history.
Oh, that is so sad. As a student I was there by an exchange programm and was selling ice cream in the Harbour. Lee's ice cream. The place was so beautiful and so full of people, and it felt very safe. People would come, buy ice cream, sit by the water, enjoying the view. People were crowding to get to phillips sea food restaurant just in front of us.I still have great memories of that time and it's painful to see the decline.
I live in Baltimore and this breaks my heart to see this. They really need to do something about this it looks bad! To think about all those people who lost there jobs. This is sad and embarrassing to look at considering that this was supposed to be Baltimore place to go for tourists.
Yes, there is something to do. Vote for the other party.