Charm city in ruins ...

January 5, 2005 7:24 AM

Baltimore ghosts: a methodical, obsessive and beautiful (the photos, anyway) addition to the modern ruins genre - the essays on the Lutheran Hospital and the Bay Shore Shuttle are especially interesting.
posted by ryanshepard (9 comments total)

This is pretty cool. I'm half expecting to see Avon and D'Angelo hanging out on the corner here.

If you've ever been to the Inner Harbor, it's really obvious how the planners designed it to obscure most of old Balmer from the commercial/tourist area.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 7:43 AM on January 5, 2005

From one of the pages

(streetcars...)Much dismissed as a slow moving nuissance to automobiles, the city's streetcar system, which began in 1859, was electrified beginning about 1890, and was abandoned by late 1963 moved large numbers of people about the bustling city with unparrallled efficiency. Many artifacts of this impressive system remain intact today, offering a glimpse into this people mover of the past.

The fate of efficient, mass public transportation in North America is a sad tale.

Very interesting, and timely, link. I have an opportunity to be in Baltimore between the 12th and 16th of this month (conference). I've never been there before, and know very little about it. This gives me a few things to keep my eye out for if/when I'm out and about.
posted by C.Batt at 7:47 AM on January 5, 2005

I love these kinds of sites and had somehow missed this one. Thanks ryanshepard.
posted by arse_hat at 9:00 AM on January 5, 2005

You're trolling me, aren't you.
posted by davy at 10:39 AM on January 5, 2005

^^ enigmatic comment award ^^
posted by arse_hat at 11:50 AM on January 5, 2005

If you are in Baltimore (the center of the hon-belt, rhymes with sun-belt), make sure you go to a diner and get some scrapple for breakfast (greasy, green-gray squares of heaven). And of course a soft-crab sandwich for lunch.
posted by 445supermag at 12:53 PM on January 5, 2005

soft-crab sandwich = Johnny Dee's.
*makes Homer Simpson sound*
posted by arse_hat at 1:21 PM on January 5, 2005

Cool site, thanks! I recently moved to Baltimore from the Left Coast and am still enamored with all there is to discover here.
posted by maniactown at 1:36 PM on January 5, 2005

I can't find Scrapple anywhere around here. I'm thinking of asking for a "care package".
posted by davy at 7:20 PM on January 6, 2005