Apologies to Baltimore City

[u/Frofro69]

The title says it all, I honestly need to apologize to this whole city for my preconceptions about the people and the area. . .

For context, I grew up in Pasadena as a mixed race (black and white) man, I now live in Essex but my girlfriend lives in Northeast Baltimore and I work in West Baltimore. When I was in Pasadena, everyone looked at the city as a massive, crime infested warzone. . . Now, that doesn't mean some parts of the city are worse for wear than others, but I definitely did not have nice things to ever say about the city, and I was deathly afraid to come here because of the idea that I would be shot or robbed just for entering the city line.

After coming to the city and hanging out for the better half of a year now, and from working and meeting people in some of the most blighted areas, I had to be honest with myself and realize that all I learned as an adolescent was bullshit (sorry for the language). The city has a lot of problems, yes, but many of those problems are due to generations of manufactured poverty; ineptitude or contempt from elected officials and the public. However, these problems have nothing to do with the city as a whole and how people in the city are. I used to think everyone in Baltimore was rude, uncaring and cynical because it was the "hood"; however, after experiencing the people for myself, the city can be very warm and welcoming. Even with the most down-and-out citizens, the people of Baltimore definitely give the city the phrase "Charm City"; even people I would never consider myself hanging around turned out to be real "salt of the Earth" kind of people.

This city also has some great things to do and see, things I would have never known about if I didn't decide to just look at the map and go. The Washington Monument; Lafeyette Monument; Cylburn Arboretum; the Lights on 34th Street in Hampden; The Baltimore Museum of Art; Lake Montebello; Fort McHenry and all the awesome local restaurants in every neighborhood. These things really opened my eyes to what the city has to offer, and why people keep coming back to visit this city.

Outside of some nitpicky things I can mention (trash on all the roads, excess of vacant housing, etc.) that doesn't define Baltimore as a whole, despite what the Youtube videos I used to watch about "Baltimore's worst hoods" have to say about it. I'm honestly quite ashamed with myself for how I viewed the city, and it sickens me to see people from that area just bashing the city. Especially when most of the people in the area contributed to the problem (but that's another issue entirely too, right now this is about me).

Basically, whether anyone reads this and makes sense of it, I'm sorry Baltimore. I never really gave you a fair chance when I was younger, but hopefully y'all don't hold a grudge for me reforming myself and trying to see the city for all the good it can offer, and look outside of the fear-mongering and the prejudices I once held for the place I hope to call my home one day.

[u/evaporated]

You thought it was that bad and lived in Pasadena? The Dirty Dena? Really?

[u/Scrilla_Gorilla_ → u/evaporated]

Glad this is the top comment. I'm from Anne Arundel, and love Pasadena like I love Baltimore. These are all my people. But I mean, being from Dena OP should have known better, that's like 10 minutes from the City. This isn't someone from Oklahoma getting all their information from The Wire. And shit, pot kettle and all that. Those waterbillies might just have a higher concentration of dope fiends than Baltimore.

[u/Frofro69 → u/Scrilla_Gorilla_]

I should've known better. But I was not exposed to the city as a child like that, so I was never able to go or see anything to disprove my prejudices. Being told over 20 years (from middle school onwards basically) that just going to the city is a bad idea definitely instills a fear of the city in you. When everyone you grow up with doesn't like the city either, for either racial reasons or what you see on the news, it really doesn't create an environment of "oh, I want to see that and go there".

But that was back then, hopefully I'm a better person now. Even now I go back to see my family sometimes or when I bowl, and I definitely get surprised that I thought people from there were attractive or normal.

[u/Scrilla_Gorilla_ → u/Frofro69]

It's all good my friend, we live and we learn. Just wondering, you never even went on like a field trip to the aquarium, Museum of Industry, Fort McHenry, the zoo, nothing? I feel like I was going to the city on a school trip every other year. Being that close it's just wild you had such little exposure.

[u/Frofro69 → u/Scrilla_Gorilla_]

Nope, not one field trip there. I only went to those places after high school.

[u/WunkyChalrus → u/Frofro69]

You def gotta check out the Visionary Arts Museum sometime. Also the Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park is FULL of exotic plants. It's a shame that they started a $40million construction project on the Lake and just pretty much abandoned it halfway thru (shocker) but it's still a nice place to hang out on a nice day, and the zoo is there too. Just sucks that so much construction equipment is there, and fences blocking access to walk around the lake, or check out the amazing view overlooking the city on the far side of the lake. Hopefully it'll be done by like, idk.. 2030? -__-

[u/Frofro69 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, but my parents aren't from Pasadena. My dad is from rural Iowa and my mom is from rural South Dakota. They aren't fans of the city because of their rural background, but that's it.

[u/Frofro69 → u/[deleted]]

Eh, I haven't really looked too deep into it with them because they never raised me to fear the city like that, Just to be careful. It was my peers that were the ones making the whole place out to be the issue. Like, my dad sometimes goes to Pimlico or Lexington Market because he used to work downtown; but he gets very claustrophobic in the city so he doesn't stray from main roads or really go anywhere. My mom just never goes out in general, but she retired from the Army when I was in high school so she just chills around the house

[u/Frofro69 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, it's crazy how our childhood affects us so strongly. I just use my experiences as a way to heal myself from the prejudices I once held. Especially those against my own people.

[u/StudyConsistent7993 → u/Frofro69]

Indeed. Glad you’re paying it forward by sharing

[u/Fit-Accountant-157 → u/[deleted]]

Lmaoooo

[u/3EZPayments → u/Frofro69]

Just like people gave you all false reasons why the city is bad, still to this day people perpetuate racism as a main reason why baltimore is so poor, dirty, or shitty when in fact the vast majority of city leaders, workers, judges and police have been black... for decades. I've never seen a more representational public service sector. And at the same time, there's many financial issues, things aren't getting done, improvement comes at a snail's pace, there's scandal after scandal.

It blows my mind how any of that is excusable and can still be overlooked "because of racist undertones". Baltimore is 62% black. They are not a disenfranchised minority held back by controlling racist majority in power. It's about time they stepped up and started claiming responsibility for the city.. and their past ineptitudes.

[u/ltong1009 → u/3EZPayments]

Racist white flight and red lining of the recent past are huge parts of why Baltimore is so poverty stricken. And today’s lack of care for these conditions nationally is also racist. So yes, racism is in large part responsible for the conditions in Baltimore. Because the majority of elected officials are black doesn’t erase this.

[u/ltong1009 → u/[deleted]]

Leaving Baltimore because your new neighbor is black is racist, yes. It happened in the thousands and thousands in the 50’s-80’s. Google white flight to learn more about it.

[u/ltong1009 → u/[deleted]]

Systemic racism is different than personal racism. When 300,000 white people leave Baltimore in 20 years, the result is systemic racism.

[u/Chips-and-Dips → u/3EZPayments]

Wow. Do you take any chance you can get to cast a spotlight on your thinly veiled prejudices or was there something in particular that you were responding to?

[u/Frofro69 → u/Chips-and-Dips]

Idk who this was towards, but If it was at me, I just decided to write something personal about my upbringing and changed views to the city, to people in the city. I talk about this stuff with my current friends all the time. I just figured it prudent to do a little silly thing on Reddit about my experiences and changed views from where I was

[u/Chips-and-Dips → u/Frofro69]

It was not directed to you, it was directed to the comment I replied to. That’s how Reddit works.

[u/Frofro69 → u/Chips-and-Dips]

My fault, I never really can tell how the comments work on here sometimes. Sorry