"Baltimore: A running of t ..." a Baltimore Travel Page by richiecdisc

Baltimore is not a pretty city but it in many ways is the prototype for inner city gentrification that spreads through many of the nations big cities. Once a much-maligned industrial slum, someone had the brilliant idea of sprucing up the harbor area with a shopping complex resplendent with restaurants and bars. With a stroke of luck, the National Aquarium was bequeathed on Washington, DCs ugly stepsister rather than the capital itself and all the wheels were in motion for one of the nation's biggest turnarounds of modern times. Once worthless property was now worth millions and many other cities tried with varying degrees of success to follow suit. The Inner Harbor as it has been christened remains the center piece of the modern marvel, but the city remains one of many diverse neighborhoods, each with a distinct personality all its own, and all worth exploring for those with the time. Baltimore will not disappoint the casual visitor but for those that care to look, the greater inspection will be well worth the effort and will likely make you want to come back again.