By Natalie Strait
I have a love-hate relationship with Baltimore’s neighborhoods. I love the character that the neighborhoods of Baltimore add. I love the small town feel that they can interject in the middle of the city. I love that different neighborhoods appeal to me depending on my mood. I love that a walk across a few blocks can take me through several exceedingly different neighborhoods. I love the quirkiness of Hampden, the history of Fells Point, and the artistic atmosphere of Station North. But for all I love about them the fact stands that these unique Baltimore neighborhoods are the checkered squares of a very segregated city.
One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in Baltimore was the stark contrast of neighborhoods that are side by side each other. Black and white, blue collar and white collar. Each neighborhood has these rigidly defined identities which make it unique, and add to its character; but which also further segregate and alienate people from one another. Coming from 83% white Madison, Wisconsin to 63% black Baltimore, Maryland I thought I’d end up out of my comfort zone, and as a minority in situations all the time. What I found at first however was that I continued to be drawn in to racially and socioeconomically segregated places and situations. Acknowledging this tendency has lead me to more actively seek out smaller and more diverse communities apart from the barriers created within neighborhoods. I have grown to love many aspects of Baltimore, but these ridged boarders between people, these neighborhoods based on race and class isolate us from each other and impede our efforts to understand and learn from one another which in turn impedes the growth and success of the city as a whole.
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