The great irony of the Jones Falls Valley, once bustling with activity, is that it is now relatively quiet, with its main artery, Falls Road, a quiet, well-kept secret for getting from Hampden to downtown Baltimore. It is a popular place to go for a peaceful ride through the heart of the city. Mount Vernon…
Tag: Baltimore
The Block, Baltimore, Revisited
“The Block” is the infamous red-light district of Baltimore, one block from City Hall and adjacent to the Baltimore City Police Headquarters. Some people don’t think that’s a coincidence, but like much in Baltimore, everything is tolerated, as long as it’s an isolated corner–or right in the middle of downtown. The architecture of the old…
Hampden Mill Houses, Jones Falls Valley, Baltimore
Surrounding the mills of Woodberry and Hampden are the workers’ cottages, where the manpower that labored all day would stroll home in a five minute walk. A novel idea, isn’t it? Walking home from work in less than five minutes, and having all of your needs within a walk of the same time frame. If…
Jones Falls Mills, Baltimore
The city of Baltimore’s location is very logical; it sits as far inland as possible for oceangoing ships, and more importantly, just a mile north of the harbor the land rises dramatically into rugged hills and cascading waterfalls that plunge hundreds of feet down to the arms of the Chesapeake Bay. Here, the fledgling industrial…
A Drive Down the Jones Falls
My friends Rachel, Mike and Nancy and I hit the road from Bolton Hill to Canton, two neighborhoods in Baltimore. We decided to take the lower portion of the Jones Falls Expressway to get there, as it is the fastest route and we were pressed for time. Also, it affords views of many different parts…
Porch Light, Mount Vernon Square, Baltimore, Maryland
Update: There seems to be a bird’s nest I’ve never noticed before on top of the light.
They Built an Interstate on Top of a River? The Jones Falls, Baltimore, Maryland
As a preview of my discussion of the Jones Falls Valley, which cuts through the center of Baltimore, I present you with one of the greatest ecological crimes in modern history. The city of Baltimore, always seeking the path of least political resistance, spotted an easy target in Mother Nature, and when the time came…