Middle East

Not unlike its international namesake, Middle East has been a source of tremendous controversy for years. The problems in this East Baltimore neighborhood began when the race riots of the late 1960s damaged many of the homes and businesses beyond repair. This was quickly followed by a suburban flight by many residents who were looking for a safer, more stable place to live. Next came drugs, crime and the associated gang violence. In fact, the area is so bad that it was the site of HBO’s The Wire and provided many seedy location shots for Homicide: Life on the Street.
Now, much of the controversy surrounds city efforts to improve the area. City leaders want to tear down much of the area, and replace it with a biotech park that will house industries and retail establishments, as well as various types of residential areas and apartment complexes. The problem is that, in order to make the park a reality, the city will need to move out many of the long term residents who believe that they should be well rewarded for the lifelong commitment to the neighborhood. They are arguing with politicians about what constitutes “well rewarded.”
In the meanwhile, the community waits, hoping that now that things have gotten so much worse, they will soon get better.