It’s only like 40% open, give it some time

I was gonna say- yeah there’s so many more places opening back up and new spots too. Sure it’ll never be the exact same but it’s a gorgeous transformation and it’s a great thing for downtown and the rest of the city.

Same volume of derelicts out front???

It also just feels really tight. narrow aisles make the lines a bit awkward

You can see from the website that literally all of the things you listed are coming, they just aren't all ready yet.

https://lexingtonmarket.com/merchants

Could be a marketing thing. narrow isles might make it seem more crowded and a place to be like Reading Terminal Market in philly.

i’d be happy with some reading terminal sticky buns

Goals. I love Reading Terminal Market.

37 vendors listed. 10 coming soon discounting BMA. Also, lots of old favorites missing and, no fresh veggies / fish, meat and poultry. No bands. Nowhere near as much communal space. They literally DONT have the things in my list. And the auxiliary building across the street is closed. Are you astroturfing or what?

>no fresh veggies / fish, meat and poultry

Bro can you read? There are literally two fresh seafood merchants (Faidley's, Cho's Sea Garden), two butchers (Buffalo Bill's II, Brookdale Farms Poultry) and a place called Garden Produce that sells fruit and vegetables. I feel like I am going crazy, or else you are a troll.

https://lexingtonmarket.com/merchants

>They literally DONT have the things in my list.

> no fresh veggies / fish, meat and poultry.

Veggies- Garden Produce

Fish- Cho's Sea Garden and Faidley's Seafood

Meat and Poultry- Buffalo Bill's II and Brookdale Farms Poultry

Blacksmiths is southern cooking, not quite soul food but probably close, and I'll bet Buffalo Bill's II or Trinacria has a deli counter. The only things missing from your list are Thai and Chinese but we got Nepali Fusion, West African and Jamaican.

At this point you're just bitching to bitch.

There is an actual deli, Royal Deli, even. Also Blue Island Malaysian is there, and they have been at the market for decades. It is probably what OP was thinking of when they said "chinese." they don't seem very observant.

> No bands

I don’t even understand this. It’s a list of vendors.

Ah cool makes sense, I couldn't tell if Royal Deli had an actual deli counter or was just a grab and go sandwich place.

This is what people wanted, and this is what we have. I was there a few months ago and I absolutely was NOT impressed at all.

Very little in terms of communal space as compared to the old building and where are the breakfast places that had such inexpensive food? There was an entire market in the old building, plenty of food that was inexpensive in general.

But no. People don't care about that when they have plenty of money. So it's basically like, if you aren't loaded like us then you absolutely do not matter and that's putting it quite nicely.

You have R House, Mr Vernon market place and even though I absolutely love it White Hall market. Cross St Market and Broadway Market have been completely bastardized as well. Why isn't that enough?

I went in really wanting to like it, but I left feeling completely nonplussed. It felt contrived and over-programmed and underwhelming. It lacks any kind of community feel that extends beyond tourist kitsch. I have a hard time seeing it as anything more than a fancy food court for nearby office workers, and a second-string tourist trap. Totally willing to have my mind changed, but not optimistic at this point.

I am going to go there soon and write about my experience there. I was there a few months ago and it said that various vendors were coming at that time.

Healthy Choice was once at Lexington Market but they ended up closing up. Ironically enough, there food was anything but healthy but it was delicious and inexpensive. Like a full container of food that was enough for at least two meals was about $10.00.

There were several vendors that had fried chicken. I will agree that that was over kill. But I loved the places that had the turkey wings and turkey legs as well.

It's not just about having food there it's having it available at a price point that is affordable to someone that's been going to Lexington Market for years.

That's what I think people are missing in this subreddit and it's really annoying to see how people are instead of being empathetic that others simply don't have the economic resources that they do. You may not want to eat certain foods, but what about folks that do?

Where was this “communal space” in the old market because I’ve been going to the market since I was little and no such space existed. This is an improvement in that regard. Mt Vernon marketplace, R house and Whitehall never existed until they were created as such… food halls.

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There were multiple areas of standing tables around the old market, specially in the middle “arcade”/plaza area where they would have bands play on Friday and Saturday. There was also a large sitting area upstairs that overlooked the arcade area where you could eat, converse, and still hear the music.

The problem with the new market to me is that it’s now another “Food Hall” and no longer a true Lexington Market.

You're so weird. There used to be over 80 vendors, live music, and all the things that I listed. I go there today, there are 30 vendors and none of my old favorites (except for faidleys). There's no live music. There's nowhere to sit and hang out. The vibe is totally different and there's a bunch of high end prepared foods. However, I'm the one that is incorrect because I didn't look at a website with a thumbnail and a promise that some high-end butcher is allegedly coming at some point in the future. I was disappointed. You can't show me some thumbnail on some website and make an argument that I should be satisfied.

Hahah the bread pudding at Healthy Choice was the best! RIP.

Uhh, the whole stage / central open area and the entire 2nd floor dining area?

You replied to the wrong person

You asked where the communal space was in the old market, didn't you?

It going to turn into some stupid commercialized instead mom and pop store. Lexington market used to be my go to place for lunch when I work in Bmore

I have no idea why your comments are being voted down. Your impression matches mine.

I'm so tired of yuppification being touted as progress. You want food courts, go to the burbs.

But really because of the extant remote work transformation accelerated by COVID, this is what is happening to center cities now. They are increasingly playgrounds for the disposable income class. Not working organic cities but socially engineered and curated "experience spaces".

Out with the fried chicken and sweet tea, in with the Pan-Asian/fusion chicken breasts and kombucha tea. Unfortunate but inexorable.

You have been caught lying and insulting me twice now. Why should I believe or care about anything you say? You are seriously a piece of shit.

I feel like someone is going to be disappointed by any market concept. Everyone is going to want something different. Some folks will just pick out things solely because they don’t want to like it.

The run down looking, but affordable, concept seems like it has been on the way out for some time. I think it’s both good and bad. Cross Street Market is much, much cleaner inside. But they have also never reached close to 100% capacity due to rent, prices aren’t great, there’s constant churn, and something like a produce stand seems unlikely. But at the same time it’s a hell of a lot more family friendly.

The current iteration of cross street market is depressing and way overpriced

This was my worry along: a vibrant place filled mostly with poor and working-class Black customers turned into yet another wannabe yuppie enclave.

As James Baldwin said, "Urban renewal means negro removal."

Was there yesterday, it’s so tight and as a bunch of people here have said it’s basically just a food hall now. Yuppification is perfect to describe what’s happened there. Even once everything is open this place will never be on par with reading terminal market in Philly.

The second floor that they closed how many years ago? Same with the arcade.

Good lord, what a bunch of whiners. Take what you get, or, and this is crazy - don't go back.

Yea I went there there’s like 1/4th as many shops.

It’s sooo generic and every place quite literally costs twice as much. Mayer it’s cleaner and easier to navigate but it pretty much the same as Broadway Market and across Street Market.

It’s not a tourist destination in its current format. It used to be more like Reading Terminal in Philadelphia and they just totally canned it.

High chance that stuff doesn’t open imo, even still with it all open it’d be disappointing. The experience is SOOOO different

The old Lexington Market was like Reading Terminal, this is N O T H I N G like that anymore.

No you’re 100% right

It is an improvement in community space but everything else he said was right

Or, third option, talk about what you like and don’t like in a public forum, so that the folks who set this up know shat the complaints are instead of having to guess why no one’s coming.

I would like the pan Asian and komboucha if it were priced reasonably d and honestly Soul Food prices nationwide are ridiculous. I’m black I never but from soul food places because the price is insane.

But I agree with your overall point about not organic cities and now curated spaces. Let’s just be happy is much less gentrified than most places.

You notice I didn’t argue with anything else.

People can have an opinion. Is it whining to say you think a place sucks

I miss buying guns in UTZ bags…

Wow some people in here will label any progess as “Yuffification”

The old Lexington Market was a shithole and the new one is a vast improvement.

Construction makes things open slowly if it’s done thoughtfully. Would you rather a cheap replica? Or a long lasting-well constructed monument to baltimore?

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This is so far from a monument to baltimore. Might as well just call it an off brand Broadway market +R. House at this point.

The communal space was upstairs on the second floor it was a pretty big space as well.

As for Mt Vernon Marketplace, R House and White Hall. I think it's good that they exist. The last one again I am extremely fond of.

As for something that is supposed to be one of Baltimore City Public Markets I am strongly against them BECOMING food halls. A food hall just doesn't have the same energy as a public market does nor does it offer the inexpensive food choices that the public markets do either.

Exactly. I realize I have to keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of folks in this subreddit could care less about the old Lexington Market because they don't have a history with it. They don't want turkey wings, fried chicken, cheap breakfast choices etc. they want stuff that's way more expensive and trendy.

I

Oh my goodness! Yes it was! I'm glad I was able to eat there with my mom before it was gone.

tbf if the old lexington market was half as nice as reading terminal it probably wouldn't have been revamped.

There seems to be people that aren't as focused on the aesthetics of a building as long as they can get what they need from there for a decent price.

Then you have those whose expectations are more particular In that area. They don't care that the place serves a very important purpose for the existing community. All they care about is themselves.

Why wasn't Lexington Market maintained properly all these years. If managed by the city in a good way, then it could have been preserved the way it's been for many decades.

With regards Cross st market folks got the new place but it still has several vacancies. Despite the greatly expanded hours people aren't giving it the kind of support it should have.

Does it look nicer? Yes it does. But is it more inviting? That's where I think we are going to differ with regards to our opinions.

What I would love to know is how much was that market making in about 2017 compared to what it's been earning lately.

Same thing with Broadway Market.

The second floor has been closed for how many years now before the closure of the market,Now now there’s several whole event spaces worth of communal space. The stairs are communal seating. There’s now communal tables for eating

I think most people are against the gloried food court concepts, but alas. It’s here.

The second floor was closed and that arcade part of the market was completely removed.

I know the Pandemic has messed up how we look at time in certain ways but it hasn't been that long since that area was open.

It was a large open area that was indoors so it could be used even in bad weather. Also, it was away from the foot traffic of the market itself which made for a nice place to eat a meal.

Stairs being communal space isn't a fiid replacement and I wonder if you've ever been upstairs at all

Park's moved across the street, but they desperately need a second or third place fried chicken inside Lexington because Super Fried Chicken was slammed this Saturday when I went. Plus all I want is too many fried gizzards covered in hot sauce and I am not sitting in line for 20 minutes to give someone $6 so my wife can look on with disgust while I shovel bird organs into my mouth. That said Krause's is still there and the turkey is still delicious. It's tough, I had a lot of good times in old Lexington and I'll miss it, but shit changes, it seems even faster the older I get. I don't know, I just hope the new market is able to be successful. I'd maybe wait until some more vendors are in there, there is still quite a bit of construction.

They’ve been gone are a long, especially the arcade. I don’t really have any real feelings as I don’t have any experience or nostalgic memories there outside of going around the actual market, that convenient/grocery store/or something… liquor store

But good news! That same large open area exits in the current market on the second floor, it has the balconies. It’s opposite the wall facing the interior of the market with the projector screen, there’s another huge projector on the other side of that in that space is.

Does anyone else miss omelette side show?

Meh idk about that it was mostly about cooking off the area and simply showing that the city cares enough. The inside was def half as nice as redoing terminal but the outside became untenable.

Thank you! For illustrating this so well.

Precisely.

You really need to chill out! Cursing at someone for having a different opinion than you is completely uncalled for.

Exactly. The people that downvoted you didn't even contribute to the conversation by sharing their thoughts.

How many of those folks have ever even been to the old Lexington Market or grew up going there?

I've never been there before but would really like to visit there soon

I'm sorry but your comment is completely uncalled for. I responded twice to OP in a civil manner and they insulted me both times and lied about their own experience in order to exaggerate their point for some reason. I don't have to just take that. OP has like 100 downvotes while I have upvotes, it seems like my comment was completely called for.

Hey I didn't want to say it because apparently I'm a lying asshole for sharing my impressions, but there sure is a lot more website reading going on than actual reports from folks that have been to the new lex. As a matter of fact, when I scroll down the comments, it looks like most of the people that say they actually visited have lukewarm reviews at best. So strange. But what do I know, I'm just a piece of shit who doesn't read websites before forming an opinion about my personal experience.

Yeah I hear you. Don't let it get to you as some people really don't know what they are talking about and it really shows.

If we could have comments from some lifelong Baltimore residents to give this place some real variety

It's whatever. I think we all saw this coming from a mile away. Thanks captain.

Also two delis—Krause's Lite Fare (legacy stall) and royal Deli (new).

I finally mustered up the courage to go today I just got back. Man it’s so disappointing it’s sad. There’s literally nothing there I want to buy. All my favorite spots are gone with the exception of Super Fried Chicken, I didn’t even try any because the line was so long and people were saying they changed the taste. I also can’t get over how tight and small it is. It is just a glorified food court now. I don’t care if it’s only 40% done it doesn’t have the same vibe it once did. Congratulations Gentrification you’ve won again.

Right, I don't see what 60% more of whatever the hell this place has become would change my mind. Even though that is total bs. There's not enough room for 60% more of nothing... and could I get a sanity check as I still haven't been back. Are there a bunch of fresh fish and meat and veggie vendors like there used to be? Folks in this thread acting like that's all there but I didn't see none of it.

I don’t know what planet they’re on, but it’s not this one. I saw two spots that had fresh chicken and that’s all. No seafood, no fresh meats, no smoked meats, no fresh vegetables or fruits nothing. It’s a joke to even call it a market. I knew this would happen as soon as they announced it. By the time the rest is done I doubt anyone will care. It’s heartbreaking