Where did Baltimore pride go?

Submitted by Cletus_LmnSpider t3_y1to2t in baltimore

Something I’ve really noticed about the city of Baltimore is no one is as prideful to be from the city and wants the city to succeed like we all used to. I feel like something that separates Baltimore from most cities is how we pride ourselves on our uniqueness and brag that we’re from Baltimore, but younger crowds don’t do that as much. If we want the city to become better, everyone needs to be more prideful about being from Baltimore and care a little bit more about their local communities.

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Significant_Jump_21 t1_irzfel9 wrote

I agree. I'm in SW Baltimore. It's toxic here. My friends and I did a community pot luck picnic over the weekend. It was fun. BUT we did it at the state park because the attitude of people around the local park is toxic. No one wants to be around here. The vibe is off.

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DistortedAudio t1_irzmmsf wrote

Honestly, as a younger black guy from the city, there is 100% more pride in the city than when I was a kid. When I was a kid it felt like no one claimed the city, everyone I knew was talking about leaving the city that first chance they got. Nowadays it seems like people my age have a ton of pride in Baltimore and you see it online too. Dudes defend it with their lives nowadays and I fuck with it.

I’ll also say that it’s gotten to the point that I think dudes are maybe too hyphy about it. I’ve had friends from out of town talk about how defensive people from the city are about everything.

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kamace11 t1_is05mky wrote

Replying to DistortedAudio (#84,169)

Do you feel like this is a "yeah we're gonna stick around and keep improving it/lots of it is great" vibe or more of a "fuck anyone who talks bad about my crazy relative, they're perfectly fine and normal and nothing needs to be done" one? Genuinely asking as I come from a small town with decline issues and the former is rarer than the latter (but does exist).

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instantcoffee69 t1_is0atqr wrote

I would say it's much more area dependant. But even the parts that have lots of city pride often also speak quite disparagingly about "other parts" of Baltimore. But this is not unique to Baltimore, but perhaps more pronounced.

Baltimore is certainly love it or you leave.

Find a group that loves the city and your neighborhood. Sounds like you love the city, which is great, find link minded people.

For me, I pick up the trash, shovel show, and weed my whole block. Maybe "the city should do it!" or "that's a each person's job" but I want to have a clean block and alley, I'll do it my damn self. And I don't have a single regret each time I do it.

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Purple_Box3317 t1_is0fpt1 wrote

The city is in disrepair, the residents have no value of life let alone community. I’ve seen people liter less than 3 steps from a trash can. I’m not talking about a piece of paper falling from a pocket I’m talking about entire bags of fast food trash just thrown to the ground STEPS from a trash can. Where is the pride in that? Who would want to be lumped in with people like that? I love this city, the architecture, the culture, the waterfront we have it ALL, but until a majority of the city starts treating it like their own community we won’t have much pride.

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Similar_Coyote1104 t1_is1369g wrote

The proud Baltimorean stopped printing bumper stickers to stick onto random objects.

Eventually the existing stickers got sun bleached or fell off

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Cold-Yogurtcloset975 t1_is14ijh wrote

That starts with not littering. Seems to me lots of people just don’t care. Some areas look like a landfill it’s sad . Lots of Green spaces are not taken care off. Lots of roads look like after I would imagine roads after a nuclear war. This city could be amazing if people would start caring . ( I know some do but obviously not enough)

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Cunninghams_right t1_is1huwr wrote

I think it depends on where you are in the city.

that said, if people feel like things aren't improving, they will get depressed about the city. I had an asshat wash my windshield today after I said no... the same old problem, unabated, continues on and on and on with the government just flat-out refusing to do anything about it, even though it has claimed one life and likely ruined another already.

non-enforcement of traffic laws make it a shit-show where it is expensive to insure a car, chaotic to drive, and unpleasant/unsafe to be a pedestrian or cyclist. again, it's just politics getting in the way.

the general feeling of no law enforcement in general. you can only be a victim of crimes so many times before you start to think negatively about the city.

Scott promised a lot of improvements and has done absolutely nothing of value as Mayor.

these things erode civic pride in some areas. baltimore needs change, but people here fight tooth and nail to never change anything.

that said, just make sure to find people and activities you enjoy, and try not to let the BS drag you down.

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mattfouse t1_is31jbg wrote

Replying to Similar_Coyote1104 (#86,354)

This is so deep to me! I’m the guy who came up and started the “Balt” rat stickers. I no longer do anything with them because I got sick of being called racist, damaging towards the city, blah blah blah, so I said fuck y’all!

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rockybalBOHa t1_is3nv7b wrote

IMO the people with the most pride in Baltimore are those living in gentrified neighborhoods.

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