>Dude a giant just opened up in Locust point last week.. Northwood Commons by Morgan got a Lidl…they opened the Streets Markets in Greektown and Charles Village a few years ago.

I do "even live in Baltimore" and your comment supports my point. These are all stores that opened up in White L neighborhoods where population is growing, with the exception of Lidl which opened up in NE Baltimore near a growing university campus, where there is a middle-income black population. Meanwhile food deserts abound in East and West Baltimore where the city is shrinking.

Do you track that lack of access to fresh food is a major issue in Baltimore City? At the same time that the Giant was opening in Locust Point, Price Rite in Pigtown was announcing that it would be closing down at the end of this year, much to the community's disappointment. In Cherry Hill, residents are working to create a food co-op because there's no grocery store in the area. The city administers a whole Grocery Store Tax Credit program in an effort to lure operators into the city and it's still a struggle.

>And cool, hip new restaurants open every other day. Do you even live in Baltimore? It a global “post Covid” adjustment. This issue is happening downtowns across the nation.

New restaurants open every other day...and how many survive over the long haul? How much more of a shot at success would restaurants have in a city with a growing population, which translates to a bigger customer base, more demand, and more dollars circulating?

I made no mention of downtown. Poor economic policy and shrinking population are citywide problems that pre-existed COVID. Yes, the pandemic wiped out businesses and dampened demand. In our current post-pandemic recovery mode, people want things to do and places to go---cities with growing populations will have an easier time in providing such amenities.