The people in charge of redeveloping the Baltimore Inner Harbor announced this week the two waterside pavilions, Light Street and Pratt Street will be demolished for something new. No details announced yet. Both are empty now.
The photo above is of the Light Street Pavilion. By the way, the gleaming white yacht is the Trump Princess. I wonder what became of the owner.
Baltimore was always one of my favorite getaway spots in the 80's and 90's. It was close and relatively inexpensive. I'd stop and visit friends in Harrisburg on the way down or on the way back. There was always plenty to see and do, and hitting the pavilions was a "must."
In the photo above, the Pratt Street Pavilion is off to the left. I do not remember the year in which I took these photos. I wish I had marked the envelope from the place where I had them developed.
If I remember correctly, both pavilions had restaurants. Pratt Street had a lot of clothing. Light Street had the "touristy" shops. They are not enormous buildings, but they had cool stuff inside. It was just plain fun. The architecture included plenty of glass and light, big staircases.
My routine was just about the same on every visit... grab a hotel room in a quiet town north of the city, venture downtown, buy a disposable Kodak or Fuji film camera, and wander around. I'd spend the morning at the harbor, and maybe hit one of the suburban malls on the way back to the hotel. I'd be back in time to watch the evening local TV news. It was dinner after that, usually a pizza. I should add, the disposable cameras were great.
Sad to say, my last visit here was in September of 2002. I stopped going for a variety of reasons. I was in Baltimore on 9/11/2001. I didn't think going back the next year, at the same time of year, would be a big deal. I was wrong. It was. There were too many sad memories, frightening times of backed up bridges and tunnels and the beltway, tears... Baltimore's proximity to Annapolis and Washington meant there were plenty of military and government ties. No one knew what was happening next.
There was more. The Inner Harbor area was becoming shoddy, less safe. Some of the things that made Baltimore unique gave way to the same touristy junk that you see in any other city.
No demolition date announced. No word yet what goes up in place of the pavilions. Maybe it will be something that entices my return.
