We were doing better than the people selling rat poison for $2-a-bag, but not as good as the folks selling foamy dark beer.

Baltimore Brew asked people at the Charles Village Festival this past weekend to write down their thoughts about Baltimore – critical or complimentary – and drop them in a jar. We had a steady stream. (Impressive considering there was so much good music, tasty festival food and flashy earring stands available elsewhere at the annual Charles Village event.)

Compared to Saturday’s crowd, Sunday’s seemed heavier on kids, bicyclists and social workers. There were several comments about housing and specifically, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Vacants to Value program.

Some remarks seemed to be addressed not just to city officials but to all of us:

“Stop littering, police enforce the fines and stop ignoring the abusers. If you love Baltimore spend time helping those who need it the most. We are only as good as our weakest resident. Clean up Bmore.”

Anyway, here’s the complete list of all you said Sunday:
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“The recent smell and trash in the harbor is appalling. The trash appears after every rainfall. The ‘mahogany tide’ has created a foul odor. How will this be addressed before Sailabration?”
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“1) Make Vacants to Value better and fix the problem of vacant houses in Bmore!
  2) Make education a priority.
  3) Improve DSS”
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“More programs to help ex-offenders with direct job placement, reducing recidivism.”
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“Get help in city offices that can read, write and speak correctly!”
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“The transit system could benefit from buses that connected at major intersections and buses that ran more frequently.”
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“Schools, vacant houses and rec centers – make the city safer for everyone.”

“I love living in Baltimore! I have found Better Waverly to be wonderful and have a great neighborhood feel. My critique is I wish the helicopters that came at night would not shine searchlights into our homes. I feel especially bad for the families with little children.”
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“1) Vacants to Value – need to make it better.
2) Stop Johns Hopkins from gentrifying the neighborhoods.
3) make education an opportunity for EVERYONE!”
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“STOP THE DRUG WAR. Decriminalize heroin, cocaine and marijuana.”
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Pro’s:
Art/music scene
A lot of festivals in spring/summer
Melting pot of people/cultures
Small unique neighborhoods like Charles Village, Mount Vernon and Hampden

Cons:
School system
The MTA drivers!!! Dangerous and inconsiderate
Crime
Uneducated people cross the street when the traffic light is green.”
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“Lots of cockroaches and glass on the floor. Streets that are one-way with the islands in between: what is with that? Parks are not well-secured.”

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“There should be a pedestrian bridge across Charles Street on the Hopkins campus.”
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“There are so many homeless people, but so many vacant homes. What is your solution to this problem, or are you just thinking about Grand Prix?”
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“More bike lanes and bike racks to lock our bikes to around the city. The bike lanes on President Street and Guilford Ave. are wonderful!”
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“Unsafe bike drivers and no helmets!”
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“I think Baltimore should not have killing or shooting. Let’s all have world peace and be thankful for what you have.”
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“Great Job Stephanie! No more raising taxes!!! But we do need more creative thinkers in figuring out what to do with our youth!!! They need you.”
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“The crime is bad in Baltimore city.”
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“Please drive more electric power cars!!!!!!”
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“There’s glass and cockroaches EVERYWHERE.”
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“Stop littering, police enforce the fines and stop ignoring the abusers. If you love Baltimore spend time helping those who need it the most. We are only as good as our weakest resident. Clean up Bmore.”
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“Truly is charming.”
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“Penn Station as a building has a very traditional look, but that ‘monument’ or ‘sculpture’ does not work with it. It should be replaced with something that is important to Bmore or at the very least more aesthetically pleasing.”
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“Baltimore needs VISION! Where’s the mayor’s vision? It’s no where to be found because she has none. Dealing with crises and not bigger picture will continue to leave us where we are now – declining. The mayor needs to let go of the Grand Prix, get some real ideas going & LEAD to make Baltimore the great city it can be.”
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“Support for O’s is great.”
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Not enough crime-stopping effort all over city, not just downtown.”
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“BCPS needs more funding and support for teachers and administrators who are trying to educate our children academically and morally. Please support their efforts at Francis Scott Key Elementary Middle School .”
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“I like the Cheesecake Factory and the Ra Sushi place.”
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“Go Orioles!!”