I moved to the city of Baltimore in 2012, after losing my home in New Jersey during hurricane Sandy. I was so skeptical about Baltimore. Everything I knew about Baltimore City then, I learned watching the show The Wire on HBO years ago. I’m glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see what I learned from TV had been wrong. Yes, Baltimore has its not so nice places, but as I was told as a kid “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I learned to see the beauty, diversity, culture, and deep history of this city. And I learned a lot about the great and world famous people who’ve made this city a wonderful place to live. Some who fought for civil rights and freedom like Fredrick Douglas and Harriet Tubman. Not to mention celebrities and politicians like Jada Pinkett-Smith and Nancy Pelosi who hail from this beautiful city. I also learned that one of my favorite authors Edgar Allen Poe lived here In Baltimore for a time, he was one of my biggest influences in me becoming a writer. Also, Tom Clancy, born and raised from the cradle to the grave. But at the same time unfortunately, Baltimore has been marred by the recent riots of 2015 after the death of Freddy Gray, and the skyrocketing death toll numbers of shootings around the city. But, I want people to know, like I learned coming to this city and seeing it for myself, the good and the bad. It’s a special place all to itself. And one that surely cannot be ignored. From the highs to the lows, Baltimore has won my heart in a lot of ways. whether it be the downtown area of the Inner Harbor, with it’s awesome stores and hotels, or the crumbled forgotten ruins of Old Town and the closed-up abandoned shops of the 1960’s riots frozen in time, Baltimore has a lot to give. And, I love sharing its beauty marks and all its painful scars.
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