A CITY WAITING TO BE REBORN.

In 1969, I lived in Boston's Back Bay, which was a desirable neighborhood. Not so appealing was the neighboring South End, a low-income, mostly African American area of once grand row houses turned into tenements and often derelict buildings. But with Boston's booming economy, the South End slowly become gentrified and so-called yuppies began buying up these townhouse for a song. I, along with my partner at the time, paid $25,000 for a red-brick, five-story house with four bedrooms, two living rooms, two baths, a dining room and kitchen. When we broke up a two years later we sold the house for $65,000. Today it is worth $2 million plus as is every house in that extensive downtown neighborhood. A situation like the exists today in Baltimore. The same handsome multi-story brick townhouses at reduced prices throughout the city. All it would take is the same forward-minded people prepared to take a chance on a major urban renovation. Sadly in Boston, most of the black residents moved out. That doesn't have to happen in Baltimore. If the residents there work closely with local banks and buy up their rental homes before the renaissance, they will see a very tidy profit. When's the time to buy? Now, when our racist president has diminished this handsome, historic and proud city in disrepair that could soon be on the verge of renewal.  (photos shown; Boston and Baltimore)