Canton doesn't have a movie theater, either. And I think you'd find a mix of opinions on whether or not the Canton Safeway qualifies as "nice".

Remember, Canton didn't use to have nice retail amenities. But, like Dundalk, it had historic homes, unique ambience, and a convenient location. Those factors spurred Canton's redevelopment and are doing the same for Dundalk.

That is a superb article by Laura Barnhardt about Dundalk’s renaissance. Dundalk truly is that nice of a place, as is described in the article, and it has great potential.

Unfortunately, that potential will never be fully realized, as long as JMJ Properties continues to develop the Dundalk Village Shopping Center in the manner that they are doing so today. They rent retail space out as office space, and this is contrary to all that the Dundalk Urban Design Assistance Team planned for having Dundalk Village being the central part of the foundation for Dundalk’s complete renaissance. It would also be best if JMJ were to make use of the fiber optics cable that is only installed into one place in the shopping center, but is not currently being utilized at all. Had JMJ run that fiber optics cable system all throughout the solidly built, architecturally outstanding shopping buildings, then high tech retail businesses and also some people who want to do Internet based work at home in their apartments would flock to Dundalk. If JMJ personnel were serious about being an integral part of our hard working community here, they would be seen around their Dundalk property on a regular basis. But they rarely are ever seen here—not while shopping or eating in the shops, not while participating in local community groups’ meetings, or at our parades, outdoor music concerts, fairs and art show. They do not actively oversee the rehabbing work that is being done on their Dundalk buildings. But they do come here to pick up large denomination, taxpayer funded checks that are made out to them. They did show up here in force yesterday, though—for that ceremony. We revitalization-minded citizens here in Dundalk are swimming upstream against JMJ’s steady flow of indifference towards us as a community and their treatment of their Dundalk Village property as no more than a monetary investment for their own gain—a substantial part of that invested money is yours and mine.

The contractors who are now doing the physical rehabbing work on the shopping center appear to be doing a very good job at it. I am pleased with the hard work that is being accomplished by those workers. I am also pleased with, and proud of, the hard work that is being done by many other various people towards Dundalk's revitalization, especially local businesses and community organizations. I am certain of Dundalk’s excellent possibilities. But I gotta’ tell ya’ though, when Jim Smith said, “Canton can’t hold a candle to Dundalk,” my body involuntarily wrenched, because it felt like someone had just blown smoke up my wazzoo. I appreciate the compliment, and Jim Smith sure enough is very good to Dundalk, but we have a long way to go to catch up with Canton’s re-growth.

And when I read, in the Sun Paper article, the ill-conceived, incorrect statement by Tim Young, about the Dundalk hole in the wall eateries, well, if that is true than every single coffee shop and other small eatery in the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan Area is a hole in the wall too. Mr. Young obviously is very young and has not traveled around enough to know a real hole in the wall, and health departments, along with the general public’s modern sensibilities, have pretty well eliminated any real hole in the wall type places from this part of the world.

If you want to see a full, local person's view of the central Dundalk area and its ongoing revitalization, then do a web search for my blog, “Blue Skies Over Dundalk Maryland,” the photographs on it are outstanding.