Cross Street stink revisited
I'm particularly proud of this early MS post about the stench on Cross Street.
And since it's summertime, Saturday and Sunday mornings can be almost unbearable.
Have a look ...
Federal Hill needs to hire one of the local fire departments to hose down both East and West Cross Streets by the market every Saturday and Sunday morning.
The sour stink from the night before is usually so strong that pinching your nose does nothing. Ever tried to walk to one of the boutiques there and been turned away by the smell?
Maybe if that section of Federal Hill wasn’t such a magnet for meatheads and immature drinkers, it wouldn’t have that problem. But every time I walk down those stretches of Cross Street on weekends, the smell persists. It gets even worse in the hot, sticky summer months.
It really shouldn’t be up to the fire department, but I can’t think of a more realistic solution. That crowd should be able to hold its beer and liquor, or not drink until they get sick in the street. But that’s like asking the sun to set in the east.
The sour stink from the night before is usually so strong that pinching your nose does nothing. Ever tried to walk to one of the boutiques there and been turned away by the smell?
Maybe if that section of Federal Hill wasn’t such a magnet for meatheads and immature drinkers, it wouldn’t have that problem. But every time I walk down those stretches of Cross Street on weekends, the smell persists. It gets even worse in the hot, sticky summer months.
It really shouldn’t be up to the fire department, but I can’t think of a more realistic solution. That crowd should be able to hold its beer and liquor, or not drink until they get sick in the street. But that’s like asking the sun to set in the east.
I've been The Baltimore Sun's nightlife and local entertainment reporter for a couple years, and it's surprising how much the scene has grown in that time. Most of Baltimore's bars and clubs are unpretentious places with fairly cheap drinks and plenty of character. I like dancing and think this city needs more clubs, but nothing beats having a cold, locally brewed beer with friends in a comfortably full corner bar.
Comments
I thought that stench was the result of a member of the Bush family residing so close by....
Posted by: Don | June 30, 2008 10:55 AM
ZING
Posted by: TS | June 30, 2008 11:04 AM
Sam,
What's really is needed is the fire department to hose down those caught in the act of behaving badly or ,at least, on busy nights, more police on the beat to issue some substantial fines.
It simply shouldn't be tolerated.
This doesn't say anything good that this problem exist at all. "That crowd should be able to hold its beer and liquor" is a moot point, they should know and care enough about what to do when that particular pressing urge arises. Like the Golden Rule variant of don't spit whre you live, "Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him." (Pittacus)*
Maybe someone should find out how Manhattan (NYC) solved the problem. Since Guiliani, it hasn't been remotely as bad as it was in the late Eighties.
* the backup quote came from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocity
It would be a good thing to read the actual entry competely.
Alas, The people who really need to read it probably don't read this column.
Posted by: GDA | June 30, 2008 12:48 PM
It's okay not like Bushes and what they stand for but the remark is a really cheap shot.
Posted by: GDA | June 30, 2008 12:50 PM
Can the Sun go 5 minutes without bashing Republicans?
Posted by: bryanintimonium | June 30, 2008 1:40 PM
I'll admit it was a cheap shot..but it's Monday and we're all hungover...
Posted by: Don | June 30, 2008 3:12 PM
Ok. it's almost two hours...SCREW republicans....Let her move to Timonium.
Srsly. I used to live there and I always thought the smell was quite quaint...like a historic market should smell! We're a port city fer cryin' out loud! Smells abound!
Posted by: J.M. Giordano | June 30, 2008 3:33 PM
*Bushes suspenders flap up, and pants fall down*
how long was that?
Posted by: Allan | June 30, 2008 4:49 PM
wasnt the sun that did the bashing, was a reader.
ive seen them actually go 20 minutes once (back in '74 I think)
Posted by: ss2 | June 30, 2008 5:14 PM
y,all engage in such quality time around here. It's really quite touching, "sniff".
Posted by: karlosi | June 30, 2008 8:27 PM
Everyone:
Sorry for that mess I left on Cross Street Saturday night. One too many red headed sluts and everyone gets to enjoy the smell of lean pockets mixed with Miller Lite.
Posted by: JTK | July 1, 2008 9:00 AM
Can't we all get along?
Posted by: Jenna Bush | July 1, 2008 9:01 AM
J.M. Giordano,
Somehow in this day and age of indoor plumbling I don't think any city should or should tolerate the stench of urine as the lead fragrance in the bouquet of ambient smells, just as one, maybe you, wouldn't want to spend time in close quarters with some active sweaty parson who has washed in a week.
I guess some of us are silly that way.
Posted by: GDA | July 1, 2008 10:26 AM
"has" should be "hasn't"
Posted by: GDA | July 1, 2008 11:07 AM
New Orleans cleans the streets in the French Quarter every night with a mixture that smells of bleach. They have trash pick up daily. Granted, their rat and roach infestation problem exceeds ours, and there is also the little matter of horse manure from the carriages and street cops (their horses - not the cops). Nevertheless, that city is po as a mofo and somehow affords to clean its streets nightly.
Posted by: AC | July 1, 2008 1:15 PM
Down with Bill Clinton! There! I said it! OK, back to bashing Republicans ...
Posted by: Sam Sessa | July 2, 2008 10:02 AM
let's be nice nice to Bill, there hasn't been rumours about him [doing devious deeds] in a long time. Hilary no long running that could change.
Posted by: karlosi | July 2, 2008 12:02 PM
OK- Screw all your Republican banter. The point is this neighborhood stinks. Plus, there was a very large festival on the Raven's stadium lots last weekend. I park there for work and the lots are disgusting! The smell horrible, there is still trash and old food laying around. You would think the city would at least wash the lots down after something like that.
Seriously...this city needs some major clean up!
Posted by: Annoyed | July 2, 2008 1:01 PM
The city shouldn't be doing anything to clean up after an event or if it needs to, charge it back to the Raven's or whoever sponsored the event.
Do you really want your tax dollars to pay for people who wouldn't act responsible and clean up after themselves or promoter of the event not doing so.
Start issuing fines that make not clean up after these things really unpleasant and expensive.
This is a lot nonsense to tolerate. I don't think the amount business a statium brings to the area justifies let this trashing and being an ugly neighbor go unchecked.
Posted by: GDA | July 2, 2008 2:47 PM
this is awesome, a post about a smelly street, is about 2 pitchforks and a torch away from being an angry mob.
but i'm with GDA (twice, i know!!) if Ravens stadium looks like crap, thats a Ravens stadium problem.
Posted by: Allan | July 3, 2008 9:05 AM
that's also a parking lot, Cross Street isn't a parking lot. The business owners don't have the means to clean it and I am sure that they pay a lot of taxes. The city can't even provide enough parking let alone help out with keeping itself clean.
Posted by: jason | July 3, 2008 2:46 PM
excuses have their uses but their all used up
Posted by: karlosi | July 3, 2008 3:59 PM
Barcelona is a huge port city and the city hoses it's streets pretty much daily. I always saw the municipal workers hosing down the street at 5 am in the morning :) SO all we need is to vote Socialist.
Posted by: K | July 6, 2008 9:19 AM