“A new beginning for Corned Beef Row”: Baltimore’s rebirth downtown and its delis
I came accross a very interesting article the other day on the website of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. The piece, titled “A New Beginning for Corned Beef Row” by Alan Feiler, details the urban renewal of Baltimore’s Lombard St., aka Corned Beef Row. Home to some of Baltimore’s best delicatessens, like Attman’s, Weiss Deli, and Lenny’s Deli. It is the city’s equivalent of Chicago’s Maxwell St, LA’s Fairfax, or New York’s Delancey. Lombard was once the teeming heart of Jewish Baltimore, then fell into disrepair and neglect as the Jews moved away, became a center for urban blight, and is now being renewed and gentrified. All through that time, delis like Attman’s and Lenny’s continued to serve pastrami to the masses, remaining anchors to the community that changed so rapidly. Now, a revitalization is in the air.
“And for anyone who has recently visited the neighborhood — which still houses the Jewish Museum of Maryland, a pair of historic, well-preserved synagogues and three terminally busy Jewish delis — it’s obvious that something is again happening at Corned Beef Row. Don’t look now but the old neighborhood appears to be coming back to life. “There’s a lot going on down here, and we’re optimistic and excited about the future,” says Dr. Marc Attman, owner and operator of the 91-year-old deli started by his grandfather, Harry. “Look around here, you’ve got to smile. It’s fantastic, a breath of fresh air. Things are happening — finally. We’ve been waiting a long time.” Dr. Attman is talking about the revitalization efforts taking place at Corned Beef Row that appear to be transforming the neighborhood — which largely consisted of vacant, dilapidated buildings and abandoned seedy properties since the riots of 1968 and subsequent flight and deterioration — into a clean, vibrant area of planned mixed-use and mixed-income residential and commercial life.”
The piece goes on to discuss the changes happening on Corned Beef Row, and the impacts it will have on the traditional institutions there. Old delis around the country are facing the same issues…what applies here also does to Brooklyn, and Chicago’s Maxwell St area. It is a beautiful confluence of urban affairs and deli, and one of the most important articles I’ve read recently.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
