Donny, Baltimore's Inner Harbor and Little Italy are the showcase areas of the city. The remainder is a war zone where at least one murder takes place every night, especially the northwest side of town. When I was a kid, which I realize was about the same time that John Paul Jones joined the Navy, you could go anyplace in Baltimore and felt pretty safe. I used to ride a trolly (street car) to Carlin's and Gywnn Oak amusement parks and go on the rides all day long, which back then cost .50 cents. I took the same street car to Gwynns Falls and went fishing for smallmouth bass and bluegills - today the same stream is so polluted that touching the water would be dangerous, but additionally, if you ventured out of your car there would be a good chance that you would be mugged, robbed and likely shot by roving street gangs. The drug trade in Baltimore is off the charts, while the politicians are more crooked than the criminal element. There's a valid reason I no longer play music in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and Little Italy. Looking at those old photos really brought back some fond memories, but they also brought a tear to my eyes when I think of the wanton destruction that has taken place in that once charming city.

Gary