Howard Street (Baltimore)

Howard Street

File:2008 05 07 - Baltimore - N Howard St at W Lexington St 3.JPG Light rail lines along North Howard Street at West Lexington Street
Owner	City of Baltimore
Location	Baltimore
Postal code	21201, 21218, 21230
North end	Artmuseum Drive and 29th Street
South end	Cal Ripken Way (I-395) and Conway Street

The light rail operating along Howard Street

Howard Street is a major north-south street through the central part of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. About 2½ miles long, the street begins at the north end of I-395 near Oriole Park at Camden Yards and ends near Johns Hopkins University, where it splits. To the right, it becomes Artmuseum Drive, the one-block home of the Baltimore Museum of Art. To the left, it becomes San Martin Drive, which winds road along the western perimeter of the Johns Hopkins University campus and ends at University Parkway. Howard Street is named in honor of former Maryland governor John Eager Howard. Two other streets in Baltimore, John and Eager Streets, are also named after him.

At one time, Howard Street was a two-way street throughout its entire route. In 1989, when construction began on the Central Light Rail line, Howard Street was made one-way in a northbound direction between Pratt Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The Light Rail operates along Howard Street within this area, which is most of Downtown Baltimore, and alongside Howard Street for much of the remainder of the street's route within the downtown area.

Landmarks

Notable landmarks on or near Howard Street include:

• Mayfair Theatre 508 North Howard Street Baltimore
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards
• Baltimore Convention Center
• Lexington Market
• University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus
• Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
• Maryland State Office Center
• Maryland Institute College of Art

Tunnel

In the downtown area, a tunnel owned by CSX runs below Howard Street. This tunnel was first proposed in the 1880s and built in the 1890s as part of the B&O Railroad.

File:Antique Row 1957.jpg

Antique Row 895 N. Howard Street

Antique Row

Antique Row is a chain of antique shops located along the 800 block of North Howard Street of Downtown Baltimore City. This area of treasurable memorabilia has dated back as far as the late 19th century as a cabinetmaking center. In the 1950s Antique Row was at its great’s height, when there was over 50 shops open due to the busy nature of Howard Street. In the 1960s, the expansion of Maryland General Hospital hauled away shops that were on the west side of the street. Antique Row also took to a decline when the department stores along Howard street closed. The last one to close was the Hutzler's in 1989. The construction of the Baltimore Light Rail that same year also slowed down business for the shops for three consecutive years. Afterwards the light rail aided in the shops gaining back its momentum because people were now able to travel and not worry about parking. However, it never returned to the same amount of success it had previously

The Decline Antique Row not only had to battle the decline of local stores but the increase interest in other Downton attractions such as Fells Point and the Inner Harbor Consequently, the lack of activity on Howard Street has made a gateway for crime to increase and people visit less. The shops ultimately take the plunge because they are not getting sales which results in them having to close up shop or relocate. Amongst the many other dealers on the block, Jimmy Judd and his son downsized and moved to a stall. The decline in customers are causing shop owners and dealers to leave their original place of business behind just to see some sort of financial gain

Additions to the Legacy Antique Row is known for more than its vast collection of antiques but what it adds to the community. Antique Row is an advocate for the appreciation of the Arts. As a result, Antique Row has become the home for other honorable art attractions. For, instance the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center was at 847 N. Howard Street in 2000. The inclusion of other art based institutions are hopefully going to aid in the return of customers and Antique Rows history.

Howard Street Bridge

File:HSbridge.jpg

The Howard Street Bridge, seen from Interstate 83

One of Howard Street's unique features is the twin steel arch-style bridge that crosses over the Jones Falls Expressway, the CSX and Northern Central Railway (and currently the light rail), and Falls Road. Built in 1938 by the J. E. Greiner Company to replace an earlier 19th century iron arch bridge, the 979-foot (298 m) long bridge begins shortly after the Mt. Royal Avenue underpass, and continues to the intersection at North Avenue.

At times, there has been debate over what colors to paint the bridge. Request has been made from citizens to get involved in making the decision. Polling has been used as a method to determine the color the bridge should be painted.

On November 17, 2011, Occupy Baltimore protesters marched on the Howard Street Bridge. The bridge was chosen by the protesters because they said it was a symbol of the city's decaying infrastructure and the need to get Americans back to work.

Arches

During the 1980s, a series of decorative arches were installed along the downtown part of Howard Street in order to add a unique style to the area and its shops. However, when light rail construction began, most of these arches had to be removed because trains would not have been able to pass underneath.

Howard Street Tunnel fire

Main article: Howard Street Tunnel fire

On July 18, 2001, a freight train in the tunnel below Howard Street derailed, causing a chemical fire that raged for six days and did damage to Howard Street and the light rail that took a few months to repair.