After two weeks in Baltimore, I have found precious jewels obscured in sadness: The city's beautiful row houses.
These grand dames line the streets of Harford Avenue, Biddle Street and East North Avenue, to name just a few locations. But the life has been expelled from them.
You may wonder why a stranger from Kansas would care so much for broken properties. First, I love architecture and find beauty in the cut and curve of a building. And I have been in search of a place to call home.
I need a place to call my own in a city that has the arts, activities and lifestyle I adore. These row houses are close to downtown, bus routes, trains and freeways. I would love to see them come alive again.
Is it possible to save what are now eyesores? Are they doomed to be put out of their misery? I hope not. I want a miracle, and I have the will and drive to find one. Who knows, maybe others in Baltimore want the same thing too.
Lila Johnson, Baltimore