Ravens, renewal put Baltimore back on map

The clean, attractive waterfront is a big draw for Baltimore visitors

In this story: A new image Tourism draw RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Christy Feig
CNN Correspondent

BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- As the people of Baltimore rally around their Super Bowl champions, the so-called Charm City is getting its share of attention, and loving it.

From the Inner Harbor to Little Italy, enthusiasts say Baltimore is the place to be these days. But that wasn't always the case.

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"We really turned what I would call an economic nightmare back in the 20th century into 21st-century prosperity," said John Hatfield, dean of the University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley says part of the city's charm is its small- town attitude.

"It's very easy to get to know the place," O'Malley said. "And it's very easy to have it feel like home."

Baltimore's image as a blue-collar city is changing. In the 1950s, for instance, the Can Company's 1,500 employees turned out 5 million cans a day. Now the refurbished factory is home to restaurants and technology companies.

The Can Company, a former factory, is now home to restaurants and technology companies

The high-tech industry is the fuel behind Baltimore's renaissance. Technology jobs have increased by 65 percent in the last five years, and the city expects to have 200,000 new jobs between now and 2005.

"There's been kind of a confluence of cooperation among African- Americans and whites, among Democrats and Republicans, among politicians and business leaders, to make some really positive things happen," said Hatfield.

Yet some locals like Walter Jones feel they are being left behind.

"I think they've really put a little too much into the tourists and are really not taking care of some of the other areas," he said.

But tourists love the new Baltimore, which boasts such popular attractions as the National Aquarium and the Harborplace shopping and entertainment complex.

"It's pretty, it's clean, it's nice," one visitor said. "They've done a really great job."

And having a team that won the Super Bowl doesn't hurt.

"The Ravens have really come to symbolize the comeback of Baltimore in so many ways," O'Malley said. "They're a resilient team, they're persistent, they work hard every day, not unlike the people of Baltimore."

Destination: Getting Back to Baltimore

The National Aquarium in Baltimore
Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association
Harborplace
Baltimore Ravens
University of Baltimore
City of Baltimore
The Can Company

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