Understand
The Inner Harbor's relatively shallow waters have long played second fiddle to Baltimore's deep water harbors in the south of the city. Unable to accommodate large freighters, the port received light freight and passenger traffic, but even in these categories, the Inner Harbor lagged behind the busier docks at Fell's Point. Consequently, despite its central location, the Inner Harbor always remained underdeveloped, and more than a little seedy.
In the 1960s, particularly after the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr that devastated the city, the Inner Harbor sunk into decline with the rest of the city, leaving the waterfront dominated by abandoned warehouses, deteriorating industrial buildings, and open grassy areas for the occasional festival.In 1980, in what was considered nothing but hopeless folly, Mayor D'Alesandro Jr. came up with an expensive plan to revitalize the Inner Harbor, starting with the construction of the waterfront Harborplace, a big, attractive, indoor mall filled with shops and cafeteria dining. Shortly thereafter the city built the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center, and lo' and behold, the plan was a spectacular success, and the Inner Harbor took off and hasn't looked back.
Today, the Inner Harbor is the city centerpiece, Maryland's number one tourist destination, and the single biggest economic boon for the city. The views across the harbor and its ships towards the old Domino Sugar Factory in the south and the skyscrapers, including the Maryland World Trade Center, in the north are the icons of the city. Restaurants and big hotels line the waterfront, and tourists fill the streets, promenade, and piers. The Inner Harbor is less popular with locals, however, so you would do well to get out a bit to other neighborhoods like Fell's Point and Midtown to get a better feel for the local culture!
