Westside, Baltimore

Westside Baltimore is the western portion of downtown Baltimore that includes Market Center and many of the newest developments in downtown Baltimore. It has increasingly become the preferred residential section of downtown. It is also home to the site of the "Superblock" project that will include hundreds of condos and apartments as well as a variety of retail and commercial space. The former home of Baltimore's many and famed department stores, Westside Baltimore is now anchored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore consisting of the University of Maryland Health System, University of Maryland School of Law and the University of Maryland Biopark. The Westside is also home to several performing arts centers, including the Hippodrome Theatre, Royal Farms Arena and the future home of the Everyman Theatre.GeographyBaltimore's Westside is located within the Downtown area of Central Baltimore. The Westside is generally bordered by Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west, Mulberry Street to the north, Howard Street to the east, and Pratt Street to the south.HistoryThe Westside of Downtown Baltimore has been an area of heavy economic development over the years. The Westside was known to be the "Garment District" for the many clothing factories placed throughout the neighborhood. This name continued to have relevance up until the mid twentieth century due to the abundance of department stores throughout the Howard Street corridor. Some of these include, Hutzler's, Stewart's, Hecht's, and Hochschild Kohn's.