South Baltimore Peninsula

A modern example of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” perhaps?

The South Baltimore Peninsula’s Cross Street Market is certainly not what it used to be. However, that is to be expected for a place dating back to the 19th Century. Time marches on and things do change. Once a place to shop for produce, fresh meats, and seafood, you could also grab a snack during your shopping run. And, it still is like that – sort of. Well, not really…

Once, the Cross Street Market was a place where you could get farm-fresh produce, meats, and seafood from several different stalls. You could buy food from local vendors from every culture in Baltimore, and you could grab a bite to eat as you ran your errands. It was a thriving, bustling place where people loved to shop in an almost “open air” market environment – albeit with walls, a roof and HVAC. The key element that we loved was the “open” feeling of the place. The crowds. The culture. The history.

As recent as a few years ago the list of merchants included more than 20 unique businesses, all being part of a thriving open-space market. Some are listed here. Do you remember any of them?

• Baltimore’s Best BBQ – Rotisserie chicken and barbeque
• Big Jim’s Deli – Best overstuffed sandwiches in the market
• Buttercream Dreams Bakery – Bakery
• Cheese Galore & More – Cheeses
• Cross 10 Grocery – Grocery
• Cross Street Cafe – Famous for Bruce Lee’s chicken wings
• Cross Street Seafood – Freshest fish and crabs 
• Cross Street Tobacco – Fine premium cigars
• Fenwick’s Choice Meats – Choice meats, lottery, custom steaks
• Kwon’s Fresh Produce – Fresh produce & fruit salad
• Mondawmin Chicken – Fried chicken & fish (the best, this writer shopped here often)
• Mr. Sausage – yup, fresh sausages
• Nick’s Inner Harbor Seafood – “Baltimore’s Best” seafood market & raw bar 
• Pop Tacos – tacos
• Rosie’s Posies Flowers and Gifts – Gifts & Flowers
• Steve’s Lunch – Breakfast, lunch, snacks, UTZ potato chips
• The Flower Shop
• The Pretzel Twist
• The Sweet Shoppe – Candies & ice cream
• Tian’s Teriyaki
• Wireless One, Inc. – Cell phones & accessories

Now, that’s all still true… sort of. The Cross Street Market has been through some changes over the years—but it’s still alive and kicking. Find out what’s new about one of Baltimore’s oldest landmarks!

The new market is “sterile” when compared with the old. Upon entering it appears more like a hospital than a thriving market.

The new Cross Street Market Website is shiny and fresh (like the produce in the many stands a few years back). The site claims, “22 independently owned and operated businesses,” yet lists only 14 merchants. That means almost a 40% vacancy rate. Indeed.

Listed Cross Street Market merchants (as of April, 2022)

• Atlas Fish Market – Fresh seafood market w/ raw bar
• Blowfish Poke – Hawaiian cuisine
• Ceremony Coffee Roasters -Sharing amazing coffee
• Chicken Lab – Korean fried chicken
• Crepe Crazy – European crepes
• Fenwick’s Choice Meats – Quality meats ( a wonderful carry-over from “before”)
• Gangster Vegan Organics – Eat healthy
• Pizza di Joey – New York style brick oven pizza
• SoBeachy – Haitian restaurant
• Southside Burger Bar – Local family business with burgers and dogs – done right.
• Steve’s Lunch – Breakfast and lunch for over 50 years in the Cross Street Market (another wonderful carry-over)
• Taco Love Grill – Authentis Taqueria
• Taharka Bros. – Confections
• Watershed – Seafood restaurant/crab house

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What happened to the Cross Street Market that many of us used to know? Progress? Maybe not…