These “judgmental maps” have been popping up on the internet for several months now. They began with the “Judgmental Denver Map” created by a local comedian, which included helpful geographic designations like “to buy weed from rich hippies,” “boring wealth,” and “loose chihuahuas.” Since then, more than two dozen cities have earned their own similarly scathing maps– and now it’s finally Baltimore’s turn. (Check out the full size map here.)
There are a number of objections to the judgmental maps, the most obvious one being that they rely on lazy stereotypes (at best) and outright racism (at worst). To my eyes, the map of Baltimore fails on two counts: the aforementioned lazy racism, and also because it’s not all that funny. The NYC and San Francisco maps feature hyper-specific micro-neighborhoods. But Baltimore? We’ve got “Frat Boys & Sorostitutes,” “Scary Rednecks on Meth,” and “Hipsters.” Snooze.
What do you think, readers?
In the City Hall area we need to add “For Rent Cheap.”