Like other left-leaning cities, Baltimore has a vocal segment of the population that is against corporations taking over the city. People are afraid that family owned businesses will suffer greatly from gentrification. While that is a valid concern, why do I see way too many vacant storefronts downtown? A lot of these businesses aren't worth saving. O'Malley's getting a lot of flak for wooing Starbucks. There really aren't any good cafes in Baltimore, especially the homegrown kind. There's Donna's but it's more of a restaurant. Starbucks has no competition to worry about. There aren't any places where you can get coffee and sit around studying, doing work without being bothered by the staff. There is no supermarket downtown, which makes grocery shopping a royal pain in the ass for people without cars(It's of no help that the public transportation system sucks). One is being built on Charles Street, about 4-5 blocks south of me. Apparently, it's getting stiff opposition. There are many people who are hell bent in keeping this city in its mediocre state. I'm getting too upset talking about this.....