Hopkins students use Charles Village as a kind of home base to the point where it almost seems like the stores and restaurants lining North Charles and St. Paul are extensions of Homewood. In fact, Hopkins students are actually guests of a wider community when they venture to off-campus locales.
Charles Village is a close community of neighbors who are known for their off-beat interests. It's no wonder that Video Americain, the local rental store that was underground both literally and figuratively, was so beloved and is being mourned so openly. When the store announced that it was closing it also announced a candlelight vigil that would provide a forum and outlet for grief. The large crowd that attended and the number of people who offered testimonials spoke to the diversity and support that can exist in Charles Village.
Unfortunately, small businesses are fast becoming a minority in the neighborhood as chains like Freshii and Quiznos move in. This page is concerned that these restaurants are catering to Hopkins students first and the local community second. No one can deny that much of the Charles Village economy is bolstered by Hopkins students, but this page would hope that students would frequent independent businesses in the same numbers as familiar chains.
Video Americain was a casualty of the switch to digital media, not necessarily a trend in local businesses, but its closing and the community response surrounding it should serve as a reminder to Hopkins students that Charles Village is more than just a temporary stomping ground. Hopefully small businesses will continue to open alongside the national, and international, chains that have already shown up and the neighborhood can remain just that. When students are electing to attend an urban college they should be looking for diversity, not a mall food court, in their immediate surroundings.
Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
May 4, 2024
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