Charles Street's exquisite late nineteenth and early twentieth century architecture signifies its importance as the original north-south axis of Baltimore (now extending from the Inner Harbor to the outer suburbs at the Baltimore Beltway). It was home for many of Baltimore's more affluent citizens and most splendid architecture, designed by nineteenth century internationally known talent such as Latrobe, Godefroy and Mills.

The Mount Vernon Squares, designed in 1840, and The Washington Monument, completed in 1829, are two Baltimore landmarks that inspired residential construction and cultural development. Charles Street became known as Baltimore's upscale retail corridor. With this growth came the establishment of the George Peabody Institute, Walters Art Museum, The Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Today, the history, architecture and culture that founded Charles Street's early years of prosperity are again fueling its redevelopment; revitalization efforts are encouraging tourism, as well as commercial, retail and residential land use.

Charles Street serves as a crossroad for a number of well-established historic neighborhoods such as Cathedral Hill and Mt. Vernon, both National Register Historic Districts. Anchoring the street are world famous cultural institutions including The Walters Art Museum and the Peabody Conservatory of Music. The corridor from Midtown Charles Street to the Charles North neighborhoods is host to two incomparable educational institutions--The University of Baltimore and the Maryland Institute, College of Art as the concert halls of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera House.

Baltimore's population is 700,000, with over 2.6 million living within a one-hour drive of the city. The neighborhoods in the Charles Street revitalization area, including Baltimore's Central Business District, are home to more than 30,000 residents. Downtown Baltimore's workforce has reached over 110,000, and the student population for the area's major higher education campuses totals more than 15,000. Downtown Baltimore is also world renowned for its medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Maryland Medical Center.