Upton, Baltimore

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Upton is a neighborhood on Baltimore’s west side, between Fremont Avenue and McCulloh Street, from Dolphin Street to Bloom Street. Pennsylvania Avenue is its main street. Upton is part of the Old West Baltimore Historic District and has long been a center for Baltimore’s Black community in business, politics, and culture.

In the early 20th century, Upton was one of the city’s wealthiest African American neighborhoods. The Pennsylvania Avenue rail station opened in 1884. By the 1920s, many Black property owners were well educated. PA Avenue was a premier shopping street, with doctors, lawyers, stores, jazz clubs, theaters, and other institutions. Cab Calloway grew up here, and Eubie Blake debuted in a club on PA Avenue. The Royal Theater at PA and Lafayette was a famous venue. Upton also played a role in the civil rights movement, and Thurgood Marshall was born nearby on Division Street. The NAACP’s Baltimore chapter was based in Upton.

In the mid-20th century, many residents moved to avoid segregation, and homes were often split into small apartments. Saturday nights on PA Avenue were crowded with music and crowds. Wealthier families left for the suburbs. In the 1960s and 70s, urban renewal damaged much of the area’s older buildings, and the Royal Theater was demolished in 1971. The eastern part of Upton stayed more intact and is now Marble Hill, a national historic district with pretty rowhouses.

Upton is about a 15-minute walk from downtown Baltimore. It’s served by the Upton/Avenue Market Metro station and several bus lines. Local landmarks include The Avenue Market, Shake & Bake Family Fun Center, and the Arabber Preservation Society. The Upton Boxing Center has trained famous boxers like Gervonta Davis.

In recent years, efforts have reduced vacancy and violence. Starting in 2019, rowhouses on Harlem and Edmondson Avenues were rehabbed. In 2024, Baltimore Main Streets opened an office on PA Avenue, and the Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center opened on Division Street after renovating the old P.S. 103 building. Also in 2024, Black Women Build won JPMorgan Chase funding to fight housing vacancy in Baltimore.