On Sunday, August 7, just off Mt. Vernon Place in Baltimore, next to that extraordinary neo-Gothic Methodist Church, I encountered an Amazon van and driver making a delivery. I should have taken a picture with the Washington Monument glorious in the background.
Two hours later -- after a great lunch -- I encountered a second Amazon van and driver in the 1000 block of North Charles street. This is (badly) pictured above. I waited for the driver/delivery guy to exit the frame (he was on a cell phone trying to find his customer and cast me a look of considerable concern).
Both of the packages were carried very lightly, no more than 12x12x18 inches each. Books? Shoes? Shirt? Scarf? I almost asked, but I doubt the carrier would know and certainly shouldn't tell. The two Sunday afternoon deliveries were made on the eastern edge of the 21201 zip code area. Population density 12,298 per square mile.
Wealth and poverty are tightly mixed in this part of Baltimore. But the median household income for the smallest census tracks in this zip code does not exceed $57,000 and just a few blocks west can plunge to $21,000.
There is a gigantic -- million square foot -- Amazon fulfillment center in SE Baltimore just north of Point Breeze. Maybe eight miles from the second delivery location. Still I was surprised. Should not have been. I need to get out more.
Density+Proximity=Delivery.
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