Age + Connectivity

Looking around the markets, I noticed that many of the sellers were older, while most of the buyers were younger. I found it heartwarming to see these spaces where exchanges happened not only through money but also through conversation and knowledge sharing, especially in the more informal markets. When I looked into the statistics for Baltimore, I found that a large proportion of residents are middle-aged, which aligns with my observations. There don’t seem to be many children or teenagers, especially in the areas I visit, and at first, I thought that might just be because I’m an adult. However, research shows that Baltimore’s youth population is declining and that the overall population is aging, which likely explains what I noticed.

Throughout the city, whether in bars or stores, I didn’t see much interaction between age groups. This is common in many cities, where people tend to rely on close-knit communities such as family, neighbors, or religious organizations to build intergenerational connections. Since I’ve never lived in a city before, I found it interesting to think about where these moments of intergenerational exchange actually happen. To me, the markets stood out as one of those places. They probably aren’t the only spaces where this occurs, but they clearly play a role. I wonder if there are more organic ways to encourage connection between generations. I’m not sure of the answer, but I do think we need more third spaces and community spaces overall.