Same thing happened to Baltimore except there the decline started with the riots- which happened for no significant reason. It’s a hell hole now. A priest I know has been stuck up twice, pistol whipped once- at 4pm on a Friday.
I used to go with my family to the Inner Harbor from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. It was really nice. Now I see the stories about how even that area is a target for crime and violence. Its sad. Baltimore could be really nice too.