It takes a Thief

Check out this article on a break-in to the warehouse used by "The Wire" that occurred last week. It's in Columbia, Maryland - a suburb of Baltimore. The article sheds some light on where exactly the show is shot.

Money quote:

"Most of the filming for The Wire takes place in Baltimore, but directors shoot some indoor scenes on sets at the warehouse, such as ones depicting Baltimore police headquarters and the mayor's office. Equipment also is stored there...The show moved its soundstage to Columbia after its third season. The crew had been working out of an abandoned Sam's Club on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore County, (Producer Nina Noble said."

Also, here is an great article by Mark Bowden, one of America's greatest journalists, on the East Division of Philadelphia. From Bowden's descriptions, it sounds like a place eerily similar to the West Baltimore we see on "The Wire." Bowden describes the the social breakdown of the neighborhood, the immense unemployment, the abandonment of the area by industry and commerce, the great violence. The article also mentions the show.