Roland Park itself, now a historical district, was developed over a three decade period overlapping the 19th and 20th centuries. The Roland Park Shopping Center is one of the gems of this garden suburb. Small compared to today's shopping centers and complexes, the three-story Tudor style building was a pioneer of its day, credited as being the first shopping center in the world. It began as an office building in 1896 and opened its first shops in 1907. Today, it continues as mixed use with offices, stores, and restaurants. There is adequate but limited parking in the front, which is further curtailed by intrusion of a tent and tables for outdoor dining at one of the restaurants. The tent also detracts from the view of this impressive building. Side street parking can be found. Of interest is an actual fire station on the south side of the building. The wide tree-lined avenue in front takes one back to a quieter time.