In common with many other northeastern cities, Baltimore experienced a period of demoralizing decay in the mid-twentieth century, epitomized by the fact that no new hotel or office building was constructed for how many decades?
1) four decades
2) three decades
3) a quarter of a century
4) two decades
5) three-and-a-half decades
6) a decade
7) a decade-and-a-half
8) a half century
9) four-and-a-half decades
