I am considering a trip to Baltimore this summer. I am wondering what are the best things to do in Baltimore? What are the best neighborhoods to visit? Finally what are the best uniquely Baltimore places to eat?

Neighborhoods: Fells Point, Little Italy, Federal Hill, Canton. The Inner Harbor is very touristy.

See a ball game at Camden Yards. Baltimore Mus. of Art. G & M Seafood for excellent crab cakes.

How long will you be in Baltimore? The best place to stay is in the Inner Harbor area. You'll find tons of interesting places to visit that are easily accessible from there. The National Aquarium is a world-class attraction located right on the harbor.

This website should give you some more ideas:
http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/visitor/

A couple of uniquely Baltimore restaurants:

Obrycki's Crab House on Pratt Street
John Stevens in Fells Point

The markets are a great place for unique Baltimore experience. Go to the Cross Street Market (Federal Hill) for some Maryland crab cakes and great working class Bawlamer vibe (more white). Lexington Market has a great (more black) working-class Baltimore vibe; always something interesting going on there...a preacher with a bullhorn, folks catching up, sometimes even a free musical performance (went once, Caribbean tin drum music, folks were dancing, what fun!).

Take a water taxi to Fort McHenry or Fell's Point from Inner Harbour. Go check out Mount Vernon neighbourhood, the Washington Monument there, and architecture of stately Mt. Vernon square (imagine this was where numerous Baltimore moneyed lived in the 1800s). Walter's Art Gallery is worth a look-see here if you have an interest in art.

Charles Village is a bit out of the way (accessible by car, taxi, or #3 or #11 bus), but Baltimore Museum of Art is nice and Johns Hopkins main campus pretty enough. Hampden and Mount Washington are accessible by light rail and are interesting neighbourhoods, but I'd stick to the closer-to-downtown neighbourhoods for a first visit.

Enjoy! DAN

The Baltimore museums are lovely and free.

I particularly like the Walters Museum. One of the greatest collections of art.

If you are a baseball fan, definatley take a tour of Oriole's Park. It was the highlight of our couple days in Baltimore.

If you are considering going out of town a little--Washington D.C. and Gettysburg are both a day-trip away.

I'm surpried no one has mentioned the American Visionary Museum. Its the largest museum in the country devoted to Folk and Outsider Art. A truely must do in Baltimore. I like Baltimore. A nice mix of gritty old industrial, seaport harbor and new urbanism.

I forgot to mention Annapolis. It is charming with the Naval Academy and all those yachts in the harbour.

Eastern Shore areas like St. Micheals are also charming. I do not know distances to Baltimore.