gailw

Just a quick thank you to fellow Fodorites for suggestions on our trip to Baltimore which was very enjoyable. We went to Pazo as SavTrav recommended and my friends loved it. We're all about 60 and were pretty clearly the oldest people there, but loved watching the outfits and activities of the "youngsters" (why were there so many young women vs. men???) -- nice atmosphere, definitely lively, and the tapas and paella were a great way for us old friends to share a meal.
S.O. and I went to Bertha's which I don't recommend. Mussels were tasteless and dry. $18 shrimp dish for S.O. looked like a diner meal and tasted like one, too.
Went to American Visionary Art Museum which was fabulous. Even the S.O. enjoyed it and he's not an art lover particularly. I'm so glad we went and wouldn't have known about it except for Fodor's.
B'more was mobbed with Red Sox fans (plane from Manchester was at least half Sox fans) and I think the Red Sox are the best thing to happen to Baltimore economy in ages.
Inner Harbor area doesn't do much for me, but was nice enough.
Staying in Fells Point was a good decision; kind of out of the tourist mainstream but very convenient to everything. I can't rave enough about the Inn at Henderson's Wharf. Staff was fantastic: encouraged my friends and us to enjoy the wine the hotel gave us and bottle of champagne and snacks brought by friends in the lobby, when it was raining before we went out to Pazo. Offered to supply us with additional wineglasses. Gave friends the e-key to hotel parking lot. Great breakfast, lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Coffee available around the clock. THE MOST comfortable bed I've ever slept in in a hotel. Can't recommend this hotel enough!
The water taxis are a great deal -- we walked everywhere, but would jump on the taxis to cool off, rest our feet, and just enjoy the harbor views.
We can't wait to go back and see some of the neighborhoods we didn't get a chance to see.
Thanks again for all the help.
Gail

tchoiniere

Gail, which night did you go to Bertha's? I went on Friday night and really enjoyed the mussels. It was a great weekend. I definitely enjoyed the trip. And Sox won 3 out of 4!!!

Here's my trip report
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=35134605

azzure

Watching the HBO series "The Wire" has made me scared of Baltimore! I assume the city has its nicer areas, but you sure don't see them on this show. What is a good, safe location to stay in in Baltimore? If Fells Point is not the tourist mainstream, what area is?

polaris

It makes our blood boil when we are known by the series, azzure. Most of our citizens are good decent people and have never been even near the neighborhoods (as in in EVERY big city). The "Wire" is based on the underbelly. It is a TV show showing poverty and blight and hopelessness that is found in our country. We live in Baltimore and love the culture, people and history. Baltimore is getting better and better..more sophisticated and fun. Maybe you should visit and we will plan a great trip for you.

tchoiniere

Azzure, I stayed in Fell's Point. As far as I am concerned, its the only place to stay in Baltimore - because of how much fun it was. Inner Harbor would not be a bad place to stay either.

gailw

Sorry, tchoiniere, I was too busy to check Fodor's for a couple of days. I went to Bertha's Thursday night. I thought the mussels were gritty, in addition to being dry! Maybe I'm just used to always ordering mussels in wine, so there's lots of that great "mussel juices" to mop up with some crusty bread...I'm glad you liked it and had a good meal.
As I said, we had a great time in Baltimore and we're hicks from NH. I didn't find it scary or intimidating at all, but then again, I don't watch tv so I don't have a lot of preconceived notions. Some of the friends I met up with had watched the tv shows in question and got a laugh when they saw a police station featured on one of those shows, but S.O. and I walked from one end of B'more to the other and had no unpleasant experiences. I'm sure there are bad neighborhoods; every city has them.
When I said Fell's Point isn't in the tourist mainstream, I just meant it was more manageable and seemed, perhaps, more visited by locals than the area called "inner harbor" on the maps, where there are two huge Quincy Market-type buildings, by the ship Constellation and something called the World Trade Center, I think. It was MOBBED with tourists, unpleasantly so to my taste, but I don't like crowds very much. Someone else might love that level of noise and activity.
Anyway, we can't wait to go back, but probably not til the fall, when it's cooler.
Best,
gail

JJ5

I don't like crowds much either, and we stayed right near the Stadium not in Fells Pt or right on the Inner Harbor, but I would opt for Fells or close to Little Italy next time.

And there will be a next time, if the airfares are right, because I love Camden Yards.

I like Baltimore, and did not find it scary or gritty at all. It has aspects of a city, but isn't very large, IMHO, overall and to me was highly "manageable" re accessability to interesting areas.

I never got to Bertha's. But loved the food and especially Nick's Fishmarket meal.