how to have fun in Baltimore (with or without out a car)
Jul 10th, 2000 | 01:46 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
how to have fun in Baltimore (with or without out a car)
Hi travellers
When I moved to Baltimore 9 months ago from Canada, I was unimpressed. I think I was viewing the city through grey-coloured glassed. All I saw was poor public transit, a city that seemed to close down on weekends and racial segregation.
However, over the past year I've really come to see it as somewhere worthy of a visit. It's certainly not as lively as some cities like Boston, New York City, Paris, Montreal or even Washington. But unlike many cities in the USA, Baltimore still have a lived-in downtown core, which gives it a real, peopled energy. While Baltimore might not have a public transit system as good as DC, NY or Boston, the city is certainly do-able without a car. Very few places in America can one make that statement. And Baltimore has a worn-around-the-edges charm that is endearing.
One can access the Inner Harbour readily by light rail, MTA bus or taxi from Baltimore's Penn Station. The Inner Harbor of course is chock full of tourists checking out the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center and the water taxis to Fells Point and Fort McHenry. Live entertainment on the waterfront draws crowds. This area is fun in a tourist sort of way.
Fort McHenry has plenty of green space and is of course the fort that inspired the US national anthem. Southern sympathizers were thrown in jail cells in the fort during the Civil War.
Accessible by water taxi from the Harbour, Fells Point has a number of watering holes, seafood restaurants and quaint rowhouses. Decidely yuppie. A fair number of historically important people lived here including Frederick Douglass, Billie Holliday, Harriet Tubman and Paddy Whalen (union activist).
One of my favorite areas of Baltimore is just north of the downtown called Mount Vernon (4-10 blocks south of Penn Station). Francis Scott Key lived here and the Walters Art Gallery is found here. This area is a tolerant, racially-mixed, diverse enclave in the city with numerous Gay hangouts, ethnic restaurants and knick-knack stores (Beadazzled is great for those who like beads). Mount Vernon seems to me to be the part of the city where open-minded Baltimore goes to play. Of the restaurants I've tried there, I'd particularly recommend the Helmand, an Afghan restaurant and Thai Landing. City Café is a nice place to go people-watch and sip on a cuppa.
Further north is the Johns Hopkins campus and Charles Village. Nearby is the Baltimore Museum of Art which gets some high-quality art exhibits.
In some cities, the excitement jumps right out at you. While this is not necessarily the case in Baltimore, with a little bit of searching, one can find some really great places to hang out/eat/shop.
My $0.02. Happy travelling. Dan.
When I moved to Baltimore 9 months ago from Canada, I was unimpressed. I think I was viewing the city through grey-coloured glassed. All I saw was poor public transit, a city that seemed to close down on weekends and racial segregation.
However, over the past year I've really come to see it as somewhere worthy of a visit. It's certainly not as lively as some cities like Boston, New York City, Paris, Montreal or even Washington. But unlike many cities in the USA, Baltimore still have a lived-in downtown core, which gives it a real, peopled energy. While Baltimore might not have a public transit system as good as DC, NY or Boston, the city is certainly do-able without a car. Very few places in America can one make that statement. And Baltimore has a worn-around-the-edges charm that is endearing.
One can access the Inner Harbour readily by light rail, MTA bus or taxi from Baltimore's Penn Station. The Inner Harbor of course is chock full of tourists checking out the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center and the water taxis to Fells Point and Fort McHenry. Live entertainment on the waterfront draws crowds. This area is fun in a tourist sort of way.
Fort McHenry has plenty of green space and is of course the fort that inspired the US national anthem. Southern sympathizers were thrown in jail cells in the fort during the Civil War.
Accessible by water taxi from the Harbour, Fells Point has a number of watering holes, seafood restaurants and quaint rowhouses. Decidely yuppie. A fair number of historically important people lived here including Frederick Douglass, Billie Holliday, Harriet Tubman and Paddy Whalen (union activist).
One of my favorite areas of Baltimore is just north of the downtown called Mount Vernon (4-10 blocks south of Penn Station). Francis Scott Key lived here and the Walters Art Gallery is found here. This area is a tolerant, racially-mixed, diverse enclave in the city with numerous Gay hangouts, ethnic restaurants and knick-knack stores (Beadazzled is great for those who like beads). Mount Vernon seems to me to be the part of the city where open-minded Baltimore goes to play. Of the restaurants I've tried there, I'd particularly recommend the Helmand, an Afghan restaurant and Thai Landing. City Café is a nice place to go people-watch and sip on a cuppa.
Further north is the Johns Hopkins campus and Charles Village. Nearby is the Baltimore Museum of Art which gets some high-quality art exhibits.
In some cities, the excitement jumps right out at you. While this is not necessarily the case in Baltimore, with a little bit of searching, one can find some really great places to hang out/eat/shop.
My $0.02. Happy travelling. Dan.
Aug 4th, 2000 | 12:40 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
If you want to join the locals having fun in Baltimore visit Fells Point for its historical buildings, eclectic no chain restaurants and beautiful water views on Broadway Pier. Also visit Pretty Boy Dam, Rock State Park and go to any and all ethnic festivals. Baltimore is the most diverse city in the U.S. and its history and people are amazingly interesting.
