I'm heading to Baltimore for work and am taking the weeked to do some exploring. It's my third time to the city and I'd like to head out to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Druid Hill Park on Sunday. I'm staying in the Inner Harbor and while I like to walk, it looks awfully far away. Is there public transportation that would get me from Inner Harbor to the Druid Hill Park area?

Also, I'm going to have a "Poe focus" on Saturday, and so have mapped out the Museum and Gravesite and possibly Annabel Lee Tavern - anything else uniquely Poe-related I should add to my list?

Hi seasweetie - Walking from the harbor to the zoo would be a very long way, in fact I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they have done it! I mean, I think it's certainly possible, but a pretty long hike. The other issue is that the neighborhoods around Druid Hill park have much higher crime rates than the downtown area, so that is something to consider as well. I'm sure you could get a bus which goes up that way, you'd have to check the MTA website. A taxi may be your best bet.

I just arrived in Baltimore and took the light rail for the first time. It seems quite efficient and can probably get you close to Druid Hill park. I lived here 2 plus decades ago and found it very seedy and unremarkable; don't know if it has changed.

It appears to be a year of Poe so there should be LOTS to do related to Edgar. Just pick up all the free literature at the airport and at your hotel.

I love the Baltimore Zoo and the Botanical Gardens are beautiful. I would suggest taking a cab or checking with your hotel about the availability of a ZIP car. Druid Hills is not the greatest area but in and around the zoo is very safe. Parking is free and plentiful.
As I said on another thread, Baltimore's public transportation is terrible and inconvenient. But don't let that keep you from having great time!

The Baltimore Zoo is definitely worthwhile. Was there last year to see their baby elephant. I cant imagine walking there from the Inner Harbor. Cab it or bus.

Thanks, all - 309pbg, that's the sense I'm getting about Baltimore's Public Transportation - I've tried going to the MTA website but the maps are virtually unreadable, especially for someone who doesn't know the area. I'll check with the hotel, but it's likely a cab at this point, I guess.

check out the light rail system, seasweetie. I found it very simple. I don't know how close it gets you to Druid Park though. Today, I've walked from the Inner harbor area where I'm staying up to Mount Vernon and will try to walk on down to Federal Hill.

For more about Poe, you could always come to Philadelphia. . .

http://www.ushistory.org/tour/tour_poe.htm

Hi

I saw the Poe House in Baltimore about 7 years ago; it's about 5 blocks west of Baltimore's Lexington Market. I always enjoyed going to and never felt worried for my safety at the Lexington Market, but unless things have changed in the last 7 years, the Poe House was in the middle of an alley in the middle of the projects... with boarded-down rowhouses on either side with teenagers loitering. If you've ever seen the show "The Wire", you might want to, as it gives a bit of a sense of what the neighbourhood looked like (see clip below)... I walked regularly around downtown Baltimore where many didn't and here was the only place I did feel a bit nervous, like I was on someone's turf I shouldn't have been.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH4n1...eature=related

Baltimore transit definitely takes some getting used to but it is workable with LOTS of patience and walking (if you take a bus get there 10 minutes early just in case, and don't be too upset if it's 10 minutes late); I somehow managed living 3 years there with only public transit. Druid Hill (or as Baltimoreans say it "Droodle") Park and the zoo I believe are accessible-ish from Woodberry Light Rail station (type in Camden Yards and Baltimore Zoo too figure out how to do it on the mtamaryland.com website), but involving a bit of a long walk..

Have Fun! Daniel

Wow, Daniel.... thanks for the info and warning. I was at Lexington market this morning eating at Faidleys (gigantic raw oysters) and felt a bit out of place there already. I was interested in walking to Poe's grave but there are many very dicey neighborhoods in Baltimore so I know what you're talking about. I lived here for 9 years many many years ago and spent a little time working in an ER and the knife and gun club sent in their trophies many times each night. I was at Hopkins in East Baltimore before they enacted security measures and am happy to have survived. Some didn't.

" I was at Lexington market this morning eating at Faidleys (gigantic raw oysters) and felt a bit out of place there already."

A lady ... eating giant oysters ... in the morning ... at Lexington Market ...? Yes, that's not something you see every day!

Thanks, Daniel! ncounty, that's EXACTLY what I was planning on doing on Saturday - oysters at Faidleys and continuing on to Poe's grave on foot. Are you saying that's not a good idea? I tend to be fairly fearless (when it comes to both oysters and neighborhoods)...

lol, smetz....well, it was 11 am, but 8 am my time since I just flew in from San Diego the night before. I would have preferred that repast much later in the day but the timing worked out that way. I kinda felt like I stood out like a sore thumb there but maybe I'm being overly sensitive.

btw, order their "prime" oysters....they are the gigantic ones.

seasweetie- I think it is reasonably safe, especially if you are doing it mid-day. I am fairly fearless as well; especially when ignorance is bliss, . I know of the dicey neighborhoods that Daniel refers to and would just recommend you have your radar on and be prepared to retreat if uncomfortable.

seasweeting, walking from Lexington Market to Poe's GRAVE is not a problem (it's the Poe HOUSE that might be less advisable). The grave is in the courtyard of a former church, which is part of the University of Maryland Baltimore campus. Not an issue at all.

Ooops, that's seasweetIE (not seasweetING).

Ncounty, I too worked at Johns Hopkins (Medical School) in East Baltimore 1999-2002, live now in Montreal. Curiously enough, while I don't miss the food at the Northeast Market (options really mostly too unhealthy), I do kind of miss the ambience.

I'm pretty fearless too. I used to take the Baltimore subway off-hours, the #3 bus at 9 at night, walked from the Hopkins medical campus to Mount Vernon (past the city jail) a few times; none of my colleagues would dream of doing these things. The Poe House area was different... so here I come along, pale white guy in my Banana Republic shirt (no non-black people anywhere to be seen)... this one girl says to me, "You look like you LOST!" (which made me think I shouldn't be there). I say, "Yes. I'm looking for the Poe House. Do you have any idea where that might happen to be?" (I remember thinking boy you sound like a prissy white boy.) She actually was very nice, smiled and said, "Yeah, it's on the street right behind you". So, I turned and the "street" where the Poe House was looked like an alleyway, with several groups of tough-looking teenage males in (to my eye seemed like) rapper-wear hanging out on steps in the alley with the Poe House. The Poe House was closed that day; I then walked (much faster than I normally would, but trying not to attract (more) attention) back toward the relative familiarity/comfort of the Lexington Market. Nothing actually happened as you see, but I had never had a stronger sense in Baltimore of being somewhere I shouldn't have been.

Enjoy Baltimore though and hopefully there'll be (sometimes is) good entertainment at the Lexington Market while you're there (at very least, there's usually a street preacher with a bullhorn (see clip below))!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPzQcEWap1g

Best wishes, Daniel

wow, Daniel, you are as crazy as I am!..... crazier really in some ways, I've never walked from JHMI to mount vernon; that is one long walk through a scary neighborhood. Even I knew better than that, lol.... and I've been in many scary situations.

I was there in Baltimore from 78-87; was just at the Maryland Club tonight for dinner. What a setting....Baltimore is loaded with character and authenticity.....Some of it of the unnerving kind; I know the scenes in The Wire that you are referring to and can just imagine what the setting near the Poe house must have looked like.