Worth spending 1 day in Baltimore?
 

We're going to D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, and flying into BWI (Baltimore airport) at 10 a.m. Thinking of it's worth spending that day and night in Baltimore and then start D.C. the next day? What is there in Baltimore to spend 1 day? Where to get blue crabs, preferably fresh off the boat and freshly cooked? I've heard of a great art museum there, but we're also planning to see a bunch of museums in D.C.

Appreciate your suggestions!

I think it depends how many days you have in DC.

There have been some recent threads (I think) about what to do in Baltimore.

Have you heard of the Inner Harbor? I think that is where most people concentrate while visiting Baltimore. There is also Fells Point (I have no idea what is there) and a fort

If you google things to do Baltimore or look at a guidebook, you will be able to make an informed decision.

The National Aquarium is a worthy visit. The Aquarium is located on the Inner Harbor, a nicely done area.

My favorite crab cake destination is actually close to BWI. G&M Restaurant: www.gandmcrabcakes.com If you are lunchtime after getting your bags and car rental, it's a great way to start your trip.

Asking about best crab place will be like asking the best religion to get you to heaven.

I just read about the Lexington Market. Sounds neat. Ok to go there on a Wed or it's more lively on Sat?

Also, we're planning to stay at the Sheraton near BWI. Can we take public transportation to the major sights in Baltimore or it's better to rent a car that day?

Thanks all for the helpful advice!

I really enjoy Baltimore. I liked the tour of Fort McHenry, the Aquarium and the Maritime Museum. But agree that it depends on how much time you really will have in DC. Fell's Point is an old neighborhood with small inns and bars. I don't think there is a lot of public transportation but may be wrong. May need to cab it from hotel to the Inner Harbor and walk / cab from there. If you want to go to Ft McHenry, cab it to the Inner Harbor then take the Water Taxi.

That being said, I wouldnt cut DC short for a day in Baltimore.

Hello JC98

Check out Lexington Market (go to Faidley's for seafood chowder), see the heart of Baltimore life around the turn of the 20th century in Mount Vernon (stop in the Walter's Art Museum) and visit the Cross Street Market in Federal Hill if you haven't had enough seafood (interesting comparison with Lexington Market). Grab a water taxi to Fell's Point from the Inner Harbour (which for the record is NOT my favourite place in Baltimore, I find it too tourist trappy) and explored the historied streets of Fell's Point. This will easily fill a day.

If you're reasonably fit, you could do all this without a car, arriving at Penn Station and taxiing/walking/light railing down Charlest Street/St. Paul St.

IMO Baltimore's definitely "worth" a day's look-see (and more!). Most don't agree with me on this one, but I actually prefer the city to DC (shhhhh, don't tell) as I find it has more character.

Best wishes, Daniel

As far as crabs go, you probably won't get them "fresh off the boat", since it's too early in the year for Chesapeake Bay crabs. But you can still get steamed crabs at any crab house. If you would be searching for places convenient to downtown, three possibilities would be Bo Brooks, on Boston Street in the Canton neighborhood - this is a waterfront spot, with good views of the harbor; Also Obrycki's which opens for the season on March 16 - it's on Pratt Street just off Broadway in north Fells Point, and is an old line crab house, but they do not use Old Bay to season the crabs, focusing instead on black pepper; Finally, there is a place on Fort Avenue in the Locust Point neighborhood, called LP Steamers. I've never been to this place, but I know many people who like it - it's small but is near Fort McHenry.

Re. crabs: I would suggest Capt. James Crabhouse (are they open in early April??). The CRABHOUSE (outdoors) - NOT the indoor restaurant. There is a water taxi stop right there. Excellent crabs - outdoor seating right on the water. Highly recommended.
http://www.captainjameslanding.com/crabhousemenu.pdf

If you have less than 5 nights in DC, I would skip Baltimore altogether.

I'd rent a car, pick a couple of target sites in Baltimore from the above suggestions (personally I'd go for crab cakes at Faidley's in Lexington Market and the National Aquarium), but not stay overnight. It's a short drive to DC (if you wait until 7 or later to avoid rush hour traffic) and it will save you hotel-hopping and put you where you want to be on your first morning.

It's worth it- hang out in the inner harbor area and take a water taxi to fells point- cobble stone streets with many pubs and restaurants.

If you just spent your first day in Baltimore then proceeded to DC the next morning you wouldn't really be losing much time in DC, and there is plenty to do in Baltimore for a day as noted above. I think it would add nicely to your trip.

On some of the crab suggestions above, Capt. James is a good one - a really neat place and they are open all year. To get there you'd take Aliceanna Street east from Fells Point, to its intersection with Boston Street. You can't miss the restaurant, because it looks like a big ship! There is a crab deck on top which has a nice water view, and I think the crab house mentioned above is across the street, right on the water. But sitting outside in April could be chilly.

Lexington Market is big, busy, ethnic, and a little bit outside of downtown in an area that's slightly run down. Faidley's is excellent. The Cross Street market is a public market, like Lexington, but it's in Federal Hill, which is one of the rejuvenated neighborhoods in Baltimore. You can get a pretty good crab cake there too, but not as good as Faidley's. But the consensus around here is that the best crab cake in the area these days is actually at a restaurant near BWI called G & M - on Nursery Rd at Hammonds Ferry Rd. The restaurant is nothing fancy, but the crab cake is big, tasty, and moderately priced.

Re art, if you like impressionist/modern art, the Baltimore Museum of Art has the largest collection of Matisse works in the world, and they are also running a temporary Cezanne exhibit until May. Many people also love the American Visionary Art Museum, which is at the harbor, though I have to tell you it's not my cup of tea. You'd have to go to their website to get a good description of their collection, but I think most of the artists had mental problems of various degrees, and their art ranges from the interesting to the bizarre. There is also the Walters Art Museum, which is in Mount Vernon, a lovely neighborhood, and is adjacent to the Washington Monument - this one pre-dates the one in DC.

Fort McHenry is a great historical US park. If you take a tour they give you the whole story of F.S. Key's writing of the "Star Spangled Banner".

Personally, since you are not planning to stay downtown I think you'd be better off with a car, since public transportation in Baltimore is not very good. You are not going to have a lot of time, and you can do much more in a short time with wheels.

I forgot to second the suggestion of the aquarium - that alone is worth the trip.

Thanks, all, for the great suggestions! So, I'm convinced to spend 1 day in Baltimore. We have 7 days total in D.C., so taking 1 day for Baltimore seems ok.

Rough itinerary:
* Land in BWI at 10:30 a.m. and rent a car
* Lexington Market for lunch. Crab cake, etc.
* Baltimore Museum of Art -- I want to see the Cone's sisters art collection--great pieces by Matisse, etc.
* Inner Harbor and water taxi over to Fell's Point. I haven't looked at the map, but I guess this is the way to go to Fell's Point? No way to drive over? How much is the water taxi and where should we park?

Still debating whether to stay that night in Baltimore or head out to D.C.

Thanks!

The Baltimore Museum of Art is a fair distance north of Lexington Market and the Inner Harbor area, near the campus of Johns Hopkins University. You'd drive there, so you wouldn't be then taking the water taxi to Fells Point (you'd drive from the museum to Fells Point).

Alternatively, you could substitute the American Visionary Art Museum. Then you could park near the Inner Harbor, walk to Lexington Market, take the water taxi to the Rusty Scupper stop, walk to the Visionary Art Museum, then get back on the water taxi to Fells Point (you have to transfer water taxis).

http://www.avam.org/
http://www.thewatertaxi.com/map.html#

We enjoyed the Walters Museum and hope to return for a longer visit.
If you elect to stay, Henderson's Warf Inn is a good choice in Fells Point.

I like your itinerary. I'd suggest you take I-295 north into the city from BWI, and it will take you onto Russell St then Paca Street, which will take you straight up to Lexington Market. Right after you pass the main market building on the right, you'll see a garage on the right, which is good to park in - you can go directly from that garage into the market on the 2nd floor.

After you go to the BMA, you could drive back down to the Inner Harbor, and you'll find lots of parking garages and lots on either Light or Pratt Streets across from the Harbor. A good one is the garage under the Gallery & the Renaissance Hotel, right across from the Harbor on the north side of Pratt between Calvert & South Streets. One alternative is to drive straight over to Fells Point, where parking is a little cheaper. Then you could take the water taxi in the opposite direction. If the weather is bad and you don't want to use the water taxi, it's not really a problem to drive & park in both places.

I think Baltimore is definitely worth the visit. I think it would be more leisurely if you stayed overnight. I think I got the Marriott Inner harbor for about $100/night on Priceline.

Another question: Is the Mount Vernon in Baltimore the same as the famous George Washington's Mount Vernon?

Thanks

You should listen to ncounty, they have her picture displayed at Faidley's raw bar eating raw oysters and drinking beer from the can (National Boh tall boy, no less) at 9 a.m.

Mount Vernon is a neighborhood on a little hill just north of downtown, around the George Washington Monument. Nothing to do with GW's estate south of DC in Virginia.

If you've got a car at BWI and you're driving to Baltimore and you don't go to G&M (it's on the way) you're missing the best crabcakes anywhere. The place isn't fancy and the crabcakes aren't cheap but they're the best (I may have mentioned that already).

lol, smetz, what a memory! Best raw oysters anywhere I dare say!

In your defense, ncounty, I may have embellished a bit about the Natty Boh tall boy!

Agree that crabcakes at G&M are far superior to the ones at Lexington market. There is a great Italian deli right across and a bit down from Lexington Market, Trinacria, 406 N Paca St. They have fabulous Italian subs and they make their own bread which is to die for.

Thanks, all, for the good info! Looking forward to an enjoyable day in Baltimore. When I first proposed spending a day in Baltimore, my DH thought it was too preposterous and mocked it by singing the line from Hairspray "Good morning, Baltimore..." Hope Baltimore will prove him wrong. :)

Another question for all the Baltimore/D.C. experts here: Two options for car rental and dropoff:

1) Rent in BWI and drop it off next day by 10:30 a.m. in D.C. central, near Foggy Bottom metro--close to our hotel in D.C. Cost $75. (How bad is the traffic going to D.C. on a weekday?)

1) Rent and return to BWI. $45. Take public transportation to D.C. (Foggy Bottom metro station) with 2 carry-on luggage. Is it a big hassle? How to go about this?

Thanks!

Traffic into DC mid week would not be great, but not horrible. The ride into DC could be ok as you're on the cusp of rush hour, but then again if its raining or there is an accident, it could be pretty bad.
I assume that each of u has a carry on and that wouldn't be problematic on public transportation. U could use esclators and elevators so no steps involved. Public transportation would involve the shuttle from the car rental to the train station at BWI, the train (Amtrak or Marc line) to Union Station, getting on the Red line at Union Station in the direction of Shady Grove and transferring at Metro Center to either the Blue line in the direction of Franconia or the Orange line going towards Vienna and getting off @ Foggy Bottom. Non rush hour fare (after 9:30 am) would be $1.45. Don't know what the Amtrak or Marc train from BWI costs. So it's up to you if u want to save some money and take public transportation. It's definitley doable and depending upon traffic that morning could be quicker.

Thanks, yestravel, for your useful response! I've also posted it explicitly to see if there's any other opinions.

Thanks again!

I second (third) the G+M restaurant rec near BWI.

I'm not a connoiseur of crab cakes. What makes a good crab cake?

Looks like I have to try out G+M.

Thanks!

Lots of tasty crabmeat and little fillling. People like different seasonings. G&M's are large crabcakes with huge chunks of crabmeat and barely any filers. You can get them broiled or fried.

How dangerous is Baltimore? We are traveling with a 3-year old to BWI in June-July and will be continuing to Washington, DC. We will be renting a car at BWI, so I've been thinking of stopping in Baltimore to visit the National Aquarium. My only knowledge of Baltimore comes from watching "The Wire" on HBO...

RainyDay, I can understand how you feel, but Baltimore is really not significantly worse than any other major city in the US, including Washington DC. The Wire is fairly accurate, but it reflects life in poor drug ridden areas of the City, and it could have been filmed in Anacostia in DC, or in similar neighborhoods in any city. If you want to go to the National Aquarium, the first thing you'll notice is that it looks nothing like the scenes you've seen in The Wire, and you'll feel quite comfortable there. Your 3-year old will probably enjoy it more than anything in DC.

smetz is exactly right. The Aquarium is in the heart of the tourist area in Balto. Lots of people everywhere een a fair number of police milling about. Its really fabulous and your 3 yr old will love it. A slight warning -there is a 4D movie that was great, but many young children were crying and scared from it and had to be taken out from the movie.

I saw 4D this summer. It was so funny; I didn't know what to expect. The kid behind me started crying and then my niece who was 6 started crying. I think it was a chain reaction. I told her to sit on my lap and then she stopped. She and my other niece didn't like it too much at the time.

The jellyfish exhibit, which I think is permanent and pretty new, was really awesome. Those things are so cool.

I agree with smetz about Baltimore as well. I think The Wire is filmed far off the tourist center.

To the OP, I would personally probably just keep the car and pay the extra 30$ to return it in DC..... and I'm pretty frugal. If you need to justify it, there are 3 train rides and transfers involved and there are at least 2 of you so cost per person is only $15 extra for avoiding that hassle.

Hi Rainyday09

When I lived in Baltimore, visiting The Inner Harbor (where the Aquarium is) felt like I'd landed in a cross between a shopping mall and an amusement park on the water. So, no, it's nothing like "the Wire". In fact, whenever I would be there, I never really felt like I was in Baltimore at all... but rather in a bubble of suburbia; the area where suburbanites and tourists felt safe milling about in large groups.

In truth, I found the Inner Harbor very generic and didn't interest me much (although the Aquarium has an extensive collection of aquatic life that you might enjoy). While not exactly "the Wire"-like areas, I tended to prefer the areas of the city with more character: Mount Vernon, Lexington Market, Federal Hill (Cross Street Market especially), Hampden, taking the #3 bus ;)... Fell's Point, while it has a tourist draw being on the water taxi line, still feels more "Baltimore" to me than does the Inner Harbor.

Have fun... visiting the Aquarium you have nothing to be concerned about... Daniel

DW, an insightful comment, and one with which I agree. If you don't mind, I could add some additional background. The inner harbor area was historically an industrial seaport which began to decline in the 1950's, and was very nasty for a number of years. The area was eventually converted into a park during the late 1960's/ early 1970's. I began going there in the late 1970's, when my wife and I were first married, and it was really nice - all green space with a brick promenade around the harbor. The area was the scene of all the ethnic festivals held in Baltimore through the summer, and it was just a really enjoyable place. It also seemed more connected to Federal Hill on the south side of the harbor, since it was all parkland. Harborplace - the two retail pavilions - was developed by The Rouse Co. in 1980, and not without dispute - lots of people wanted the park to remain, myself included. Around the same time, land was dedicated for the Maryland Science Center and the National Aquarium. At first, Rouse wouldn't allow any national chains in Harborplace, only local businesses, but that didn't last. Now you're right, the retail area is very generic, but the museums, including the science center, aquarium, and The Constellation, are excellent. And, I have not been to any city in the US, that has as nice a waterfront area as Baltimore. I live outside of the city now, but my wife and I go in often for dining & entertainment, and we tend to go to areas that you liked - Mt. Vernon, Fells Point, Canton, Federal Hill, etc. But all nice neighborhood areas are new at some point, and I'd say that the Inner Harbor has done a pretty good job of getting established over the past 30 years, and it will probably mature very nicely in the future.

When we went to Baltimore and DC we also squeezed in a parade morning at Annapolis. I don't remember exactly how far this was, but we went "on our way" to DC and were thrilled with the area.

Where to hangout in Baltimore at night? Somewhere safe and happening? Not looking for bars, but a nice and safe place to stroll around. Inner Harbor?

Thanks!

I would think the Inner harbor and Fells Point.