Help me enjoy Baltimore.

September 5, 2007 3:07 PM

I'm visiting Baltimore this weekend, and I have some questions about transportation and more general stuff.

We're seeing a ballgame. We don't have a hotel room yet. Most of the still-available rooms seem to be near the airport. Is it a PITA to get from the airport area to downtown via public transportation? If it's do-able, how do I do it? Or is it so easy to drive and park between the two that I might want to do that?

what's a good place to eat? My wife likes seafood, I'm a vegetarian. Recommendations for one or the other in the stadium/Inner Harbor area? Or how about a belgian style place? We both like that.

What else do you like to do in Baltimore?

posted by Mayor Curley to travel & transportation (19 comments total)

There is a lightrail between BWI and the airport, but honestly, it's sterile and isolated out by BWI, so I'd spring for the city.

Drive and park is doable, but parking at the stadium sucks a whole lot.

Museum of Visionary Art http://www.avam.org

Hampden is a nice neighborhood, but it's on the other side of town from Harbor:

http://www.hampdenmerchants.com/

Please do not miss the exceptional Cafe Hon and its lovely cherry pie. You can also visit Atomic Books.

If you want to have an excellent drive-in experience, the nearby Bengies in Essex (you'll need a car) is not to be missed for its two-story screen and crazy owner: http://www.giantoutdoorscreen.com/NowShowing.php

(Ratatoiulle, Stardust and Hairspray)

Finally, not too far away from the stadium is the bar-tastic and restaurant-o-rific neighborhood of Fellspoint (don't eat any of that heinous Inner Harbor Crap.)

http://www.fellspoint.us/barseateries.html

Bertha's is famous.

Oh yes - Baltimore also has a pretty damn good aquarium.
: )

Have fun! Watch your wallet!
posted by beezy at 3:24 PM on September 5, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Will you be at the Red Sox game Sat night? I will be. Listen for a really loud whistle when Ortiz comes up - that will be me. Wish I had more tips about Baltimore; I will be watching this thread.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:28 PM on September 5, 2007

I should add: One World Cafe has good veg food and is a nice little coffeeshop, but it's not near the inner harbor.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:30 PM on September 5, 2007

Will you be at the Red Sox game Sat night?

That's right, brotha! We're in the nosebleeds behind home plate.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:31 PM on September 5, 2007

Also I have heard great things about The Helmand (Afghan) but haven't been.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:36 PM on September 5, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nice - we will be in nosebleeds out the firstbase line.
posted by LobsterMitten at 3:39 PM on September 5, 2007

Also, the light rail may not run BACK to the airport after the game, especially if it goes into extra innings. Check the schedules carefully.

I've never had a problem parking in one of the garages a few blocks away from Camden Yards. It's about $15, but totally worth it for lack-of-hassle. Be sure to go to Boog's BBQ by the flag court.

But most importantly, COWBOY UP! Wave at Papi for me.
posted by nkknkk at 3:41 PM on September 5, 2007

The trip on the light rail between BWI and downtown Baltimore takes about 45 minutes. You catch the light rail at the end of a terminal. It's probably worth it if you're just "commuting" in for the day. I don't know how you'd get to the light rail from the hotel, though. (Hotel shuttle?) The light rail runs till 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 7 p.m. Sundays and holidays. (It may run later on Sundays when there are Orioles games, but I could not find this out for sure.)

It's a bit of a pain to get around Baltimore by public transportation if you want to go a lot of places. (I say this as someone who doesn't have a car.) It will be expensive to park near Camden Yards, though.

You can get to Hampden on the light rail (Woodberry stop).

Pazo is a little pricey, but it's vegetarian-friendly and seafood-friendly. For a crab cake, Faidley's at Lexington Market (closed on Sundays), which is on the light rail. Helmand is indeed great, and is great for vegetarians.
Liquid Earth (Fells Point) and Yabba Pot (Charles Village -- the address in that link is old. The current address is 2433 St. Paul St.) are both vegetarian (Yabba Pot is vegan).

You can get to Fells Point and Charles Village by bus (or longish walk, probably about a mile for Fells Point and 2 for Charles Village).
posted by Airhen at 3:46 PM on September 5, 2007

The Brewer's Art has both Belgian ale & Belgian Food!
posted by dipolemoment at 4:06 PM on September 5, 2007

According to the MTA website, the light rail is supposed to run for 1 hour after the last out. I take light rail to and from Ravens games and love it. The southbound line to BWI splits off at North Linthicum; if you are on a Cromwell Station train, you'll need to switch to a BWI train there.

dipolemoment gives a good suggestion with The Brewer's Art. Or hop the water taxi from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point and have some drinks at Max's (where the food is bad but the beer is good)? Bertha's, Kooper's and Slainte in Fells Point are all okay foodwise.

What else to do? What do you like to do? The Aquarium is great but always crowded. Catch the water taxi over to Ft. McHenry for history. Walters Art Museum or the BMA for conventional art; the Maryland Institute or AVAM (mentioned by Beezy) for less conventional art. But for my money, the best thing to do this weekend is the Ukrainian Festival in Patterson Park--that is Baltimore in all its kitschy glory.
posted by weebil at 4:42 PM on September 5, 2007

The Aquarium is "so-so". The sharks are great, the turtle is great, but otherwise bleh. There are no petting tanks, and it's seriously way over priced and crowded. OK, so I still go there occasionally, but there are better aquariums and if you're used to one of them then I would skip it.

Going into the old ship and submarine they have in the inner harbour is worth it.

You can also see Poe's grave, it's near the convention center, in a nice little gothy church yard.
posted by anaelith at 6:56 PM on September 5, 2007

Ditto on "what do you like?" Some favorite haunts don't compare with the heavy-hitters listed above, but if you want to get a little more off the beaten path:

Funky 24-hour diner with limited vegetarian choices:

Cocktails, uncanny jukebox: Club Charles 1724 N. Charles St.
Cocktails, with view: 13th Floor Belevedere Hotel (caution: check music schedule first)

Old books

Trains

Jazz: New Haven Lounge

"Indie" music: http://www.sonarlounge.com/

Whimsical topiary garden (long drive north of the city)

Etc. You can go even farther off the beaten path, but you'll need a local hipster to help with that. I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter what.
posted by AppleSeed at 9:01 PM on September 5, 2007

Obrycki's Crab House will be open for the season...but it's in a SHITTY part of town. I was nearly jumped four years ago.
Do not miss the gingerbread pancakes at Cafe Hon.
posted by brujita at 9:19 PM on September 5, 2007

I've lived in Baltimore for six years. There's nothing to do. Well, drinking in Fell's point, at Max's if you like beer with personality. Transportation is shit. I don't drive and it's often a severe inconvenience.

To eat. We have some good spots. As already mentioned, The Helmand is very nice, the food is as good as the one in Cambridge, but people tend to dress up more in Baltimore. The same family owns the b bistro which has a casual atmosphere, delicious food, and a nice wine list. It's basically the only place to dine out in Bolton hill, the neighborhood where the art school, MICA, is located.

Really, though, there isn't much to do and if you're coming from Boston (I grew up in Brookline) you may find it charming but you won't want to stay.

The Inner Harbor is a tourist trap built primarily to host conventions and business meetings. It's worth seeing but don't eat there. The Aquarium is OK.

The Walter's is a decent little museum and a walk along Charles Street through Mt Vernon may or may not entertain you.

The thing I like the best is the bookthing. About half a million free books and Russell gets mad if you don't take some with you. It's open Saturday and Sunday and located on Vineyard off of greenmount ave between 30th and 31st streets.

Johns Hopkins has an attractive campus but Charles Village is nothing like Harvard Square other than being overrun with students.

Baltimore is poor, fat, smelly, dull, violent, and depressed. There are things to do, sure, there's a decent art scene, there are plenty of clubs, and you can fill a couple days with historical sites. Compared to a city like Cambridge or D.C., though, Baltimore is a wasteland.

I went to college with the owner of Joe Squared so I must suggest it, great pizza and a large selection of Rum. It's on North Ave (listed just as Route 1 on some maps), near MICA.

Have fun!
posted by Grod at 9:29 PM on September 5, 2007

A Bostonian claiming their city is better than all others? I'm shocked.

Firstly, I would generally recommend staying east of MLK, and west of Calvert Street. Unless you're going to Canton or Fells Point, or hanging around the Inner Harbor, then just stay south of Eastern Ave and you'll be fine. Going outside those areas can be dicey, unless you know where you're going.

Little Italy is overrated, not really worth it.

There's a really good Mexican place on Eastern called La Sirenita that's definitely worth a try. A little run down and usually has some homeless guys hanging around, but really good.

Peter's Inn in Fells Point has a rotating menu and is pretty small, so you'll want to get reservations.

If you want greek food, Mylos, also on Eastern is the place to go.

And the Helmand is fantastic. Reasonably priced too.
posted by electroboy at 7:32 AM on September 6, 2007

Second the bookthing! Super crappy neighborhood, guaranteed to come with a sackful of great reads.
posted by beezy at 9:13 AM on September 6, 2007

If you go to the Book Thing, stop by Pete's Grill. It's on the corner of Greenmount and 30th.
posted by electroboy at 11:21 AM on September 6, 2007

And 31st, I think. Isn't the corner of greenmount and 30th a bottling plant?
posted by Grod at 3:35 PM on September 6, 2007

Well, I hope the rest of the trip is good, outside of the game. Sigh. (Always fun to see them, though, even if they get blown out.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:10 PM on September 8, 2007