As a DC resident, how can I get to know Baltimore better?

March 9, 2008 8:31 PM

As a DC resident, how can I get to know Baltimore better?

I live in DC, have a lot of family in the District, know the city's history, the layout, the streets, the vibe of most places in the city. I get up to Baltimore a lot, and have certain things here or there that I like to see.

Aside from moving to Baltimore itself, what suggestions do you have for knowing the city well? I pick up the Baltimore City Paper (and read it omline, when I can), but what else do you recommend? I can't even find a decent travel guide for the city.

posted by waylaid to travel & transportation (22 comments total)

Well The Wire just ended tonight. Its a show thats run for five years on HBO all about Baltimore. It's actually taught me all I need to know about Baltimore, as well as a thousand other things that go on in a postmodern city in America. Might well be the best insight anyone will ever get about a city without actually living there. Just a suggestion though, don't believe everything you read in the Baltimore Sun.
posted by pwally at 8:41 PM on March 9

Well The Wire just ended tonight. Its a show thats run for five years on HBO all about Baltimore. It's actually taught me all I need to know about Baltimore, as well as a thousand other things that go on in a postmodern city in America. Might well be the best insight anyone will ever get about a city without actually living there. Just a suggestion though, don't believe everything you read in the Baltimore Sun.

Bullshit. Despite its problems, things are really not as bleak for most of Baltimore as television likes to imagine. Yes, there are places in Baltimore I wouldn't walk around at night, but even on foot, walking east from Charles Village and into Greenpoint, there are lots of places you have to be there to enjoy. If you want to really experience Baltimore, just go for the weekend. On Friday night, go downtown and witness the oddness of Baltimore nightlife. The next morning, follow the locals up to Greenpoint and go to Peet's for breakfast. That is an experience in itself, I only hope you're not a vegetarian. And, get there early. If you stay on Greenpoint, be sure to score some drugs, because it seems every sixth person is trying to sell there. Then, head down through JHU's campus to Hamden, and just hang out. It's like the other side of the tracks. Very white, very lower class, hipster in some ways, but the Red Men really run the neighborhood. You'll see their hang-out. They might even have a barbecue.
posted by parmanparman at 8:48 PM on March 9

Yup, I have watched every episode of the Wire. Fantastic show.
posted by waylaid at 8:51 PM on March 9

Greenmount. And it's Pete's, not Peet's. And Hampden, not Hamden. As for the Red Men, they're about as powerful as your local Elks Lodge.
posted by electroboy at 8:53 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]

in regards to what parmanparman said - The Wire was a great show...however, evreywhere in the show was either the Inner Harbor or the hood, and there is plenty of inbetween.

I do walk a lot through Baltimore, and the one thing that always strikes me is how street life, even in very gentrified, safe neighborhoods seems to be far less than other cities ive been to or lived in.
posted by waylaid at 8:55 PM on March 9

er, by the above i mean that far fewer people are out and walking...even on nice days and during the day.
posted by waylaid at 8:58 PM on March 9

That's a good point, waylaid, I'm not sure why that is. I suppose one possibility is that Baltimore neighborhoods tend to be pockets of good areas with not so good surrounding areas, so people are less likely to walk places than drive. Also, the City doesn't exactly make it easy to get around on foot or bike. The sidewalks are not great and they just recently started putting in (woefully inadequate) bike lanes. Public transportation isn't great either.

One good way to get familiar with the city is to read the City Paper. It's full of snark and is geared at 20 and 30 somethings, but it's a good overview of what's going on in the city. Their Best of Baltimore issues are pretty good for discussions of Baltimore institutions and finding out where the good places to go are.

Baltimore Magazine is more an upper class publication, but also has some good information.

Urbanite has some decent articles, usually about art and culture. New urbanist type stuff.

The Afro-American is one of the oldest African American publications in the US and reports primarily on the Baltimore/DC area. The headquarters are over on Charles Street.

That's what I've got off the top of my head. I recommend reading up and then taking a trip up on the MARC train (Amtrak if it's the weekend). If you have any questions, feel free to email.
posted by electroboy at 9:18 PM on March 9

...As you can see, I also don't live in Baltimore.
posted by parmanparman at 9:28 PM on March 9

Yup, I have fridays off sometimes and take the MARC up. Weekends, I've either driven (and then transit once im there) when or the Green Line->B30->Light Rail combo. But that's only when I have a LOT of time.

Can't wait for MARC to extend service to the weekends this year...!
posted by waylaid at 9:31 PM on March 9

You might want to clarify specifically what you want to get to know about the city, so we can help you a bit better. I'd recommend trying a day (or night) in each neighborhood -- after several day-trips you'll have a sense of where things are and what each neighborhood is all about. Here's an incomplete list based on some of the places I like (I don't have time to post links/directions, but many of these places have websites and can probably be googled).

-Fell's Point - fun quirky shopping during the day, but best for its nightlife -- lots of bars and fun stuff to do. Personally, I like the Wharf Rat, a funky little bar that feels a bit like a pirate hangout (not to be confused with the Inner Harbor Wharf Rat -- I'm sure they're affiliated but I've never been there). I think once a month they have a big antique/flea market, but I don't know much about it.

-Canton -- also has a nice night life, but I'm not as familiar with it

-Little Italy - Right around the corner from Fell's Point. During the summer they have an film festival, once a week (or once a month?) they show a film, for free, by projecting it onto the side of a building. Bring a lawnchair or some picnic gear, a snack, etc. and sit back and watch a movie outdoors with a friendly crowd. And of course Little Italy has some great dining -- I like Sabbatinos myself, and there's a famous italian dessert place whose name I can't remember

-Inner Harbor - Touristy area with some nice restaurants and shops -- I think you can rent a paddle boat or do random tourist stuff. Check out the Visionary Art Museum while you're down there -- some crazy stuff.

-Hampden -- trendy little residential neighborhood with "the avenue," a row of unique shops (from antiques to eastern/spirituality to home decor to vintage clothes to alternative books to strange gifts, etc.). Great breakfast/brunch/lunch at Cafe Hon, a very quirky celebration of Baltimore culture.

-Northern Baltimore (not sure what to call the neighborhood) -- Check out Belvedere Square and see a movie at the Senator, a big fancy historical movie theater. Excellent dining at Cafe Zen (best Chinese ever) and Ryan's Daughter (Irish restaurant/pub with a fine menu). Daedalus (used) bookstore, Belvedere market (daytime). Probably not a whole day's worth of activities here, but you could come up here for dinner and a movie after spending the day in Charles Village or Hampden.

-Mount Vernon - Check out a performance at the Peabody Conservatory or some good community theatre (Spotlighters theatre). Eat/drink at the Midtown Yacht Club (I think they do karaoke one night a week), Mick O'Shea's (Irish Pub), Mt. Vernon Stable, Brewer's Art (a really cool brewpub, interesting beers and cool ambience, especially the downstairs which feels sort of castle-like). During the daytime there are occasionally street fairs/festivals around Monument street. Also check out the Walters Art Gallery (excellent), and of course, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff. If you have an ear for the avant garde, come in September for the High Zero Festival, a multi-day festival of improvised/experimental music. Don't forget Tapas Teatro, one of my favorite restaurants (a Spanish-style Tapas Bar), and the attached Charles Theatre, a high-quality independent movie theater.

-Charles Village - Johns Hopkins area, recently developed into a more upscale residential neighborhood with some shops and dining. Check out the Paper Moon Diner, the weirdest diner you'll ever see. The Baltimore Museum of Art is a must-see in this area. Normal's book store is a neat used book store which also hosts an experimental-music venue. On Sunday mornings (I think), check out the "Book Thing" a *free* book store -- stop by and take as many books as you can carry, they'll beg you to take even more. Donate some old books if you have them. Once a week (month) there's the Waverly Market, where you can buy fresh produce straight from the farmers. The Otto Bar is a popular club that hosts a lot of punk and indie bands.

-Federal Hill - Another old-fashioned-but-hip-and-trendy little residential neighborhood with a lot of little shops, restaurants, bars, etc. I don't spend a lot of time here so I don't have a lot of recommendations, but I hear Lexington Market is a great (open air?) market.

Enjoy Theatre and the arts? Center Stage and Everyman are professional theatres in Baltimore, and there's an active community theatre scene -- information on baltimore community theatre and some other arts events can be found at The Baltimore Theatre Alliance, Creative Alliance, The Hole in the Wall Cabaret, the 14k Cabaret, the Hamilton Arts Collective.

The Baltimore Citypaper website has an event calendar that's searchable by date and event type -- worth checking out. I imagine the Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Examiner each has a similar resource.

Like Sports? -- of course we have the Orioles and the Ravens. Not sure about Hopkins sports but I think they're pretty well known for lacrosse.

This list is not exhaustive, it's just some things I'm familiar with, which crossed my mind while typing. But it should get you started in each neighborhood.
posted by Alabaster at 10:39 PM on March 9 [3 favorites]

Alabaster,

Tha tlist is great! I have been to the Book Thing - i actually go to Baltimore JUST for that.

If you have more time, I"m really interested in historical stuff (been to the Maryland History museum), transportation related stuff (planning to go to the Baltimore Streetcar museum), and quirky museums, bookstores, or things to see like that.

Less interested in clubs, indy music and so on.
posted by waylaid at 4:45 AM on March 10

A note about The Book Thing: they're actively looking for monetary donations in order to make a very large payment on their mortgage. I've heard they may close if they can't raise the money, so if you really like it, consider donating.

And if you're a regular at The Book Thing, I'm sure you've been to Normal's right? If not, go.
posted by electroboy at 6:39 AM on March 10

Alabaster, what a wonderful list!
Park and take the water taxi. The taxi stops at all the water neighborhoods (Fells Point, Camden, Inner Harbor and Federal Hill).
If in Fells Point stop at Eat Breatha,s Mussels. On saturdays and sundays afternoons The Cat's Eye has live music--no cover fee and kids allowed until ?(I forget the time).

Lexington Market up from the Inner Harbor--only open in the day.

Outside of Baltimore over the Francis Scott Key Bridge is a lost in time penscala (even spell check cannot figure this one out--reason I don't post much is my spelling)
You'll find generations of the same families. Beautiful and protected water habitats, that is once you past the steel plant.
Go to Miller's Island and eat at a restaurant on a river beach ( I don't know if its reopened since hurricane 6? yrs)
Past Miller's Island to North Point Park on the water. This park is on my best list. It is historical. North Point Battle? Revolutionary War? The Park was a military base for years. It has hugh underground storage bunkers, old barracks, big guns to climb on--great place! And BEST bone chilling Halloween!!

Oh, there is a walkway almost the entire length of the harbor. Its a regular commuter route for a lot of city people.
For theatre Arena Stage.

Sorry, i didn't catch the quirky historical stuff till after i began. I loved Baltimore. Its more a big town.
posted by dsaelf at 7:25 AM on March 10

I'd add a bit more depth about areas not yet covered and some that have been (I thought about linking this, but I figure you can use Google. Let me know if you can't find something):
- Belvedere Square is an area centered around York Road and Northern Parkway. It's near the Baltimore County line, and is becoming an important cultural center for relatively affluent northern Baltimore residents. It's a very upscale market and has a number of restaurants and shops. At the actual market in Belvedere square, my favorite shops/eateries are Neopol Smokery (disclaimer: owner Barbra is my friend) and Ikan Sushi (I'm a regular). Also, just outside of the square, on the same side of York and South, is Saigon Remembered, a Vietnamese restaurant that I absolutely adore. They specialize in spring rolls of various concoctions but also do a wonderful soup broth (flavored with fried garlic among other things). Also part of Belvedere square is Deadalus Books, which you may be familiar with from Columbia, MD. They sell remaindered books at steep (25% - 75%) discounts. The selection is a bit random, but almost always very fulfilling. Also don't miss the Senator Theater across the street.

Going both north and south from that area is interesting from the point of view of what other shopping areas and neighborhoods you go through. Go south far enough on York and you actually end up on Greenmount Ave, which deserves a tough gang-related reputation, so don't go out of your car with bills hanging out of your pockets and looking like a tourist. Go north and you go through pretty nice neighborhoods (nicer to the west than to the east) and you will then find the county line where everything changes (especially the road surface quality).

- Remington is an edge neighborhood west of Charles Village and not particularly safe (certainly not for a tourist taking a night stroll - stay in the Inner Harbor for that and look big or travel in packs), but is fine in the daytime. For lunch, try Sterling's, which is not a sit-down joint, but which serves really good, really large (the half-sandwich is usually a 12" sub) seafood sandwiches, as well as requisite Maryland specialties like crab and shrimp and various fried foods. With your lunch, you can also get a 40 of your favorite malt beverage or a six of various brews like Carona. Sit on a friend's stoop and eat the actual meal you purchased. Best during a hot summer day.

- Hampden, since you like books, also has the independent bookseller I like best: Atomic Books (disclaimer: owners Benn and Rachel are my friends). They also have Atomic Pop, a boutique for hipster anime freaks there. Hampden also has a lot of other fine little boutiques and shops. I have bought a lot of very satisfyingly adult (as opposed to studient and grad-student) furniture at the Red Tree. There are other wonderful shops there that are a little eclectic (Watermelon Sugar, Hometown Girl, etc.), as well as various antique stores to explore. Also, you can find the aforementioned Red Men off 36th street in Hampden.

- Parks (as a dog owner): Fort McHenry in Locust Point is a great favorite among joggers, bikers and dog walkers (around the perimeter). There is also a historical portion of the park (and honor system entry fee) in the center. Federal Hill has its own park overlooking the Inner Harbor. Wyman Dell is in Charles Village. Robert E. Lee is another good one is up past Northern Park way on Falls. Even further up Falls outside of the beltway (695) is Meadowood Regional. There's also a small dog park in Canton, but it ended up being too small for our dog. (Quiet Waters in Annapolis is perfect, though, if a bit far away and not in Baltimore.)

- Museums: Don't miss the American Visionary Art Museum. There's also the Baltimore Museum of Art, and their Cohn Sisters collection is really amazingly good. There's the B&O Railway Museum (really good) and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum (low on funds and volunteers, unfortunately). The Walters has an excellent collection too, of all kinds of art, in an eclectic set of buildings all joined together.

- Interesting drives (see if you can get friends to drive so you can be free to look):
-- 295 north, to Russel street (loopy bit here), to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, to Howard Street to North Ave (a loopy bit here) to Falls Road (note Streetcar Museum - open in summer - on your right), as well as the various mills-turned-art-studios, then you'll come up and away from the creek and run through the west part of Hampden, next note the huge intersections with Cold Spring Lane (an East-West artery), then the gated shopping center/village of Cross Keys on your right. After Northern Parkway, there's Whole Foods, Starbucks, the post office, and ice rink across a short bridge to your left (and the neighborhood of Mt. Washington that way too). Go a couple miles further and you'll be in the county, but note that the neighborhood gets pretty upscale around Whole Foods.

-- 295 north, get off at Waterview, go east, take a left just before the water and hospital onto Hanover street. Take the Hanover street bridge to the south end of Federal Hill. Once past 95, you'll be in Federal Hill (upscale). At some point, jog right to northbound Charles (maybe Fort Ave?). Take Charles all the way north, through downtown (commercial), up through Mount Vernon (upscale). Don't let the monument confuse you. You can go around the park and the monument on either side still heading north, past the Walters and the Peabody School. A bit further, and you go past the University of Baltimore buildings, you'll get to Baltimore Penn Station. Go past that, and you're near the Charles Theater and a couple of really nice restaurants, 1 block before it gets a little sketchy, and another before it gets really sketchy at North Ave. Keep going and it's a little ugly between North Ave and 25th. Now you're in South Charles Village. Keep going and Johns Hopkins is on your left (and the shops are mostly 1 block east on St. Paul, southbound). At the north edge of Johns Hopkins, bear left on University Parkway. This street becomes Roland Ave, which takes you through Roland Park (upscale - million dollar houses, with charming side streets that are completely non-gritty and very white neighborhoods - this is one of the older rich neighborhoods in Baltimore). Take Roland to Northern Parkway or to Lake Ave and turn right, and you can get back on northbound Charles and take it all the way to the beltway/county.

-- Assuming you've street smarts and it's daytime, try driving all the way up Greenmount. Personally I don't like to get on it south of 25th street. Like I said before, it eventually turns into York, which isn't nearly so gritty. But it starts near the prison, which is really truly gritty (though we do go down near there sometimes on Sundays in the summer for the farmer's market that's near there under 83). However, if you're a fan of Scores, that's where it is.

-- Also, Patterson Park is getting quite upscale, but is about the eastern-most I tend to venture in the city. Occasionally my partner goes to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center to do medical library research, but only in the day time, and parks in their controlled parking areas. Occasionally we'll also take 33rd east to Hillen Rd. then Perring Parkway up to Northern Parkway for the Home Depot.

On preview, another vote for Normal's, too. Quite enjoyable.
posted by kalessin at 8:47 AM on March 10 [2 favorites]

Oops, sorry, misspelled Barbara, the owner of Neopol.
posted by kalessin at 8:49 AM on March 10

Oh, one other thing. While in Hampden, try checking out the Clipper Mill area. It's west of Hampden and you should be able to get to it via 41st or Union Ave. On Google Maps, you can also look for the Woodberry Light Rail station. It's right there. It's a terribly expensive neighborhood of condos and studios and architectural firms and artist studios, but interesting from the point of view of a neighborhood that is extremely rich and well-managed and affluent and sheltered. Sorta demonstrates the range of Baltimore neighborhoods available to the determined resident.

I can't afford it, but it's an interesting neighborhood to visit.
posted by kalessin at 8:54 AM on March 10

For Theatre, don't forget the Baltimore Theatre Project (Baltimore's Fringe Festival, all year round!). And you may also want to check out the Cross Street Market, south of the Inner Harbour. If you visit Belvedere Square, do check out Atwater's for excellent lunch fare.

I cannot recommmend the Visionary Art Museum enough. Quite spectaculat. You could combine that with the Baltimore Museum of Industry and dinning at Little Havana and just make a day of it.
posted by Verdant at 9:38 AM on March 10

This is amazing, guys- thanks so much.
posted by waylaid at 11:11 AM on March 10

there's a famous italian dessert place whose name I can't remember

Vaccaro's! mmmm cannoli!
posted by Wet Spot at 3:36 PM on March 10

You're welcome. I guess I wrote a lot because I'm tired of (never having seen it), having people think that The Wire is a true pictorial of Baltimore grit -- it's a TV show, people. Things on TV are (for now) 2D but will probably always be pretty fictional, even the "reality" stuff.

Reading Alabaster's stuff more carefully:
- The Book Thing you already know about and it isn't actually in Charles Village any more, though it used to be (moved closer to Greenmount these days).

- "The avenue" in Hampden is 36th street, starting at Falls and heading east for about 4 or 5 blocks. Good walking shopping/dining area, especially weekends. The Cafe Hon is good. Golden West is another new one. For lunch, add Holy Frijole. These places all have a good "genuine" feel, halfway between trash and hipster, I guess.

- Mount Vernon: I don't know a lot about Mount Vernon, but the Charles Theater and Tapas Teatro are more accurately in a neighborhood called "Station North", which is a tax abatement zone for artists and creator, and is sandwiched between Penn Station and Charles Village. Both very good. As for Mount Vernon directly, seconding Brewer's Art (pub, microbrewery). There are also some eateries around there that I especially like: Brass Elephant (Indian?), Kumari (Indian/Tibetan), Donna's Cafe, Helmand (Afghan). A bit further up, near Chase and Charles, is the queer district, including the City Cafe, which is quite nice, at Cathedral and Eager Streets. There is also the Hippo and Grand Central, both queer bars/dance clubs (though I haven't been in either, some friends have and have not had complaints).

- The Paper Moon diner is actually, I think, in Remington, though definitely the eastern portion, abutting Charles Village.

Alabaster also mentioned the Waverly Farmer's Market, which is weekly on Saturdays, year 'round, getting more popular by the year, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. There is also the Farmer's Market I mentioned under 83, nearish (but certainly not within sight of) the prison, which is Sundays, Spring to Fall (not sure of the dates), similar hours. This farmer's market is also getting more popular with time.

Finally, a word about neighborhoods and safety in Baltimore.

It used to be more true than it is now, but still sometimes true, I think, that there are neighborhoods where it really does matter (from a mugging in broad daylight sort of way) what side of the street you're on. 5 - 7 years ago, if you were careless while visiting the B&O museum and the Otterbein neighborhood and crossed the street at the wrong part of the block, you might well have been mugged by someone from SoWeBo (South West Baltimore) looking for an easy mark. My sense is that that's gotten more fuzzy and more forgiving in the ensuing years.
I would watch my step in certain vaster regions, like East Baltimore, which has a well-deserved reputation, except in privately patrolled communities, for being dangerous and rough. Despite this, there are developers that are building condos in the middle of what used to be war zones. People from DC are buying because they can commute via MARC and actually afford a decent amount of living space.
Baltimore is very balkanized. The neighborhoods and areas of relative safety can be measured in blocks. Charles Village is about 3 - 5 blocks wide (east-west) at its narrowest and it pays to pay attention to what neighborhood you're in if you're wandering on foot.
If you can, seek and take the advice of residents you know if you want to go exploring a neighborhood you're not specifically familiar with, especially on foot. If you go against advice to avoid a place and check out an area you don't know, be wary. Folks around here are occasionally strung out and poor, and will resort to property crime and sometimes violent crime to get money that can lead to a fix. Remember that there are addicts around you, and some are not well supplied.
Just keep your wits about you and you'll do fine, but don't go in expecting it all to be tourist friendly. Some folks look out for tourists precisely because they're easy to mug.

And if you ever go to Pimlico for the races, do pay the heavy fees to park near the track and don't park in the outlying neighborhoods, and especially don't do that if you're planning to get drunk, because it's like walking right into successive muggings. The only good thing I can say about that is that it rarely gets violent.
posted by kalessin at 4:04 PM on March 10

Oh, another thing about Hampden, they recently instituted the weirdest parking I've ever seen on 36th street. It's diagonal parking along the curb, but instead of pulling head in, you pull ahead of the space and back rear-in. It's confusing as hell, but I assume makes pulling out of the space easier (and you pay for that by taking forever to actually park). If that sounds hellish to you, park on the side streets in the normal parallel fashion.
posted by kalessin at 4:07 PM on March 10

Seconding the recommendations for the Senator and Belvedere Square in the 212. But absolutely do not miss Swallow at the Hollow and Jerry's Belvedere (right across the street from each other) if you'd like a good old-timey drink in the neighborhood tavern.

I also heartily recommend the Mt. Washington Tavern, which is a great place for a drink and a bite after lacrosse at Hopkins. Even if you're not big into sports, watching a game at Homewood Field is fun and cheap. Do it.
posted by dhammond at 10:53 PM on March 11