Get Charmed in Charm City
It was pretty tough for me to think about how to give you guys a tour of one of my favorite cities. Baltimore is full of interesting things to see and do!
But thats what makes Baltimore one of my favorite cities!
Where to Stay
I suggest staying in Downtown/Inner Harbor or in Federal Hill, it’s hard to tell you which places to stay in, because I’ve never really stayed in a hotel in my hometown. Henderson’s Wharf Inn is the top rated hotel on TripAdvisor.com and it looks very nice, they were extremely helpful when I called about block hotel rooms. The Scarborough Bed and Breakfast is located in Federal Hill and has a great website with fantastic reviews. Like many places in Baltimore nice neighborhoods can also be near sketch neighborhoods. I wouldn’t let this discourage you though, as it really is a nice city and the parts you will see as a tourist won’t be featured on The Wire anytime soon. Here is a spreadsheet we made for our guests who are looking to rent houses.
What to Do
If you’re into baseball you should certainly check out a game at Camden Yards. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if you’re a Red Sox (boo) or Yankees fan (hiss) you’ll be surrounded by your own kind when you come to a game. Baltimore is also home to Ravens, but I’m a Redskins fan so I’m little help on this one.
If you’re into art you should certainly check out the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) or The Walters for tons of art exhibits. They’re on the northern side of the city, so you’ll need to take public transportation, a cab, or your own car. I suggest having a nice picnic in Riverside park overlooking the Inner Harbor and heading down the hill to my favorite museum the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). The Maryland Science Center and The National Aquarium in Baltimore are also nearby AVAM. The Aquarium is one of my favorite date spots in the city, if you’re visiting in the summer Fridays after 5 is when prices take a dive. If you’re into history there are tons of fantastic spots in Baltimore – the most famous being Fort McHenry
Where to Eat
I’d also suggest trying to visit Baltimore during one of their fantastic restaurant weeks. Two years ago I seriously went to a restaurant at least once a day for a week to explore the different restaurants of the city. There is usually a week in the winter and week in the summer when the restaurants offer a a fixed course dinner for $30 of a fixed course lunch for $20. Some of the restaurants I’ve enjoyed dining in have been Bicycle, Black Olive, The Brass Elephant, Pazo, but there are tons I haven’t tried yet. For breakfast head to Spoons Cafe on cross street for local delicousness before you stroll around the Federal Hill streets to stop in the boutiques etc. You’ll also have to stop for a piece of pie at Dangerously Delicious because you guys already know how much I love this place.
How to Par-tay
As far as Baltimore nightlife the city is a bit schizo, we don’t really have as many dance-y clubs as DC but I might only be saying that because I’m not really “in the know” in that department. A lot of the places to go out in Baltimore are still a bit collegiate. I love going for pizza and drinks over at Pub Dog (formerly Thirsty Dog) in Fed Hill and you can cozy up in the back by a fireplace. For a romantic night I suggest stopping for sunset drinks at one of the cities’ numerous wine bars or dropping by the 13th floor bar at Hotel Belvedere for a fantastic view before heading out to dinner.
My personal favorite bar in the city? The Brewer’s Art downstairs, hands down. In fact, I’m a pretty big fan of the Mt. Vernon neighborhood in general. The best festival voted a million years running is ArtScape – I hope you get to see it! I was *thisclose* to the Old 97′s the summer I first left town-the festival rocks my world every time. It’s also fun to swing by the Owl Bar because you’ll usually see a wedding party hanging out there since The Belvedere hosts tons of weddings. If you’re looking for a bar with peanuts on the floor head to the Midtown Yacht Club for more midtown fun. There aren’t many great places to stay in Midtown/Mt.Vernon, but you could easily spend a day visiting the museums, eating dinner at The Brass Elephant and enjoying the night life.
I hope you enjoy Charm City as much as I do!
ps. This post made me homesick!
March 4th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
For dancing, there’s Sonar, which often has dance nights, I don’t know how often they do that anymore. There’s also some places in Power Plant Live. Ottobar is another great bar, especially for the indie folks. Petite Louis and Paper Moon Diner are two more great places to eat!
March 4th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Zaa, I love Paper Moon, but I didn’t think the average tourist would feel comfortable navigating their way around that area. There used to be a great dance night , are we not men?! which was fantastic. Not to mention BYOB shows at Floristree – some of my favorite memories