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Why do they call Baltimore, "Charm City"? Beats me! I guess for the same reason it is called "The City That Reads" - it looks good on a park bench. |
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I have lived in Baltimore City all my 32 years. In the last 20, I have seen it grow from a
sleepy port town to a thriving tourist destination. Where there were once merely barges and tugboats
are now shops, restaurants, a museum, an aquarium and much more.
One of my fondest childhood memories is of going downtown with Mom. We would catch the 10 bus and head over to Howard Street to shop. Mom and I had a deal: she could try on as many clothes and take as much time shopping as she liked, as long as I got to visit the toy department and have lunch at one of the department store lunch counters. On our bus ride to and fro, we would pass what is now known as the Inner Harbor. Nothing much was there, except for the tugs and some abandoned buildings, like the old Power Plant. Then they built the World Trade Center. And the Science Center. And it was decided that the frigate Constellation would be docked there as well. As Howard Street continued its rapid decline, department stores closed up shop and garbage littered the streets. But just a few blocks away, the Rouse Company was starting a new project that would bring people to the downtown area again. My Mom pooh-poohed the success of the Harborplace development; she insisted the two buildings looked like chicken coops. At about the same time, the National Aquarium was opened to teeming throngs of children and adults alike, all eager to witness undersea life up close. Soon major hotel chains brought their business to Baltimore and set up shop around the now-popular Inner Harbor. The Gallery is another urban mall, set into the Legg Mason tower, directly across the street from, and linked to, Harborplace. Who would have thought that downtown would once again be a great place to do Christmas shopping? What else was needed downtown now? How about sports? The Baltimore Orioles new ballpark was built not far from the Inner Harbor, and just this year, a stadium for the Ravens football team was completed. Ok, we have shopping, eating, sports, science, and water, water, everywhere...how about some cultcha? the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM), established to provide a home for the creations of "outsider" or untrained artists, was opened near Rash Field, opposite the water from Harborplace. The addition of this facility (which boasts the BEST gift shop - full of actual folk art, and a fabulous restaurant, the Joy America Cafe) rounds out the area which now has pretty much something for everyone. Now, Baltimore isn't just the Inner Harbor. We cannot forget to mention the other areas - the neighborhoods - and some of the more homely places in town. Right near the Inner Harbor is Little Italy (pronounced Lillily by locals), home to dozens of fine Italian restaurants. Then comes what is known as "Inner Harbor, East", an area just behind Little Italy, promising to become an extension of the harbor area, with restaurants and hotels. A hop, skip and a jump East is Fells Point, known for eclectic bars, antique shops, fine restaurants (Ze Mean Bean is my favorite), and great nightlife. This is the neighborhood in which I grew up, before it became so hip. I think they waited until I moved for that :) The next hip area of town, heading East further still, is Canton. Once mostly residential, now the neighborhood is crammed with eateries and bars. Beyond Canton is Highlandtown (Hollantown, hon). The once-active strip of Eastern Avenue is on the decline, with only Greektown's restaurants being an attraction to the area. But with all the recent popularity of once-run-down areas, Highlandtown is due for a rebirth as well. The area South of the Inner Harbor is known as Federal Hill. This neighborhood was once home to many run-down buildings which the City sold for $1.00 each. Each dollar home was renovated to its former glory, and there is much charm to the tree-lined streets of this area. There are also lots of bars and restaurants in and around the Cross Street Market area. In my estimation, neighborhoods West of the Inner Harbor are questionable, safety-wise. "Pig Town" boasts Mencken's Cultured Pearl Cafe, a cool Tex-Mex restaurant, but I would prefer not to hang out in that area without a couple of burly escorts. So let us head North instead, to Cathedral Hill, where the Woman's Industrial Exchange has been serving Baltimore's Best chicken salad and selling christening gowns to the upper crust for the last 116 years. Just up Charles Street is the Mount Vernon district, with our version of the Washington Monument. (Tip: If you check out the statue of George on the top of the monument from just the right angle, you can see why he was known as the "Father of Our Country".) Mount Vernon is another area full of great restaurants (my favorite: the Helmand, featuring food of Afghanistan) and the best dance club in the city: the Hippo. Mount Vernon falls just below the area called "Cultural Center" on the light rail signs - the area includes the Myerhoff Symphony Hall, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I'll throw in Antique Row for good measure. Baltimore's big arts festival, ArtScape, takes place in this area every July. Heading further North, we come to mostly residential neighborhoods. Charles Village is near the John Hopkins University and is home to many of that school's students, as well as to the Baltimore Museum of Art. To the West of the University lies Hampden, once a real "hey hon" kinda neighborhood (still is, actually) but "the Avenue" is becoming a destination for those of us in search of great chiles rellenos (Holy Frijoles) and meatloaf (Cafe Hon). As I write this, I am thinking that Baltimore is a pretty decent town for foodies. We have primo steakhouses (Ruth's Chris, Morton's of Chicago, Shula's, and our own venerable Prime Rib), four-star regional cuisine (Charleston), and trendy eateries (Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and the very first ESPN Zone), plus coffeebars (the ubiquitous Donna's plus the Daily Grind), diners (the PaperMoon, Bel-Loc, and Silver), brewpubs (Bare Bones, Baltimore Brewing Company, Sissons, the Brewer's Art), and chains (Chili's, Friday's, et. al.). I wonder if I could try that old idea a friend and I once had - open a bookstore/tea shop - but in Baltimore instead of Seattle? Might I start a trend of the future? Head a bit further north from Charles Village and you start to hit more heavily suburban (but still technically City) neighborhoods. About the only hot thing my neighborhood can boast is that it is currently the home of Dorothy Hamill. Winona Ryder lived around the corner from me for a brief time, and John Waters lives nearby as well. Apparently the Rotunda Mall in the Roland Park/Upper Hampden area is a haven for celebs - when I managed the bookstore there, we had Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick as customers. I would imagine in the 8 years since I have left employment there, other actors might have graced the place - since Baltimore seems to have become the Hollywood of the Mid-Atlantic. So why, if Baltimore is a place so chock-full of goodies, do I spend most evenings and weekends out of town? Maybe because parking sucks. Or because I can't seem to date a man who lives in the same county much less my city. Or because I am just as unawares as most other citizens are....and let the tourists reap the benefits of our urban renewal (as we sit back and count the revenue dollars!) For more information on Baltimore, Tiny Town, Mobtown, and yes, Charm City....click on any of the links on the sidebar. |
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Baltimore Links General Baltimore Links Baltimore CityLink  Baltimore What2Do? Batlimore Online Baltimore.com Balto Web Hey Hon! Baltimore Publications Online Baltimore Magazine Baltimore City Paper SunSpot - the Baltimore Sun online  Baltimore Sports Online Baltimore Orioles Official Site Baltimore Ravens UNofficial Site The Minx's Os Page  Cal Ripken's Home Page Baltimore Attractions Artscape American Visionary Art Museum  National Aquarium in Baltimore Merriweather Post Pavilion Pier 6 Harbor Music Festival 
Baltimore Businesses The 4our by 4our Band  Global Auctions Harris Auction Galleries Baltimore Coffee and Tea McCormick & Company, Inc.  Baltimore Restaurants The Prime Rib Joy America Cafe Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Bare Bones Grill Brewer's Art PaperMoon Diner Della Notte Related Links Planet Hollywood Festival Marketplaces Hard Rock Cafe  |
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