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Baltimore: A Charming Place to Visit
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By Lora Meisner
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Maryland.com
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 | | Baltimore's Inner Harbor |
What do Edgar Allen Poe, Babe Ruth, and The Star-Spangled Banner have in common? Baltimore. Where can you visit the American Dime Museum, a Tattoo Museum, and a Fire Museum? Baltimore. Nicknamed "Charm City," Baltimore is the 12th largest city in the U.S. and boasts the fifth busiest port. Baltimore has as much to see and do as many larger cities but with less hassle or expense.
Baltimore's Inner Harbor serves as the city's centerpiece. A successful example of urban revitalization, what was once a decaying industrial waterfront has been transformed into a thriving area offering many attractions. More than 200 eateries and shops fill the two glass-enclosed pavilions of Harborplace. At either end of the Inner Harbor are The National Aquarium and the Maryland Science Center. Both offer fascinating exhibits that combine education with entertainment. The Aquarium, one of the most popular sites in the city, has seven levels of exhibits including a 335,000-gallon coral reef and a rooftop rainforest. Nearby, the U.S.S. Constellation, the 1854 replacement for the famous ship that saw action in the War of 1812, has a permanent berth at the Inner Harbor.
If athletics are more your style of entertainment, only a few blocks from the Harbor are two new stadiums. Camden Yards is home to baseball's Baltimore Orioles. A short walk away, the Baltimore Ravens play football in their even newer stadium.
Baltimore is well known for its neighborhoods. Take a water taxi to get a quick overview of the waterfront as well as a means of transportation to Fells Point, which has preserved the flavor of a seafaring neighborhood. As the location for hometown director, Barry Levinson's, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Fells Point has some of the city's most lively club for those seeking nightlife.
Across from the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill retains the cobblestone streets and historic row houses that date back to the early days of the 18th century, and offers many fine restaurants. Not far from the Inner Harbor, Little Italy has a wonderful variety of restaurants that line its narrow streets. Lively games of Bocce, a lawn game brought over from Italy that is played with different shaped balls, entertain both players and spectators.
Baltimore's long history dates back to its founding in 1729. The name comes from the First Lord Baltimore. A natural deepwater harbor accessing the Chesapeake Bay made Baltimore a busy maritime commercial center. During the War of 1812, the British Navy invaded Baltimore's harbor to wreak revenge on the city's "nest of pirates." Eyewitness Frances Scott Key immortalized the bombardment and zealous defense of the still-standing Fort McHenry. Over a hundred years after it was set to the tune of an old English drinking song, the "Star Spangled Banner" became our national anthem. Today, the handwritten manuscript is on display at the Maryland Historical Society, not far from the Star Spangled Banner Flag House, birthplace of the flag that inspired Key's verses.
If you like museums, Baltimore has plenty to offer the most sophisticated visitor. The Baltimore Museum of Art has world-class exhibitions and a special collection of Impressionist art. The Walters Art Gallery offers a rare collection that presents a comprehensive history of art from the third millennium B.C. to the early 20th century. For music lovers, Baltimore has a symphony, opera, and the famous Peabody Conservatory of Music.
Famous Baltimoreans memorialized at sites across the city include slugger Babe Ruth, essayist H.L. Menken, horror-meister, Edgar Allen Poe, jazz composer Eubie Blake, and painter Rembrandt Peale. Despite its historicalpedigree, Baltimore is far from stuffy. Instead, it has a friendly, working-class atmosphere, with neighborhood restaurants and bars. Visitors from all over the world receive a warm welcome along with their order of crab cakes or steamed crabs. Baltimore has an event-filled past and a growing high tech industry promises a bright future.
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Other Stories by Lora Meisner
Tidewater Maryland: Sailing and Serenity
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