Baltimore, Maryland
Guide to Baltimore: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The highlights of Baltimore: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland, known to most Russians, perhaps only from the detective series about the “homicide department”. The more enlightened are aware that the great Edgar Allan Poe lived and published here. In principle, both of them go well with the current look of the city: harsh, tough, concrete.
The inner harbor (“Inner Harbor”) is the pride of the city. The docks and warehouses around the water are crammed with art galleries, museums, cafes, designer shops and clubs.
How to get to Baltimore
The city is served by as many as three airports, including Thurgood Marshall International Airport (Baltimore/Washington Airport). You can get from it to the city by light rail train or from the Amtrak railway station (to Baltimore Penn Station). By car, it is easy to get to the city from Washington in an hour or a couple of hours from Philadelphia.
A bit of history
The history of Baltimore began with not one, but several villages that randomly appeared on the Atlantic coast in the region of the 17th century. In 1729 they were merged into one, named after the first colonial ruler, Lord Baltimore. Historically, the city, standing on the Patapsco River near its confluence with the Chesapeake Bay, was divided into lower and upper – but not by the river, but by the border between the Atlantic Plain and the Piedmont Plateau. All this made Baltimore a changeable city, with many hills and lowlands and elevation changes of one and a half hundred meters. And according to official statistics, almost a third of the city is occupied by water areas.
The Americans themselves admit that Baltimore is a “black” city. About 65% of the population is African-American, and about the same percentage can boast at least a high school education. The development of heavy industry (metallurgical, steel) and shipbuilding led to the predominance of the corresponding class in society. The same statistics report that about a quarter of city dwellers constantly live below the poverty line. All this was one of the reasons that the action of the series about the police was moved here. One way or another, in recent times Baltimore has become a major city of a million people and an important port, the population of which is nevertheless steadily declining.
Edgar Allan Poe lived in the city on and off, for a total of only a few years. Here he married his 13-year-old cousin. And in 1849 the writer died in Baltimore.
Weather in Baltimore
Attractions and attractions in Baltimore
Baltimore has a very clear division into zones. The northern districts of the city are the quarters of the “rich whites”. And the south is the focus of industrial buildings mixed with housing of the working class. Here you can meet the most diverse audience. Unlike the eastern and western parts of Baltimore, here the population consists almost entirely of African Americans. And here there is the highest crime rate, so the west and east of the center are not the best places for tourist walks.
And the best places for them are, of course, the center and downtown. Here attention is attracted primarily by the Inner Harbor (“Inner Harbor”), the pride of the city. The docks and warehouses around the water are crammed with art galleries, museums, cafes, designer shops and clubs. Vessels are also moored here, sometimes quite old ones, which can be visited with a guided tour. In particular, this is a coast guard boat, the Torsk submarine from the Second World War, the Constellation sailing ship. The latter, by the way, can be considered one of the last ships of the Civil War, preserved in good condition and almost on the move. In addition, it is in the Inner Harbor that the main attractions of the city are concentrated: the aquarium, the state science center, the Port Discovery Children’s Museum and the World Trade Center.
The main historical landmark of the city is the so-called Baltimore Basilica. Its construction began in 1806 and completed in 1821. The Basilica, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception, became the first Cathedral in the United States. Almost 100 years before the American Revolution, the Catholic Church had little influence in the country, but with the adoption of the constitution, church leaders wanted to build a cathedral that would symbolize the spirit of the new America. The architectural appearance of the basilica is therefore specially made not to look like dark Gothic and medieval European churches: it is a light classical cathedral, majestic and symmetrical, which at the time of construction could compete with the Washington Capitol. In 2006, a large-scale restoration of the basilica was completed, and today it is open to the public, as well as a small museum attached to it.
5 things to do in Baltimore:
- Explore the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in a two-story mansion on Amity Street, where the writer lived for two years. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Eat crab cake.
- Stop by the Cross Street Market, which has been operating here since the 19th century. Buy fresh meats, pastries and flowers.
- Take a look at the Tradestone Gallery, which specializes exclusively in Russian decorative and applied art; in particular – on lacquered boxes.
- Drive along the Chesapeake Bridge, better known as the Bay Bridge, connecting the eastern shore of the bay of the same name with the western one. It is actually two bridges, each with a movement in its own direction, so you can immediately return back. This is worth doing, since there is essentially nothing to see on the eastern coast. And moving west, you will get straight to Washington.
The most famous monument in the city is the George Washington Monument, which was the first in the country and is now the oldest surviving one. The construction of the monument began in 1815 and was completed in 1829. The monument is a more than 50-meter white marble column of the Doric order, at the base of which there is a small museum. On 228 steps you can climb to the very top and explore the city. The monument is located in Mount Vernon – probably the nicest quarter of the city, north of downtown. Mount Vernon is considered the “cultural district” of Baltimore, originally the most prosperous and respected families settled here, and today the most significant urban cultural sites are located here: the Johns Hopkins University Peabody Conservatory, the Historical Society, the Museum of Modern Art, the symphony hall, the opera,
Near the harbor there is a curious quarter: “Little Italy”. It is inhabited mainly by members of the Italian diaspora, quite large, and here, of course, reigns as a paradise for gourmet-pastor and pizza lovers. By an interesting coincidence, this same area is the safest in the city in the criminal sense.
To the east of downtown is Fell’s Point, an area that once served as a sailors’ resting place. Traditionally, it is full of bars and eateries, and the place is still very popular for entertainment. This quarter is considered to be the best place for a good drink in Baltimore. You can also swim to Fells Point by water taxi. And to the south of the Inner Harbor is Federal Hill, from where you can get great shots of the harbor.
Popular hotels in Baltimore
Cultural holidays in Baltimore
As for museums and cultural life, in Baltimore, if you wish, you can find opportunities for such a pastime. The Baltimore National Aquarium is merged with the Washington one, and in general, about 16,000 animals live here – fish, birds, reptiles and mammals. The Walters Art Museum contains a world-famous collection that was collected directly by William and Henry Walters. The exhibits include paintings, sculptures, jewelry. And the city’s Art Museum houses some 90,000 works by artists, ranging from prints and sketches from the 15th century to a collection of Pacific Islander art. Art objects filled not only the museum itself, but also the territory with a landscaped garden around the building.
20 km from the city, if you move to the southwest, there is a very curious museum: the National Cryptographic Museum. The museum operates under the supervision of the National Security Service (which is convenient, since the head office of the latter is located very close – in Fort Meade).
And 40 km from Baltimore is the old city of Annapolis, the former capital of the United States and still the capital of Maryland. This is one of the oldest cities in the country, and enough buildings have been preserved here since the 18th century. The US Naval Academy is also located here.
Baltimore’s Kitchen
The most famous local dish is crabs. Actually, specifically the blue crab with its juicy and sweet tender meat is the pride of Maryland. In the middle of summer, the city even hosts a crab and beer festival. The rest of the time, you can try crab dishes in restaurants (recommended – in the Inner Harbor), buy ready-made ones in cooking to take with you on a picnic to the park, or even try to catch arthropods yourself. The most popular method of cooking crustaceans in the state is steaming. And the most famous Baltimore-style crab delicacy is crab cake, which is essentially something like a cutlet or pancake.
