Welcome to Baltimore!
We’ve chosen to celebrate our wedding in Baltimore for the obvious reason that it’s home to AVAM, a museum we love! But, we also see the city as our once-and-future home: Caitlin lived in Baltimore for two years after college while serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA; Charles presently makes the hour-long trek there for his work; and we are likely to relocate to Charm City in the next few years. We hope that our guests have an opportunity to explore Baltimore and experience the city in all its eccentric charm!
Recommendations:
Home to Camden Yards, Ravens Stadium, and the National Aquarium, Baltimore has no shortage of big-ticket attractions. Here are a few of our suggestions to experience Charm City’s culture both on and off the beaten path:
Grab brunch at Miss Shirley’s Café. Downtown: 750 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Crab cake and fried green tomato eggs Benedict. Cinnamon-roll French toast. Eastern shore po’ boy. Need we say more?
Stroll along “the Avenue” in Hampden. The Avenue: West 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211. Located in northwest Baltimore, this former cotton milling community has undergone a cultural reclamation, gaining national recognition in John Waters’ film, “Pecker.” Now the locus of Baltimore’s kitschy “hon” culture, Hampden’s main thoroughfare, known as “the Avenue,” is home to classic row houses, boutiques, and cafés. We like the Golden West Café (1105 W. 36th St.) for a tasty brunch served up by local hipsters.
Eat a Berger cookie. Introduced to the city by immigrants George and Henry Berger, Baltimore’s iconic cookie features a vanilla wafer enrobed in a thick layer of fudge. Think: black-and-white cookie, no vanilla, more icing . . . mmm. Find them at the Berger bakery stand in Lexington Market (400 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201) or at local grocery stores.
. . . and a crab cake at Faidley Seafood. 203 N. Paca Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Also a tenant of Lexington Market, Faidley’s serves award-winning jumbo lump crab cakes. When in Maryland . . . .
Visit the Baltimore Poe House and Museum. 203 Amity Street, Baltimore, MD 21223. This brick row house, built in the early 1800s, was home to Edgar Allan Poe, Baltimore’s most famous poet and author of mystery and the macabre. Poe lived in Baltimore at various points throughout his life and died there on October 7, 1849, at age 40. Other Poe landmarks include the Fell’s Point bar, The Horse You Came In On Saloon (1626 Thames St., Baltimore, MD 21231), which, according to local lore, was Poe’s final destination before his mysterious death.
Drink a Natty Boh. Various local bars. National Bohemian Beer, now owned by Pabst Brewing Company, was originally brewed in Baltimore and was deemed the city’s “official” beer in the late 1960s. Its slogan, “from the land of pleasant living,” is a reference to the Chesapeake Bay. Although sold only in cans and bottles over the past decade, Natty Boh is now available on draft at area bars.
Climb the “other” Washington Monument. 699 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Designed by Robert Mills and completed in 1829, the Washington Monument in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood was the first architectural tribute to George Washington. Climbing the 228 steps of the 178-foot Doric column promises a fantastic view of the city!
Buy a cannoli at Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Little Italy: 222 Albemarle Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. It’s worth waiting in line for any treat made by this authentic Italian bakery, though we are partial to the cannoli. Best of all, Vaccaro’s stays open late (until midnight) on Friday and Saturday nights.
Need more suggestions?
Explore Station North, one hub of Baltimore’s thriving art scene; window shop in Fell’s Point; or peruse one of our favorite travel resources.
Caitlin and Charles 