| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Baltimore likes to celebrate: Arrive on a sunny May weekend and you'll find yourself at the old-fashioned Flowermart. Come in midsummer and walk around Harborplace, and you'll wonder what the party's for. (It isn't a party: It's just Baltimore having a good time.) On a wintry night when it looks like the city has wrapped itself in a blanket and gone to bed, head east to Power Plant Live, Fells Point, or trendy Canton, and you'll find hot crowds and cool music. Baltimore also celebrates in its historic sites, its grand museums, and its neighborhood shops. Old neighborhoods, such as Federal Hill, Mount Vernon, Fells Point, and Canton, make Baltimore an ever-more-popular tourist destination. "Charm City" has welcomed visitors since 1729. Founded as a port and shipbuilding town, manufacturing has always played a big role here. Domino Sugar's sign dominates the Inner Harbor. Once a center for steel- and car-making, Baltimore has more recently seen rise to a new wave of health and technology industries and nonprofits. Tourism also plays an increasing role in the city's economy, and a laid-back population greets its visitors with a friendly "Hi, hon!" in the unique Bawlamer accent. Back to Top Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question be
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | The most blue collar of American cities started as the most blue blooded. Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, hoped to reproduce England as perfectly as possible. But by the end of the 19th century, the city built as a seat for landed gentry had become a collection of fiercely solid working class neighborhoods. Cecil appointed his brother Leo as the first governor, and, on November 22, 1632, the Ark and the Dove set sail from England with about 140 settlers, a mix of Protestants and Catholics. By March 25, 1633, the Feast of the Annunciation, they had established their first Maryland landing on the island of St. Clement's. Maryland's early years were a rich time for landed gentry, with rolling estates, rich hunting and fishing, and a good port. Black slaves and indentured whites were doing the work and it was very much like Lord Baltimore's vision of an idyllic England, except that Catholics and Protestants were trying to live in harmony. This religious mix was highly unusual at the time--within a few years the religious tensions back in England would lead to civil war. During this period, in 1689, Anne Arundell Town was named Maryland's capital, but was renamed Annapolis in 1695. In the colony's early years, 80 percent of the land was controlled by about 10 percent of the population. The town of Baltimore was chartered on August 8, 1729 as a place to put the colony's new customs house; eventually it became the chief port, and today it is the fifth busiest port in
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There Air Baltimore/Washington International Airport ( BWI ) +1 410 859 7111 http://www.bwiairport.com The BWI is located 10 miles south of Baltimore and houses the following airlines: Aer Lingus ( +1 800 474 7424/ http://www.aerlingus.com ) Air Canada ( +1 888 247 2262/ http://www.aircanada.com ) American Airlines ( + 1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com ) American West Airlines ( +1800-235-9292/ http://www.americawest.com ) British Airways ( +1 800 247 9297/ http://www.britishairways.com ) Continental ( +1 800 525 0280/ http://www.continental.com ) Delta ( +1 800 221 1212/ http://www.delta.com ) Icelandair ( +1 800 223 5500/ http://www.icelandair.com ) Northwest ( +1 800 225 2525/ http://www.nwa.com ) Southwest ( +1 800 434 9792/ http://www.southwest.com ) United ( +1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com ) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com ) From the Airport Parking: Preflight Parking ( Park 'N Fly ) ( +1 800 763 6895/ http://www.pnfnetwork.com ) Shuttle: Super Shuttle ( 1 800 258 3826/ http://www.bwiairport.com/ground_transportation/supershuttle ) Car Rental: Alamo ( +1 800 327 9633/ http://www.alamo.com ) Avis ( +1 800 831 2847/ http://www.avis.com ) Budget ( +1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com ) Hertz ( +1 800 654 3131/ http://www.hertz.com ) Light Rail: For convenient transportation between the B
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Baltimore offers endless entertainment options, from live music and museums to stage, screen and sports events. Visitors often begin their stay in “Charm City” with a trip to the Inner Harbor, which offers a wonderful preview of all that Baltimore has to offer. The area is home to many restaurants, shops and museums, as well as the waterfront Pier Six Concert Pavilion . Music For classical music, of course, there is always the Baltimore Symphony and recitals, opera, and new work at the Peabody Institute . In the summer, the Symphony performs at Oregon Ridge Park in suburban Cockeysville (Baltimore County). The outdoor venue offers visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy great music in a serene atmosphere. Visitors who enjoy opera will love the historic Lyric Opera House , home of the Baltimore Opera Company. Live music on a smaller scale is easy to find in bars and restaurants around town, or on summer nights by the Harbor . For classic rock-n-roll, the most famous room around is Fletcher's , in the historic waterfront neighborhood of Fells Point. This outdoor club plays booming music and attracts a mostly college-age crowd. If Fletcher's is too crowded, or you don't like the music, just walk through Fells Point until you find what you want; it's there somewhere, in one of the many bars along the cobblestones. At Bertha's , in the heart of Fells Point, you’re likely to find a live jazz or folk band playing. There's also plenty of Irish music perform
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| Getting Around (Source: Frommers) | Top | If you plan to stay near the harbor, it is easier to walk or take a water taxi than to drive and park. That said, driving in downtown Baltimore is fairly easy. The streets are on a straight grid; many are one-way. The major northbound streets are Howard, Charles, and Calvert. Cathedral and St. Paul are southbound. Lombard and Pratt are the major east and west streets. On the west side, Martin Luther King Boulevard connects the harbor with the cultural district; it runs both north and south. Need to find an address? Buildings are numbered east and west from Charles Street; 100 East Lombard is in the first block to the east of Charles. Baltimore Street is the dividing line for north-south addresses; 100 South Charles is a block below Baltimore. Car rental agencies at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport include Alamo (tel. 800/462-5266), Avis (tel. 800/331-1212), Budget (tel. 800/527-0700), Dollar (tel. 800/800-4000), Enterprise (tel. 800/325-8007), Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131), National (tel. 800/227-7368), and Thrifty (tel. 800/847-4389). By Light Rail, Subway & Bus The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operates the Light Rail, a 27-mile system of aboveground rail lines reminiscent of the city's old streetcars. It travels on one north-south line, from the northern suburb of Timonium to Glen Burnie in the south, with a spur to Penn Station. The key stop within the city is Camden Station, next to the Orioles' ball
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