The Charm City

So I got back from Baltimore on Sunday, and it has taken me this long to actually think of something to write about it. This doesn't speak well for the city, seeing as ordinarily when I come back from a place I'll already have an angle mapped out in my mind. Of course I could have been burnt out from the trip, and the lack of sleep experienced during said trip, but that's debatable. One thing I will say is that I had fun in Baltimore, but you can have fun right where you are sitting now, so why go?

Well for starters, Baltimore is a fairly historic city. It was an important trading center in colonial times, a center for heresy during the Revolution, and a focal point in the War of 1812 (Fort McHenry is five minutes from the city center). The historic nature of the city is evident in the architecture downtown, where like other eastern cities, there is a pleasing mix of old and new buildings. The jewel of the city is without a doubt the Inner Harbor. In fact, everyone I talked to beforehand told me that the Inner Harbor was spectacular, and the rest of the city was crap, but I wouldn't go that far. I found the rest of the city quite clean and enjoyable, although I have to admit that there is a noticeable lack of green space. The harbor has it all though, from your museums and shops, to your overpriced theme restaurants. And although I did find the food overpriced, the harbor is generally a fun and safe place to be, day or night. My favorite feature of the harbor was actually the Baltimore World Trade Center, on the top floor of which is an observatory. Five dollars will get you up and in, and I thought it was worth it for the great views of the city, harbor, and surrounding neighborhoods. Another feature of the city I enjoyed was the Skywalk, which is a network of elevated sidewalks that allowed me to walk all the way from my hotel downtown to the Inner Harbor without touching the street, about four blocks. 

I have now explained everything that is good and great about the city, however there is one point that I must touch upon that is not so. The fact is, you cannot walk farther than a couple of blocks in the city without being solicited for money by some denizen, and that is the harsh truth of the matter. At first, I attempted to brush them off kindly, and I actually ended up giving a couple of dollars to one, a point of great personal chagrin for me now. Eventually however, it got to the point where I would reply angrily and defensively, which set them pretty much straight. Even if you are a charitable person, if you gave a dollar to every one of the freeloaders who asked you for one you would be utterly broke at the conclusion of your stay. Perhaps that is why it is called the Charm City, there are just so many people attempting to charm the money out of your pockets. Your best bet is to walk quickly and purposefully, do not smile or laugh, and just generally try and look as imposing as possible. Maybe even carry a knife to ward off the more persistent ones. Following these steps, I was only solicited once in five blocks, which must be some kind of record for a young white male in a pea-coat and khakis in Baltimore, or at least that's what I'm thinking. 

So in conclusion, the verdict on Baltimore is this: I would certainly go back, its a nice city from what I could see. The denizens, they are a problem, and I don't see that going away anytime soon. As long as you don't let that bother you though, there is plenty to do and you can have mighty bully times indeed, as Huck Finn might say.