Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Leading up to Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit in June, we will be previewing our host city Baltimore and all it has to offer in a series of blog posts entitled "Do You Know Charm City?"  The first post comes from our host, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts. 

This is our Baltimore: more than two hundred small neighborhoods that are as quirky and individual as the people who live in them; restaurants with award-winning food recognized by James Beard himself and the foundation named in his honor; art museums and galleries; historic buildings and breathtaking architecture; cultural attractions such as the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, Fort McHenry, and the Great Blacks in Wax museum; high-end boutique shopping and kitschy thrift stores; art movie houses and live theaters; sports arenas that are home to the Orioles, the Ravens, and the Blast; and nightlife—from local bands of every genre to our own symphony orchestra.

Yet as big as Baltimore must be to offer every kind of entertainment, several types of public transportation, and a major business district, anywhere you go in Baltimore, you meet someone you or your friends know. That’s how a city of 620,000 people has come to be called Smalltimore. The waitresses at the coffee shop on the corner call you, “Hon.” The people on their way to work smile. And ain’t the beer cold—especially if it’s Natty Boh! 

Baltimore is not, as portrayed on The Wire and Homicide, that’s the stuff of good TV (and we’re actually proud to be Hollywood East). So bring your walking shoes and a healthy appetite for food, culture, and adventure. Eat our world-famous crabs and crabcakes, drink our small-craft brews and locally roasted coffees, catch a film by a local filmmaker, and make Baltimore your new old friend. 

by Leslie F. Miller 

Are you a fan of Baltimore?  Tell us your favorite thing about the city in the comments section below.