Walking Baltimore: An Insider’s Guide to 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Hidden Treasures in Charm City
1st EDITION 2013
Copyright © 2013 by Evan Balkan
Cover and interior photos by Evan Balkan
Maps: Scott McGrew
Cover and book design: Larry B. Van Dyke and Lisa Pletka
Book layout: Annie Long
Book editor: Holly Cross
ISBN 978-0-89997-701-0
Manufactured in the United States of America
| Published by: | Wilderness Press | |
| Keen Communications | ||
| PO Box 43673 | ||
| Birmingham, AL 35243 | ||
| (800) 443-7227; FAX (205) 326-1012 | ||
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Distributed by Publishers Group West
Cover photos: Front, clockwise from upper right: Sherwood Gardens, Guilford; Washington Monument, Mount Vernon Place; Painted Ladies, Charles Village; Mr. Boh, Brewers Hill; National Aquarium, Inner Harbor; Orianda House, Leakin Park; Orpheus statue, Fort McHenry. Back, top to bottom: Francis Scott Key Monument, Bolton Hill; Moorish Tower, Druid Hill Park; Maryland Institute College of Art, Mount Royal.
Frontispiece: USS Constellation; see Walk 4: Inner Harbor Promenade
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations used in reviews.
SAFETY NOTICE: Although Wilderness Press and the author have made every attempt to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at press time, they are not responsible for any loss, damage, injury, or inconvenience that may occur to anyone while using this book. You are responsible for your own safety and health while following the walking trips described here. Always check local conditions, know your own limitations, and consult a map.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I was not born in Baltimore and so don’t have any innate hometown bias. In fact, having grown up in Washington, D.C., and coming from a family of New Yorkers, I used to regard Baltimore with distant reproach (until I actually got to know the place and decided to make my home here). I’ve been fortunate to have traveled in some 25 foreign countries and at least as many states; my regard for Charm City does not come from not knowing anything different. To my continued surprise, I’ve come to see Baltimore as one of the great cities anywhere. It’s not surprising then that this book has been a joy to write; it has served as a constant reminder of why I love this city so much. This is a place where people are primarily interested in honesty and authenticity. Here, you are free to be what you will be.
Baltimore, for all its worldly attributes and 3 million metro residents, can often feel like a provincial place, what some derisively call Smalltimore. Baltimore is a patchwork of small, unique neighborhoods. But there’s something simply nice about that, isn’t there? This is a city where you can feel part of a real place (no pretense in Baltimore—no way), a community, where you are bound to bump into someone you know. And as it happens, in perhaps the country’s largest small town, you will find all the amenities that make Baltimore a world-class city, a place that can often feel much bigger than it is. It’s this dichotomy that makes Baltimore endlessly interesting, a place of constant reinvention. But some things invariably stay the same: the neighborhoods and the people who make up those neighborhoods.
Whether you know the city well or are a first-time visitor, use this book as a guide through these unique neighborhoods. You’ll be amazed at how much is here. And use your feet. Walking the streets, in the paths of history and culture, you’ll soon see why Baltimore easily lives up to its nickname, Charm City.
NUMBERS ON THIS LOCATOR MAP CORRESPOND TO WALK NUMBERS.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Gwynns Falls Trail II: Westport Waterfront
9 Patterson Park to Highlandtown
10 Little Italy & Jonestown/Old Town
13 Downtown: The Raven to the Ravens
15 Gwynns Falls Trail: From Leon Day to Mount Clare