The Duck Coming to Baltimore

[duckman]

I'm going to be in downtown Baltimore for eight weeks, and I'm wanting to see what are some good places to eat, sight see, etc. Never been to the area before and it would be pretty cool to experience it to the fullest.

Is there any cool sports bars? I'm going to want to watch the NBA playoffs while I'm there.

I'm looking forward to experiencing Little Italy. What are the best places to eat there?

Seafood places? Any place I should take the time to check out?

Thanks in advance!

[DaddyTorgo]

8 WEEKS???????

[cartman]

Watch 'The Wire' for an idea of what to expect.

[Crapshoot]

WHERE's WALLACE? WHERE's WALLACE?

Edit: Cartman beat me to it.

[muns]

Originally Posted by cartman

Watch 'The Wire' for an idea of what to expect.

lol so not true. As someone that lives right by the "famous leakin park" let me say there are some things that are not the same as they were in the early 90's. Let me think about this for a few and get back to you duck. Where are you staying? Hotel downtown?

[duckman]

DT, I'm going there for training for my promotion with the VA.

I'm staying in downtown.

[henry296]

A couple of quick suggestions after living there for almost 10 years

In little Italy we liked Amicci's. For dessert you should go to Vacarros.

For a sports bar I liked Looneys in the Canton section of the city. Canton is right past Fells Point and maybe a ten minute drive/cab ride from downtown.

[sterlingice]

I love the inner harbor. Just don't go much outside of it

Three things of note for me in my couple of trips there:

1) Baltimore National Aquarium: I've been to at least 5 of the top 10 US aquariums on any list you run across (Shedd, Monterrey, Georgia, and Sea World San Diego) and I think Baltimore is my favorite. I really like the layout as it's inside what seems like a multi-story office building and seemed well organized to me. Also, I really like Lefty (I have no idea what his name is but he's a giant green sea turtle missing a right fin; EDIT: apparently his name is Calypso).

2) I love Camden Yards. I haven't been to Fenway but I describe Camden as my favorite baseball stadium in the non-Wrigley/Fenway class (since they are graded differently) of the 20 that I have been to. Get some good box seats for a game where the weather is nice. They might be more expensive after the success they had last year, but we could usually get pretty good tickets for $25 as long as you didn't have to go see, say, the Yankees.

3) It's kindof an oddball place, but I like Bertha's Mussels. Obviously, if you don't like seafood, this isn't for you. I'm not a big mussels person but it's unique and fun. Get the sampler platter plate- they'll bring out a bowl of, I dunno, 20 or 30 mussels with their 8-10 sauces and you can just dip a couple in each and try it out. Never been there for the live music and I'm not much of a beer fan but I think both would add even more to going there. It's over at Fell's Point, which isn't too far from the Inner Harbor.

SI

[Logan]

I know it's a chain, but the Fleming's Steakhouse at the Marriott Waterfront was the best meal I had last time I was in Baltimore.

[muns]

Originally Posted by duckman

DT, I'm going there for training for my promotion with the VA.

I'm staying in downtown.

Duck are you open to going to places that are close to B-more? IE Annapolis and other surrounding areas you get to within 30 mins?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'll add on a list outside of what's already been mentioned.

1. Anything down in Fells Point is a lot of fun. It's a large bar/restaurant district just a few miles from the Inner Harbor. Bars are small and have a nice pub feel to them since they're in buildings that are 200+ years old. Really good local eateries as well. You can just ask people in the area and they'll give you some of the spots to eat. Also, the common area/park in the middle of Fells Point has a hidden past. They buried hundreds of people in that area from a plague and just covered it up with cement when done.

2. Vaccaro's in Little Italy is a must. Best dessert joint ever.

3. The Railroad Museum near Camden Yards is great. Also, the Baby Ruth Birthplace Museum is a gem. Some fantastic memorabilia in there. They've actually built the museum around the building that he grew up in, so you can see the rooms as they would have been when he lived there.

4. It's a quick stop, but always fun to drop by and see Edgar Allen Poe's grave. There's also a museum at his former residence that has a lot of great info that most don't know.

5. Johns Hopkins University is about a 10 minute drive from downtown. I lived right in that area during that time and had never seen a big-time college lacrosse game. Lots of local rivals (Towson, Maryland, UMBC) that end up with packed crowds and a lot of really hard hits. It's like hockey on turf and it's fantastic. Tickets are only around $7-8, so a great value. World-class art museum is also just off campus if you are into that kind of thing.

6. Fort McHenry is down near the harbor. Definite spot if you're a history buff.

I'll post anything else if I think of it. Only other advice would be to make sure you stay in the nice areas of Baltimore. Just ask some of the locals before you head out if you're unsure. The areas I mentioned are all pretty safe as are the other ones mentioned in this thread. It's easy to wander into bad areas in Baltimore, so best to mention it just so you remain aware.

[sterlingice]

I enjoyed the B&O Railroad Museum that MBBF mentioned. It's not that far down Pratt from the Inner Harbor but I wouldn't go much further.

SI

[korme]

Perry: Don't blame yourself. Listen. sometimes these things just happen.
Harry: For a reason. For a reason? Why? Because I fall off a building, 10 people in Baltimore survive a bus crash? Swell, they're enjoying Baltimore. I'm lying here with my brains out.
Perry: I've been to Baltimore. You win.

[finketr]

Naval Academy