Weekend in Baltimore

[Searching]

I'm going to be spending a weekend in Baltimore in August. The hotel is right near the Inner Harbor.

Can anyone suggest things worth doing/seeing in the area?

We're definitely going to the Aquarium. Any exhibits/shows better than others? From the website, it seems like it's a big place.

Good restaurants?

Live music venues?

Audio shops?

Thanks.

[gearhound]

Actually, Baltimore has a pretty good zoo.
Also, if you're a railroad fan, the B&O RR museum is very good.
Fells Point has a number of nice seafood pubs.
Little Italy has.....well.....good Italian food.
See the O's play if you're a baseball fan (assuming they are playing at home).
And most of all......HAVE FUN!!

Steve

[mhardy6647]

All of the above, plus...

Well, be sure to get some crabs!
The National Aquarium in Baltimore is nice (well, it used to be, anyway).

[Sandy G]

It's FULL of Baltimorons...(I got that one from my parents who were stationed at Army Chemical Center in Edgewood Arsenal)

[spaceman]

All of the above, plus...

Well, be sure to get some crabs!
The National Aquarium in Baltimore is nice (well, it used to be, anyway).

Yep, you can't go to B'more & not eat crabs. :D I dunno if it's even still there now, but Hammerjack's is/was a HUGE nightclub, if that's your thing.

[winters860]

Everything I know about Baltimore, I learned from watching The Wire. :D

[dualhead]

Normal's Books, Soundgarden, El Supremo. Great prices at El Supremo's in Fells Point.

[Searching]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[Searching]

Looks like Hammerjack's is closed as of 5/07.

[mhardy6647]

Everything I know about Baltimore, I learned from watching The Wire. :D

It's much nicer than that...

The old saying about Baltimore is: "Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods".
Translated, this means "don't go two blocks in the wrong direction".

[mhardy6647]

There's always Soundscape on 406 W. Coldspring Lane. Matt Polk's first retail dealer. It's too bad that the old Alonso's isn't across the street anymore (not to mention Record & Tape Collector).
http://www.soundscapeaudiovideo.com/

See if there is anything good going on at the Recher Theatre in Towson.
http://www.rechertheatre.com/
Maybe if you are lucky, Crack the Sky will be playing their roughly annual summer gig there.
www.crackthesky.com

You also might want to visit one of the many Record & Tape Traders in and near town. The mother ship in Towson would be my choice (were it me):
http://www.recordandtapetraders.com/

Sherwood Gardens uptown is beautiful in the spring; dunno about summertime...
http://www.guilfordnews.com/guilfordstratford.htm

[Jack Lord]

I second Fells Point for eating and drinking. Eat some Bertha's Muscles and then roll through the myriad of pubs there. Cheap cab ride from the Inner Harbor.

Hamden is a quirky area with lots of hipsters, antique shops, thrift shops and cafes. Check out Cafe Hon for a good meal. Everything is on "The Avenue" which is their way of saying 36th street.

Lexington Market is fun as well.

[ehoove]

If you can pm me I will be glad to have you come to my house and enjoy Md Crabs etc. No Problem! glad to have an Ak'r visit
Regards,
Jim

[old_tv_nut]

Get out to Fort McHenry and see what inspired the "Star Spangled Banner"

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/

If you're lucky, you may get to help put up or take down the big flag, which can happen several times a day, as the really big one only flies in a certain range of wind speeds.

[bgadow]

The old saying about Baltimore is: "Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods".
Translated, this means "don't go two blocks in the wrong direction".

I'll second that. I've been in some very scary places in "Charm City" and you could look up and see the fanciest skyscrapers just blocks away. Stick to the right neighborhoods and you can have an enjoyable time. I hate baseball but always enjoyed going to Camden Yards. Chesapeake Blue Crabs are trying to get on the endangered species list. Get 'em while you can...watch out for inferior stuff from Asia, etc.

Was at the local carnvial the other week and this guy (under 21) is tryin' to impress these 2 girls he is with. He is bragging about how he lives in Baltimore now and that "the other night I heard a shooting". Maybe it worked, 'cause the girls kept hanging on him. Never got to hear anyone get shot out here in the country, darn it, so the girls stayed away from me!

[gearhound]

+1 Berth's Mussels......they even make their own beer!

Steve

[Searching]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. It may be blashemy, but I'm going to skip the mussels. ;)

ehoove, I'll drop you a line. I haven't met many AK'ers, but I've had a good time everytime.

[RichPA]

The American Visionary Art Museum - on the Inner Harbor, around the water from the hotels and stuff - is a great experience. "Outsider's Art" that you won't forget. Web site is a bit odd to navigate, but will tell you what you need to know: http://www.avam.org/

[Searching]

Thanks, Rich. I'll check it out as a possibility.