Our first City Guide before you leave for Winter Break: Baltimore! Maybe it will inspire you to take a trip to visit “America’s Comeback City,” the “Crab Cake Capital of the World,” “The Greatest City in America,” or whatever you may call Baltimore over Winter Break.

Baltimore, Maryland by Hillary Mann ’13

Baltimore is a bustling, diverse city that is known for its beautiful harbor, variety of designated historical neighborhoods, and the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital.  As Maryland’s largest urban and economic center, Baltimore will amaze you with its extensive range of political, socioeconomic, racial, religious, and ethnic background.  As the birthplace of the “Star-Spangled Banner” and the home of the USS Constellation (the last intact naval ship from the Civil War), Baltimore is a thread undoubtedly intertwined in the tapestry of American history.

Baltimore has recently seen a large influx of young professionals and families who have moved to the metropolitan area in order to work in sectors such as business, healthcare and medicine, and other bio-science related fields.  Baltimore is currently the home to four Fortune 1000 companies (Grace Chemicals, Legg Mason, T. Rowe Price, and McCormick & Company) and 20 colleges and professional schools.

Forbes recently named Baltimore as the 48^th Best Place for Business and Careers, the 14^th Coolest City in the United States, and 21^st Best City for Singles.  While Walk Score ranked Baltimore as the 14^th Most “Walkable” of the Largest United States Cities, Baltimore has a bus network, small light-rail system, and a subway line.

Why You’ll Love It:

Baltimore is a rarity amongst the backdrop of American cities.  While Baltimore is defined by its diverse population, growing economy, and attractions for tourists and residents alike, it simultaneously possesses a small town charm.  It is no wonder that this intimacy leads Baltimore natives to refer to their home as “Charm City” and for the city benches to read “Baltimore: The Greatest City in America.”

Since the development of the Inner Harbor in the late 1970s, Baltimore has become the standard-bearer of urban renewal.  The Inner Harbor is a popular tourist destination that features great shops, restaurants, live music, the National Aquarium, and the Maryland Science Center.  While the Inner Harbor is the most famous region in Baltimore city, the surrounding neighborhoods all offer a variety of exciting landmarks, shopping, and restaurants.  Fells Point, the oldest neighborhood in Baltimore, is just to the east of the Inner Harbor and is reminiscent of an old, quaint English village complete with pubs and cobblestone streets.  In regards to nightlife in Baltimore, the three areas of the city with the most popular concentration of clubs and bars are Fells Point and Federal Hill.  Power Plant Live!, located just one block from the Inner Harbor, is an enclosed collection of bars, clubs, concert venues, and restaurants that is popular amongst young professional Baltimore residents.

Baltimore has no shortage of museums for both tourists and residents alike to visit.  Located in a former whiskey and copper paint warehouse, the American Visionary Arts Museum is the national museum for self-taught and visionary art.  The Baltimore Museum of Art is located right next to the Homewood campus of Johns Hopkins University and is known internationally for its extensive collection of nineteenth century, modern, and contemporary art, including the largest holding of works by Henri Matisse in the entire world.  The Walters Art Museum is located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore and has a permanent collection of ancient, ancient American, Asian, Islamic, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, eighteenth century, and nineteenth century art.  Other famous museums in Baltimore include Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, The Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Maryland Historical Society, Port Discovery, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza and Philadelphia is famous for its cheesesteaks, but Baltimore is acclaimed for its delicious hard-shell steamed crabs.  It remains a popular and beloved summertime activity in Baltimore to spend the afternoons with family and friends at a crab feast.  Often, crabs are accompanied by a ton of Old Bay seasoning, steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, and a cold beer.  If hard-shell steamed crabs seem too adventurous, then sample a crab cake, crab bisque, or vegetable soup.  Other famous Baltimore food specialties include Berger Cookies (vanilla shortbread cookies covered in a chocolate fudge ganache) and National Bohemian beer (the city’s favorite local beer, which Baltimore residents lovingly refer to as “Natty Boh.”)

Learn more about Baltimore and all this amazing city has to offer here.

 Not ready to leave Bucknell? We didn’t think so.

Check out the Baltimore Bucknell Club

379 alumni are in the area. Check out B-Link if you want to talk to people willing to speak about career advice and job opportunities at such places as:

T. Rowe Price ’94
Johns Hopkins University ’87
Baltimore Museum of Art ’71
Under Armor ’04
Constellation Energy Group ’02
McCormick and Company, Inc. ’83

Or in industries such as:

Finance ’06
Foreign Service ’02
Law ’81

Baltimore bonus: It’s still within easy driving distance of Bucknell!

Photo credit: Maryland Baltimore Skyline Card by american_gifts