CITY GUIDE
A local’s guide to Baltimore
- By Lisa Snowden-McCray
- Photos by Andrew Mangum
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People from Baltimore can be cagey about the way outsiders see their city. That’s the kind of thing that happens when you live in close proximity to your more moneyed, fancier cousin, Washington, D.C., or when you’re faced with the real tragedy of crime (or just hounded about the fictional world of “The Wire”).
But this city is much more than that. Baltimore is a place that has always drawn people from all over — look around and you’ll see important contributions from African Americans, Asian Americans, German Americans, Italian Americans and more. The result is culture you won’t find anywhere else that’s seen in our murals, our music and our food. The people here are resilient, always striving to make the community better. We do it with grace, humor and an almost obscene amount of seafood.
Meet Lisa McCray
Lisa Snowden-McCray is the editor of the Baltimore Beat, an alternate news outlet, and has been reporting about Baltimore since 2003. She’s a Maryland native who attended school just outside the city. She loves a good orange crush.
Want to get in touch?
Email bytheway@washpost.comRead more about Lisa
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Fells Point
Fells Point, which has always received a lot of fanfare and attention, is where you go if you want the most typical Baltimore experience and want it to be easy. Here you’ll find amazing history, great views, fresh and tasty seafood, and lots of lively nightlife. Find this neighborhood.
Mount Vernon
Quiet, quaint and pretty, Mount Vernon is for a more relaxed trip. You can climb to the top of our Washington Monument, near the beautiful Norman-Gothic-style Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church. There’s great dining, and it’s still not far from some of the city’s more traditional tourist attractions, like the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards. Find this neighborhood.
Neighborhoods
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Eat
Dovecote Cafe
When you walk into Dovecote, you’ll be greeted warmly and enthusiastically, and it’ll be genuine. Dovecote, in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood not far from Druid Hill Park and the Maryland Zoo, is run by Aisha Pew; her mother, Gilda Pew; and Cole (who goes only by a first name). Its motto is “CommUNITY First, Cafe Second,” and it shows. They offer quick bites, like quiches and muffins for breakfast and soups and salads for lunch.
BTW: They offer free produce from the urban farm just around the corner to those in need.
Dovecote Cafe, 2501 Madison Ave., Baltimore, Md. 21217
Miss Shirley’s (Roland Park)
No matter which one of the Miss Shirley’s locations you visit (there are also outposts at the Inner Harbor and Annapolis), during weekend brunch time, you’ll see lines out the door. It’s cool, though: Everyone waits patiently for this Southern food spot’s heaping helpings of shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and stuffed French toast. Get your table and settle in with a big mimosa or a Born-on-the-Bay-O bloody mary.
BTW: The Gravy Train Southern Skillet is delicious and too rich to eat alone.
Miss Shirley’s, 513 W. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, Md. 21210
Gypsy Queen Cafe
Here’s what you do: Through its website or social-media accounts, you hunt down Gypsy Queen’s distinctively colorful food truck, wait out the line and then you get yourself a crab cone. Chefs Annmarie Langton and Tom Looney serve up a hefty Maryland-style crab cake (that means it’s mostly crabmeat held together with little binder) on a bed of fries and topped with spicy aioli, all served in a cone.
BTW: If you want the sit-down experience, the owners opened Gypsy’s Truckstaurant, pictured above, in the Hampden neighborhood.
Gypsy’s Truckstaurant, 3515 Clipper Mill Rd. Baltimore, MD 21211
Red Emma’s
Need a thought-provoking read to go with your vegan meal? Head over to Red Emma’s. This worker co-op serves up all kinds of options for folks who don’t eat meat, including kale salads, bagels with vegan cream cheese, fishless filets and “chick’n” salad sandwiches. You can also pore through their large offering of books by local and national writers tackling topics such as race, policing and capitalism.
BTW: The pancakes with vegan butter are delicious enough to please non-vegans.
Red Emma’s, 1225 Cathedral St. Baltimore, Md. 21201
Ekiben
Steve Chu and Ephrem Abebe are the talented duo behind this cool Asian fusion restaurant in Fells Point. Get dishes like the Neighborhood Bird (Taiwanese curry fried chicken thigh topped with spicy sambal mayo, pickles and herbs) or the Tofu Brah (tofu, peanut sauce and slaw) on a steamed bun or over a bed of sticky white rice.
BTW: Even if you think you don’t like vegetables, you’ll love the tempura broccoli.
Ekiben, 1622 Eastern Ave. Baltimore, Md. 21231
The Charmery
End your night at this cute ice cream shop in Hampden, where a husband-and-wife team experiments with flavors like Old Bay Caramel and Cornflakes-and-Milk. The Charmery’s slogan is “happiness through ice cream,” and they mean it — they’ve even offered movie-themed ice cream events. They also serve sodas, milkshakes and floats.
BTW: You can see what the Charmery’s shops are #NowScooping via their website before you go.
The Charmery, 801 W. 36th St. Baltimore, Md. 21211
W.C. Harlan
Feel like you’re stepping back into a 1920s speakeasy that manages to feel cool, but not pompous. When W.C. Harlan in Remington first opened, it didn’t even have an online presence. Amid candlelight, cocktails are crafted by folks who clearly know what they’re doing.
BTW: Clavel, a mezcaleria and taqueria by the same innovative couple, Lane Harlan and Matthew Pierce, is within walking distance and is also a local favorite.
W.C. Harlan, 400 W. 23rd St. Baltimore, Md. 21211
LOCALS THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW
- You might not know it, but the city has an innovative, challenging and beautiful arts scene. Amy Sherald, the artist who painted Michelle Obama’s official portrait for Washington’s National Portrait Gallery, is based here, for example. We also have tons of galleries, theaters and outdoor art.
- Keep an open mind about our city. Although it’s gritty, it’s also relaxed, and its lack of pretension is what makes locals so loyal.
- You can comment about “The Wire” ... but chances are, we’ve already heard all the references.
Do
Federal Hill Park
If you must explore something touristy, this is it. Designated as a public park in 1880, the space was used as far back as the late 1700s (citizens gathered there to celebrate Maryland’s ratification of the Constitution), and Union troops fortified it during the Civil War. Today, you can stroll the area, take in the views of the city and Inner Harbor below, and let little ones loose at the playground that’s atop the hill.
BTW: If you visit in July or August, the nearby American Visionary Art Museum hosts outdoor movie screenings there weekly.
Federal Hill Park, 300 Warren Ave. Baltimore, Md. 21230
Parkway Theatre
The Parkway has been around since 1915 but sat unused for decades. After a major facelift was completed in 2017, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway is now a vibrant film house in the Station North community. The theater features a 414-seat auditorium and two smaller theaters. Though it’s been modernized, the building still features plenty of nods to its past. Some of the walls remain adorned with streaks of peeling paint. High above the main theater, a circle of dazzling lights illuminates a silver centerpiece and patchy paint.
BTW: If you visit Baltimore in May, the annual Maryland Film Festival is held here.
Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave. Baltimore, Md. 21201
Pennsylvania Avenue
There was a time when you could stroll the city’s famed Pennsylvania Avenue and catch performances from the likes of Baltimore’s own Billie Holiday, James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald. It was a major stop on the “Chitlin Circuit,” venues where African American musicians and other entertainers could perform freely during the era of segregation. The area later fell into disrepair and stayed that way for decades, but now the city is working to revitalize it. Head to the Upton neighborhood, start at the Billie Holiday statue, and then, going north, visit stops like the site of the once-famous Royal Theater and the century-old Arch Social Club.
BTW: After the 2015 death of Freddie Gray and the unrest that followed, the Arch Social Club served as a safe house and meeting place for the community.
Pennsylvania Avenue and West Lafayette Avenue, Baltimore, Md. 21217
Nick’s Fish House for crabs
Steamed crabs are what Baltimore is known for, so you can’t visit without sitting down to crack a few dozen. There are lots of places to eat them, but Nick’s has locals’ hearts. It’s right on the water, versatile enough for a family gathering or drinks with friends, and the crabs are served piping hot and bursting with Old Bay.
BTW: Try to get outside seating if possible (in warmer months, it’s often a longer wait). You get a great view of the Patapsco River, and there’s often live music.
Nick’s Fish House, 2600 Insulator Dr. Baltimore, Md. 21230
Baltimore Museum of Art
You won’t just find the work of local artists hanging amid the BMA’s stately columns and pristine walls; you’ll find community members teaching and educating as part of the museum’s open-hours workshops. It’s an unconventional, but very Baltimore, way to experience art.
BTW: This free museum also routinely offers after-hours cultural events.
Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Baltimore, Md. 21218
Hit a food hall/market
Baltimore has being doing food halls for a long time. One of our oldest, Lexington Market, has been around since 1782. People still flock there for crab cakes, sweets, meat and fish, but there are other places to congregate and eat, too. There’s Belvedere Square and the newly renovated Cross Street Market. There are also trendier spots like R. House and Mount Vernon Marketplace.
BTW: If you can only go to one food hall, make it Lexington Market — specifically, Faidley Seafood. It’s where everyone goes.
Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St. Baltimore, Md. 21201
Lisa Snowden-McCray
Lisa Snowden-McCray is the editor of the Baltimore Beat, an alternate news outlet, and has been reporting about Baltimore since 2003. She’s a Maryland native who attended school just outside the city. She loves a good orange crush.
Andrew Mangum
Andrew is a contributing photographer to The Washington Post based in Baltimore.