Moving to Baltimore in 5 weeks! (without really having ever been there) (Catonsville: neighborhoods, school)

[ssushchy]

Hello,
I'll be starting graduate school in Baltimore in a month at the University of Maryland. Im living very close to the school. But the only time Ive ever visited the city was on my interview weekend. What I basically want to know is things to do, what restaurants and coffee shops are good. What are interesting bars and stores. And any other advice! Thanks!

[Buell86]

UMBC? Catonsville is pretty good area and close to the city.

As far as bars... Canton, Federal Hill and Fells Point got your covered. Fed hill is a lil more pop-collar'd than Canton and Fells. Best bar in the world is Looneys Pub in O'Donnell Square, Canton. Bay Cafe in Canton is cool to, like a mini-Seacrets, right on the water. Restaraunts are plentiful, I'd recommend Chicken Rico for Peruvian chicken in highlandtown, **** dames in Little Italy and Acropolis in Greektown.

[KennyP]

For Girl stuff Poppy and Stella is a great little shoe store. Cloud 9 in Canton sells cute tops and dresses. There's a great comic store in Fells called Graphic Novelty. For music, Soundgarden is the best used music store I have ever set foot in, ever, in any city (including Seattle).

Plenty of decent shopping in Harbor East.

Sadly, there's almost no high end shopping in the city but for one hand bag store called Handbags in the City. They have high class merchandise.

If you want a coffee shop, I like Firehouse in Canton, but that's where I live. Can't miss them, the Blues Brothers are out front

For bars, all the neighborhoods are almost identical. People from Baltimore like to DRINK. I've never seen people start so early or get so drunk. The closest is Philly and Boston, but they are lightweights compared to the consumption I see here. Nearly every bar is pub style with food and seats. Some have dance floors upstairs. Looneys mentioned above is pretty much like this. A few have pool tables. I don't go to Looneys, I prefer Claddaugh in that area. I'm a little older though, and Looneys is a younger crowd.

For Karaoke in Canton, I frequent Walt's Inn. Until midnight, it's tame, and then it gets really bad, really quick. Total trainwreck of a bar, and I love it.