Must Do and See in Baltimore for Future Resident (Mount Vernon: townhomes, unemployed)

[Tallybalt]

Baltimore has a thriving music scene (of all types), art galleries and an art scene revolving around a fairly well known art school. I know plenty of people who are active in the arts scene and while no one claims Baltimore compares with New York or Washington, Baltimore does have much to offer. It is what you make of it (just as an acquaintance I once met who lived in New York and claimed to never have set foot inside the Met).

I doubt Baltimore has food to offer that you won't find in Houston except perhaps for crab cakes. There are numerous excellent restaurants in Baltimoreand a booming dining scene compared to a decade ago, but nothing utterly distinctive to Baltimore except Faidley's in Lexington Market for the crabcakes (Faidley's crabcakes are unique, however, and not necessarily representative of the typical crabcakes elsewhere, and Lexington Market itself is a mixed bag). Baltimore is sadly lacking when it comes to street food, and you won't find the Mexican, Tex-Mex or Vietnamese scene of Houston.

[atariwhizkid]

There's a Peruvian Restaurant in Upper Fells that serves Guinea Pig. I've had it and it tastes just like chicken.

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by texx

oh and one more thing. Me and my wife luv trying new food and we dont want to eat anything on our trip we can simply get in Houston. What do u guys recommend for good Baltimore eats? Any particular restaurants we must go to?

1.Go to Faidley's in Lexington Market or Cross Street Market.
2.Go to Berthas in Fells Point for their mussels.
3.Samos in Greektown on Oldham Street. But, get there early to avoid the crowds.

These are unique to Baltimore.

[remstone]

Check out the Helmand in Mount Vernon for some good Afghan. Maybe say hi to the owner, who is Hamid Karzai's brother.

There are also a few Ethiopian joints (not sure if you get those in Houston) though they won't compare to the ones in DC.

[rmc01]

What restaurant is this? I had a professor who once said if you ever tasted guinea pig you'd never consider keeping one as a pet.

Originally Posted by atariwhizkid

There's a Peruvian Restaurant in Upper Fells that serves Guinea Pig. I've had it and it tastes just like chicken.

[DCTony]

Baltimore is just about the worst city in the Northeast corridor stretching from Boston to DC. Even Philly is more exciting, and Newark at least has good access to NYC. Couldn't you find a grad school in Boston? Baltimore isn't even a good deal for rents, as the relatively nice parts are expensive. Go to NYC or Boston, expensive but much more fun. You can live in Queens for not much more than what Baltimore will end up costing you. There are parts of the Bronx that'll cost the same as Baltimore and are actually a lot nicer.

[are you kidinme?]

Originally Posted by rmc01

What restaurant is this? I had a professor who once said if you ever tasted guinea pig you'd never consider keeping one as a pet.

If it's the one I've been to it's on Eastern just about a block east of Broadway. It's actaully an Ecuadoran restaurant. You have to order the guinea pig in advance, but they also have great nanny goat stew.

[rmc01]

^^Thanks!

[Tallybalt]

You can easily order mussels and Greek food in any city in the US.

But Faidley's crabcakes are unique even if they are not representative of the Maryland crabcakes.

Originally Posted by jonjj

1.Go to Faidley's in Lexington Market or Cross Street Market.
2.Go to Berthas in Fells Point for their mussels.
3.Samos in Greektown on Oldham Street. But, get there early to avoid the crowds.

These are unique to Baltimore.

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by DCTony

Baltimore is just about the worst city in the Northeast corridor stretching from Boston to DC. Even Philly is more exciting, and Newark at least has good access to NYC.

Depends on the perspective. I've been in the process of identifying my top places to retire for the past 3 or 4 years, and if I were to retire in the NE corridor, I would choose Baltimore EASY. For one, your money goes the farthest BY FAR when it comes to owning/purchasing a home. It also has plenty of outdoor recreation amenities, particularly pedestrian trails/paths and parks (not that the other cities don't, but just that B does). Downtown is a destination people would want to go (again not that the other cities' downtowns aren't but just that B's is). And you get quick access TO some of those other cities- DC in what, less than an hour and Philadelphia in what, an hour and a half? Day trips either way. And the weather is IMMENSELY better than Boston, and considerably better than NYC. You can enjoy the outdoors for a greater portion of the year.

So for a city that has nice outdoor recreational amenities and the ability to enjoy it for more of the year, a nice downtown, arts and music, professional sports in the city itself, close proximity to a couple of highly rated big cities AND an affordable cost of living that enables a person's dollar to go a lot farther (even if you purchase a home not far from the city center), Baltimore is just about the BEST city in the northeast corridor stretching from Boston to DC.