The best description I’ve ever heard of Baltimore’s quirky charms came from film director John Waters, who has drawn considerable inspiration from his offbeat hometown. In his book Shock Value, Waters wrote: “I would never want to live anywhere but Baltimore. You can look far and wide, but you’ll never discover a stranger city with such extreme style. It’s as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay.” Signs of this can be seen at the American Visionary Art Museum (closed Mon.; $9; 410/244-1900), at 800 Key Highway, which displays an array of works by “outsider” and “self-taught” artists in every medium imaginable—painted packing crates, “art cars,” and so on. The museum, which is near the popular Inner Harbor waterfront redevelopment, also has the very good, “ultra-organic” Joy America Cafe.
For more typically Baltimorean food and drink, head to historic Fell’s Point, a mile east of the Inner Harbor. Location for the TV show Homicide, it’s not as gritty as that might sound; one of a dozen good places to eat here is Bertha’s (410/327-5795) at 734 S. Broadway, a friendly little café famed for (grit-free!) mussels and other seafood specialties. To sample the other local specialty, Chesapeake Bay crab, head to Obrycki’s (410/732-6399), at 1727 E. Pratt Street.
If you’re interested on catching a ballgame, the very popular Baltimore Orioles play at always-packed Camden Yards (410/685-9800) right downtown.
For more information, contact the Baltimore visitors bureau (410/837-4636 or 800/282-6632) at the Inner Harbor.
