"America's Greatest City? Huh? No Way,... " a Baltimore Travel Page by AKtravelers

Every new mayor in Baltimore brings in a new slogan and Mayor (now Governor) O'Malley was no exception, dubbing Charm City "America's Greatest City". I'm naturally skeptical of this, having been to New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington. But even if Baltimore doesn't live up to its newest hype, it's certainly "great" enough to merit a short visit and often is unfairly overshadowed by Washington to the south.
My former hometown for 13 years, Ellicott City, is 12 miles from downtown Baltimore as the raven flies. As such, I took advantage of the many good things Baltimore has to offer: the stadiums at Camden Yards, the restaurants of Little Italy, the energy of Inner Harbor, the culture of the Walters Gallery or the history of Ft. McHenry or Fells Point. At the same time, I know what to avoid: the high-crime, burned out areas of the city that give it top 10 rankings in the US for crime (number 6 over all! Woo Hoo!), drug use and sexually transmitted diseases. Yes, Baltimore is a true American city, with all the good and bad that comes with it. If you're taking a vacation to Washington D.C., it's definitely worth the 45-minute drive up I-95 to sample the good parts.

If you're visiting Baltimore for the first time, I recommend starting your day at Inner Harbor. By a Historic Seaport ticket to tour the USS Constellation and the other historic vessels moored there. Take the water taxi to Fells Point or Ft. McHenry. See an Orioles game at Camden Yards or the grave of Edgar Allen Poe. Most of all, enjoy the ambience of this historic city, whose heyday was around the War of 1812 (no, none of us remember it), when, in an epic battle, Baltimore-based soldiers fought off the British fleet and repulsed an amphibious assault, inspiring the U.S. National Anthem. Maybe pub crawl around Fells Point to finish off your stay.
If you want to get a good feel for Baltimore, watch reruns of NBC's "Homocide: Life on the Street" or the films "Diner", "Tin Men" or "Home for the Holidays" or HBO's "The Wire". All were filmed in Baltimore. "Sleepless in Seattle" also shows good views of Baltimore, but hardly catches the atmosphere. A more recent Baltimore film, "Ladder 49" even features the actual mayor-now-governor.

Little Italy is a great place to visit year-round, but come on a Friday Night in summer for a special treat: free outdoor Italian-themed films in Little Italy (get there early, they start at 9:00). We recommend dinner in one of the local restaurants (the restaurant association sponsors the films), followed by strategically placing your lawn chair in the street. While you're waiting, go grab some Italian pastries, Icre cream or cookies at Vaccarro's. You'll be happy you did.
The films are projected from the bedroom of a 90-year old couple onto a white billboard across the street. They were recently featured on the local news for their generosity. I ran into the man walking his dog once not too long ago -- still friendly despite his new-found fame!