Baltimore Vibe: The Small City With A Big Heart And Strong Culture
Baltimore hasn’t always had the smoothest of rides as a city but still, it always manages to persevere. That’s because Baltimore is made up of amazing people who have created one of the most unique cities in the entire country. Neighborhoods matter here as does the culture each community has crafted, holding strong decades and even generations later. So if you’re judging Baltimore’s book based on its cover, you’re missing out on an ornamental world, filled with passionate people, great food, and pure art that you can’t find anywhere else.
Local Flavor: Baltimore Is As Kitschy As They Come, Hon
If you don’t know what a hon is, then you’re probably not from anywhere near Baltimore. The term “hon” has become a culture of Baltimore, marked by the style of families mainly from the Highlandtown, Irvington, Hampden, Pigtown, Canton, and Locust Point areas of the city from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Beehive hairdos, cat eye glasses, and other flamboyant clothes and embellishments were all the rage and “hon” is derived from the word “honey” abbreviated with a Baltimore accent. Times have changed greatly since these days, of course, but it is still found woven in the fabric of Baltimore culture. It can be found emphasized in hometown legend John Waters’ movies like “Hairspray” and “Pink Flamingos” and annual also at festivals like Honfest in Hampden.
Not everyone is a hon, of course. And a lot of Baltimore folks are annoyed by the whole tradition. However, it’s a prime example of the Baltimore kitsch.
Cuisine: A Foodie’s Dream Where Everything Is Better With Old Bay
If you could taste a city, then Baltimore would explode with the flavors of Old Bay. Locals use it on everything, especially the world-famous blue crabs, which are eaten on top of a table covered in newspaper and crushed with mallets. But there are so many other foods that are Baltimore famous, too.
Polock Johnny sausages, Rheb’s Homemade Candies, lemon peppermint sticks, Berger cookies, chicken boxes, pit beef, and soft shell crab sandwiches are just a few more that you won’t have any trouble finding when you live here. And what do you wash it all down with in Baltimore? A Natty Boh (or National, depending on who you’re talking to), of course. Some will argue that it’s not manufactured in Baltimore anymore, but since it returned to the stadiums in 2006, Boh has seen a renaissance of its own, much like Baltimore, which is probably why it’s still so popular.
Nightlife: You Can’t Turn The Lights Off On Baltimore
Baltimore doesn’t just know art and food. It definitely knows how to throw the after party, too. If you’re in the mood for dancing, you can check out Mobtown Ballroom or one of the awesome nightclubs downtown. Fell’s Point and Federal Hill are the go-to neighborhoods when you’re in the mood for some upscale bar and tavern hopping with friends. Popular gay clubs include The Hippo and Grand Central. If you’re looking for a laugh, the city has several hilarious comedy clubs to visit. And Power Plant Live! is the city’s premiere destination for dining and entertainment just one block off of the gorgeous Inner Harbor.
Weather: Everyone Melts In The Summer And Loses Their Minds In The Winter
Baltimore’s Mother Nature likes to embrace the extremes of every season. Springtime is rainy, summertime is hot and blanketed by humidity, fall is gorgeously colorful and crisp, and winter is a bitter bastard that can never make up its mind on what it’s doing other than making you feel like it’s going to be cold and gray forever. Schools close at the mere mention of a snowflake. And a general rule of thumb I that if the weather forecast calls for a blizzard, it will rain and if the forecast calls for an inch, a blizzard will hit. It’s Baltimore science.
Safety & Crime: Don’t Believe Everything You Read
If you believed everything you see on the news, you might think Baltimore is a designated war zone. However, one visit here will show you a much different picture.
Yes, Baltimore has crime and issues on all ends of the spectrum have bubbled over in recent years. But remember, the news only shows the negative because it sells. No one tunes in to watch reports on the man who helped his elderly neighbor carry in her groceries or the woman who helped a stranger chase down her loose puppy. But just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
Baltimore is filled with great people and there are some good neighborhoods to live in here. For example, Locust Point and Federal Hill both have a 59 percent lower crime rate than the rest of Baltimore, while Riverside’s crime rate is 55 percent lower.
Commute: Buckle Up, You’re In For A Long One
Baltimore might be a small city but not having a car isn’t really an option if you plan on being able to get around well.
Public transportation isn’t good enough to solely depend on and because of the way the city is spread out and the good neighborhoods are unevenly distributed, getting around on a bike isn’t the best option, either. If you live in certain areas and don’t plan on leaving much, though, you can definitely get by without a car. Mount Vernon, Downtown Baltimore, and University of
Maryland at Baltimore all have a Walk Score in the 90s, according to Walk Score. But if you need to leave the area often, you’ll be out of luck.
The commute is 31 minutes on average here, too, which The Baltimore Sun reports is one of the longest commutes of any city in the country.
Cost Of Living: Baltimore Saves You Cash So You Can Eat More Blue Crabs
One of the biggest perks to Baltimore is the cheap cost of living. Against an index of 100 for the national average, Baltimore places at 96. Groceries, utilities, and healthcare are all more affordable when you live in Baltimore but the housing is where you’ll appreciate the best savings of all. The average home in Baltimore costs $162, 300, a whopping 47.1 percent less than the national average. Even better is that most neighborhoods offer spacious, single family homes, giving you more room to spread your Baltimore wings.
Score Update: Baltimore’s Sports Scene Is A Grand Slam
Baltimore’s bones are built on working class people who entertained themselves with the city’s sports teams. While they don’t have a basketball or hockey team, their football and baseball pride more than makes up for it.
Locals have watched as beloved teams literally ran out on them in the middle of them night (insider’s tip: don’t mention the Colts in civil conversation) and new teams come in and make a beeline for the Super Bowl (Go Ravens!) But really, Baltimore wouldn’t be Baltimore without the Orioles baseball team. And when you do finally make your way to a game, you’ll find another uniquely Baltimore quirk when the National Anthem is sung and the entire stadium explodes with “O!” joy.
The HeART of Baltimore: It’s In The Art
Do you want to know why Business Insider named Baltimore one of the best cities in the world in 2014 along the likes of Los Angeles, Stockholm, and Amsterdam? Well, sure, the food, the kitschy traditions, the sports, and the excitement of a major city with a small-town feel had something to do with. But Baltimore’s art scene undoubtedly put it over the top.
With awesome murals, outdoor sculptures, traditionally cultured museums like the Baltimore Museum of Art, Contemporary Museum, and Walters Art Museum alongside the completely unique and off-the-wall gems like The Visionary Arts Museum and Geppi’s Entertainment City, you’ll be blown away at the sheer volume of art this city has to offer, let alone the quality and individuality.
The American Visionary Art Museum’s art literally comes to life as art and crazy-cool floats are paraded through the streets for the Kinetic Sculpture Race. And don’t be surprised if you run into Edgar Allan Poe’s ghost on the streets—or at the very least a Poe performance artist. Each piece of art is another tile that pieces together the mosaic of beauty that is Baltimore.
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