Baltimore thoughts
June 16th, 2010 at 8:13 am ET
So my Baltimore adventure is over — I’m back on a train. This one is the Amtrak Regional from Baltimore Penn for the princely sum of $21, which (given the supplement over the MARC fare) seems like it ought to come with a double cappuccino and a backrub — although, to be fair, it comes with carpeted floors and smiling uniformed Amtrak employees, so there’s something.
My photos will have to wait until later, since I’m typing on the pad, but here’s a brief summary of events:
I arrived at the spanking new outdoor Camden terminal, hard by the back side of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, bought a ticket out of the machine, and crossed the tracks to the light rail platform.
Light rail trip 4 or so stops north into Mount Vernon was uneventful — the system works and the train was clean and efficient, if a little drab (although the signage and street furniture along the route was impressive). It’s clear that there is a lot going on in terms of redevelopment in downtown, and that the light rail line has been a catalyst for it along the western edge of downtown, which looks much more hopeful than it did 20 years ago when I first visited Baltimore, but there’s still way too much abandoned-looking historic building stock.
About 7:30 I walked east along Monument Street, and at this point my phone rang. It was my brother, so I sat down on the steps of a building to talk to him, and I realized I was sitting in front of the Enoch Pratt House, surrounded by gorgeous historic buildings at an intersection that seemed frozen in time in, what, 1820? We finished our conversation in the yellow light of a fading day, with neighbors drinking beer on a nearby stoop and the occasional passing European tourist checking out the buildings, and I continued into the heart of Mount Vernon.
When I’m in the mood for a dense clump of historic architecture evoking the spirit of a time that’s passed, there are few places in the United States I enjoy more than Mount Vernon Place, with the Washington Monument in the middle surrounded by cobblestones and the four greens, and gorgeous mansions and institutions on the surrounding blocks. This would be unremarkable in New York, but it would also be overrun by vendors selling George Washington souvenirs, and there would probably be a Starbucks in the base of the obelisk. Here it’s just pretty and peaceful and exceptionally well preserved by a city that is overflowing with pride in its grand past. And you can hear the clip-clop of imaginary horses as you walk past the doors of these imposing old homes.
The Mount Vernon business district along Charles Street is doing better than I remember. I wouldn’t exactly say it’s thriving, but there are plenty of healthy-looking businesses and there were probably half a dozen restaurants open late, which is better than I can say for my own neighborhood. I opted for sushi (based primarily on proximity to the front door of my hotel), and I ate very well, in a friendly room with a nice late-evening buzz of activity, for noticeably less than I would have spent in Washington or New York.
The hotel itself was so unremarkable that I won’t name it. I would consider staying there again if I found myself in the same situation (quick overnight, by myself, atmosphere counts for nothing, planning to stay in and work), but otherwise I’d trade up. Still, it was clean, adequate, friendly, and one block from George Washington’s obelisk; try that in New York for 89 bucks.
My overall impression of Baltimore: good bones, local pride, great strides in 20 years, incredible potential not quite being unlocked to the degree it might. In other words, same as always. I’ll be back in 10 days for a whole weekend, for the Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit, so more then.
And so I’m back on the train, this time from Penn Station so I could compare. Bonus Baltimore Penn Station photo below.
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by Edward Rutherfurd
by Ben Macintyre
