Baltimore/Downtown



Downtown Baltimore is Baltimore's central business district and seat of the city government. While home to some iconic Baltimore architecture, and the city's economic heart, visitors, and even locals, tend to keep their distance from this often seedy and decidedly unloved city center, unless they are going to the Baltimore Arena, the Hippodrome Theatre, or visiting Poe's grave at Westminster Hall. Don't make the all-too-frequent mistake of skipping (or fearing) Lexington Market, though, which can be an easy highlight of a visit to the city—on a hungry stomach!

Get in
Downtown is nothing if not easy to get to, being just north of the Inner Harbor, off I-395, and on all major public transportation routes.

By car
There are many parking garages downtown, with an especially convenient one just north of Lexington Market on N Paca St. Coming in from I-95, take exit #53 for I-395, which will dump you on northbound Howard St, straight through Downtown. The B-W Pkwy will terminate on the even more useful Paca St. If coming from the north on I-83, take the right turn for Fayette St.

By light rail


The light rail has two very handy stops at Lexington St (for Lexington Market), and Baltimore St (for the Baltimore Arena and Hippodrome Theatre).

By Metro
Yes, even the rarely used Metro has a few good stops downtown: Lexington Market, Charles Center, and Shot Tower Station.

By bus
With the convenience of the light rail, it's unlikely that you would want to catch a slow, semi-reliable local bus, but #7 would take you down Greene St from Lexington Market through the Inner Harbor, on to Fells Point and then on to Canton. If you are going to Federal Hill, or further to Fort McHenry, Bus #1 picks up at Baltimore St and Paca St. The Circulator's Orange route will also traverse Baltimore St eastbound to Fells Point, and its Purple route runs up Charles St through Midtown to Penn Station.

See




Do
The big downtown performance venues are the Baltimore Arena and the Hippodrome, but check Current Gallery's website (see ) for some more off-the-wall DIY-ish performances too.

Buy




Eat
Baltimore's Downtown business and government district is honestly kind of run down. Crime at night is higher than it should be. Accordingly, high end restaurants are few, and the options are dominated by cheap, quick lunch-focused cafes—you'll need to go north to Midtown or south to the Inner Harbor for more options.

Lexington Market, on the other hand, is honestly a can't miss for anyone with a real interest in Baltimore, as it has several of the best places in the city for some true Baltimore cuisine, as well as history and local color. Don't let the seedy looking surroundings scare you, as you'll be perfectly safe during the day.

Budget

 * If you are looking for a deep Baltimore culinary experience, head to standing-room-only Faidley's, where you can get your coddies, some of the world's most acclaimed jumbo lump crab cakes, and even local artifacts like terrapin, raccoon, and muskrat! (Those artifacts are available only seasonally, and only to take home to cook.)
 * The best dessert in Lexington Market, if not all of Baltimore, are Bergers Cookies. These sugar cookies hidden under a ridiculous amount of chocolate fudge frosting are sold by the pound from the Berger Bakery stall.
 * The best dessert in Lexington Market, if not all of Baltimore, are Bergers Cookies. These sugar cookies hidden under a ridiculous amount of chocolate fudge frosting are sold by the pound from the Berger Bakery stall.

Drink
Downtown nightlife suffers from the same plight of nice restaurants—no one really likes being downtown after dark, unless for a performance or game at the Hippodrome or Baltimore Arena. Options are few, unless you are looking for the packed, neon-soaked row of strip clubs on The Block: E Baltimore St between Holliday/Commerce St and Gay St. The infamous block began as a premiere destination for burlesque shows in the early 20th century, but by the mid-century had transformed into a seedy stretch of low-rent strip clubs and sex shops. This, ah, turned on the criminal element to the locale, introducing drugs and violence. The city has never succeeded in shutting down the craziness, but instead put the new Baltimore Police Department Headquarters right next door, which has helped reduce violent crime on The Block in a big way. The strip clubs are getting a little less seedy too. If this is your thing, Norma Jean's would be the most upscale.



Mid-range




Connect
Short on coffeeshops, you'll want to head to Enoch Pratt Library, dodging the crowds of homeless inside, to either use the public terminals or free Wi-Fi.

Stay safe
Sadly, Downtown is one of those parts of Baltimore that is not safe by any standards. Sandwiched between pleasant Midtown and the tourist hub of the Inner Harbor, housing the principal businesses in the city and a major university, this should not be the case, but it's Baltimore, folks. Don't run in fear and cowardice—definitely check out Lexington Market, see Poe's Grave, attend a performance at the Hippodrome, or a game at the Baltimore Arena, and bring your family, but be safe. Minimize walking, avoid lonely streets, and park in a well lit area, with no valuables (or really anything) visible.