wow, i can't believe all this hate. you guys must either not know where to go in the city or haven't been down there in years.
there's plenty of nice areas in baltimore and they're getting nicer. in fact, many people who grew up in the suburbs of b-more and are now in their 20's are moving or have moved downtown - including myself. The 3 most recent sales of rowhomes on my block were for $930,000, $500,000, and $400,000. You'd be an idiot to pay those prices for a sh*t city/area.
Serious crime is essentially contained within the drug trafficers, and areas they frequent are easily avoidable. as with any city, don't go near MLK blvd.
Check out the following neighborhoods if you want some good meals and brews. I wouldn't even recommend stopping by the harbor. It's the tourist center of the city, and chains are most prevalent there. Baltimore has a lot more to offer than the Ruby Tuesdays/Cheesecake Factory/Fuddruckers/etc of any random, faceless suburb. If you've seen a suburb, you've seen White Marsh. Here's links to restuarants/bars in neighborhoods you should check out:
Federal Hill
- Dozens of bars are great restuarants. I like Thirsty Dog, Ropewalk, Nichiban, Blue Agave
Canton
- Mahaffey's, Cohberns, Nacho Mama's, Helen's Garden
Fells Point
- Red Star, Pazzo's, Talay Thai, Max's on Broadway, Wharf Rat
Mt Vernon
- Brewer's Art (amazing Belgium house brews, huge bottle selection, great food/atmosphere), Belvedere 13th Floor, Owl Bar, Kawasaki, Thai Landing
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