Go US:Despite its reputation as a dangerous city, Orla Rapplecouldn't stop herself being won over by Baltimore's alluring appeal - not to mention its legendary crab cakes
AS HOLIDAYS GO, Baltimore did not seem like the most awe inspiring of US destinations. Although it has been nicknamed "Charm City", crabs seemed to be the only thing it had to offer, that and a bad reputation.
My trepidation over this break wasn't helped when we arrived in the city. The stench of the Chesapeake Bay as it meandered around the Inner Harbour and the almost ghostly quality to a Friday night in downtown Baltimore convinced me that this city was a holiday dud. But I slowly came round to its charms and even the legendary Maryland crab cakes.
Baltimore, the birthplace of sport's first celebrity, baseball player Babe Ruth, and the current sports God, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, is Maryland's largest city and one that has had a raised profile recently for all the wrong reasons. It's the location of the highly acclaimed drama The Wire, a programme that shows Baltimore up as a metropolitan, violent hellhole with corrupt councils, rogue policemen and violent drug barons. Indeed, the fact that Baltimore regularly enters the top 20 most dangerous destinations in the United States doesn't help this reputation.
However, the tourist-driven Baltimore is one based around the bay at the Inner Harbour and the little colonial style districts that surround it and here there is no air of danger or high crime. Baltimore has no official tour of filming locations from The Wirebut the city is condensed enough to make it easy to travel to the parts of it used in the programme. But, do so with your wits about you. East Baltimore and places like "Murderland Alley" and around the John Hopkins Hospital are synonymous with crime and although this type of ghetto tourism has become popular, these districts are still dangerous, especially for unsuspecting tourists.
Bad reputation aside, Baltimore is a stunning harbour city and one that has inspired its famous residents. Dashiell Hammett, the author of Maltese Falconlived and worked here as a detective, while Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Ravenwas written while he lived in Baltimore.
Baltimore is one of the oldest seaports in the United States and was once one of the leading ports of entry for immigrants in the country. It was named after the first owner of a Maryland Colony, Cecilius Calvert, second Baron Baltimore of the Irish House of Lords, who in turn took his title from Baltimore in Co Cork. During the War of 1812, 1,000 soldiers held off the British invasion at Baltimore's Fort McHenry, inspiring Francis Scott Key to write the American national anthem.
The downtown Inner Harbour area of the city is a mix of skyscrapers that sit along the bay and pedestrian bridges giving easy access over the Chesapeake River. This is the heart of Baltimore's tourist industry and the Inner Harbour is filled with street performers, museums and those all famous crab houses.
After the War of 1812, Baltimore was the second largest city in the United States and a busy working port. Its canning industry meant local fishermen could catch, pack and sell the fish and crab caught in the Chesapeake River.
Crabs are still big industry in Baltimore today and Baltimoreans love their crab cakes - their version, however, is nothing like what is served in Ireland. The Maryland crab cake is a large round globule of lump crab, sauces and not much else - there is not a potato in sight.
Crab is available on nearly every menu in the city and the crab has almost become a symbol of Baltimore - souvenir shops stock crab recipe books and magnets, crab hammers, I even saw a strange looking felt hat shaped like a red crab in a particular souvenir shop in Fell's Point.
The Inner Harbour is not a great area for nightlife and districts like Fell's Point are much busier and offer a chance to see some parts of the real Baltimore. Fell's Point is about a mile from the Inner Harbour and is connected to it by a water taxi which is an affordable way to get around the city.
Fell's Point was once the favourite entertainment spot for sailors coming into port at Baltimore and even now the district lives up to this history. By day, Fell's Point looks like a pretty colonial town with cobbled stone streets and pretty squares overlooking its section of the Chesapeake Bay. By night, the area is filled with live music and busy nightlife in its many pubs and eateries. In fact, Fell's Point has the biggest concentration of pubs in Baltimore and the largest number of pubs per square mile in the United States.
Fell's Point was once the filming location for the 1990s TV show Homicidebut has now become a favourite with Baltimore professionals looking for harbour side apartments. As a result, the district is filled with restaurants and breakfast bars, making it a great place to sit back, enjoy an American coffee or breakfast and just watch the world go by.
Baltimore is an easy blend of historical city and tourist mecca. Its attractions, restaurants and breathtaking harbour scenery make it an almost perfect United States city destination. This Charm City will definitely win you over.
Where to stay, eat and what to do
Where to stay
The Admiral Fell Inn, 888 South Broadway, Baltimore, 001-410-522-7377, www.harbormagic.com. Lying in the heart of Fell's Point, this cosy Inn is full of elegant colonial charm and is listed on the United States National Registry of Historic Places.
Baltimore Mariott Waterfront, 700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, 001-410-385-3000, www.mariott.com. This is probably the most plush of the Mariotts in Baltimore and is the city's only waterfront hotel.
Hampton Inn, 550 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, 001- 410-685-5000, www.hamptoninn.hilton.com. Close to the baseball field and the Inner Harbour. Babe Ruth was born nearby.
Henderson's Wharf Inn, 1000 Fell Street, Baltimore, 001-410-522-7777, www.hendersonswharf.com. This well loved hotel is known for its excellent service and has a great view of the harbour.
Brookshire Suites. 120 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, 001-410-625-1300, www.harbourmagic.com. This modern, all suite hotel is situated just a block away from the Inner Harbour.
Where to eat
Blue Moon Café, 1621Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, 001-410-522-3940. This restaurant is a favourite with locals for breakfast, so expect to queue and maybe even share your table. Try the legendary French toast coated with Captain Crunch cereal.
Rusty Scuppers, 402 Key Highway, Baltimore, 410-727-3678. This waterfront dining restaurant offers breathtaking views of the Baltimore skyline and is the place to try Maryland's biggest tourist draw - the crab - in its most famous form, the Maryland crab cake.
Charleston Restaurant, 1000 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, 001-410-332-7373, www.charlestonrestaurant.com. The Charleston is a multiple award-winning fine dining establishment located in Baltimore's Harbour East. There are more than 600 bottles on their wine list and the menu is dedicated to "improvisational dining", which allows the diner to have their food prepared exactly the way they want it.
Jack's Bistro, 3123 Elliott Street, Baltimore, 001-410- 878-6542, www.jacksbistro.net. This unique restaurant has a menu that you won't find anywhere else. Dishes include "Tuna Meatball Noodle Bowel" and "Mac and Cheese and Chocolate". If youre not feeling adventurous, they also serve crab cakes and steak.
Costa's Inn, 4100 North Point Boulevard, Baltimore, 001-410-477-1975, www.costasinn.com. A family-run restaurant with seafood specialties including the omnipresent Maryland crab cake and lobster tail stuffed with crab. They also serve sandwiches chargrilled on an open flame.
What to do
Baltimore Oriole Parkat Camden Yards, 333 West Camden Street, Baltimore, 001-888-848-2473, baltimore.orioles.mlb.com. Go watch a baseball game in this well laid-out park, the home of Baltimore's beloved Orioles.
Babe Ruth Museum, 216 Emory Street, Baltimore, 001-410-727-1539, www.baberuthmuseum.com. Just a short stroll from Camden Yards is the museum celebrating the life of Baltimore native and the first sports celebrity, Babe Ruth. This location is actually the birthplace of Babe Ruth and is stocked with memorabilia.
Baltimore Streetcar Museum, 1901 Falls Road, Baltimore, 001-410-547-0264, www.baltimorestreetcar.org. A big hit with children and adults, this museum restores streetcars that were once a vital part of the Baltimore transport system. The admission fee includes unlimited rides on the original Baltimore streetcars on a miniature line in the museum.
National Aquarium, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, 001-410-576-3800, www.aqua.org. One of the city's biggest attractions, the aquarium has a huge variety of fish, an Atlantic coral show and a new 4D Immersion Theatre.
Fort McHenry, 2400 East Fort Avenue, Baltimore, 001-410-962-4290, www.nps.gov/fomc. The site of the battle that inspired the national anthem, Fort McHenry now houses many exhibits on the Battle of Baltimore, and hosts events like the twilight tattoo ceremonies and Civil War weekend.
Go there: Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.ie) flies direct to Washington Dulles Airport from Dublin, Cork and Shannon. Washington Dulles is approximately an 80-minute drive from Baltimore.