So I must admit bias immediately when writing about these last two neighborhoods. This is where I spend the majority of my time, because I live here. There’s a lot of good reasons why I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 7 years! This area has a great mixture of quiet green spaces, a strong hipster and diy community, and classic Baltimore ‘Hon-ness’ all rolled into a 4 mile radius.
Charles Village
Continuing to move along Charles Street you’ll find yourself in the heart of Johns Hopkins University undergraduate Homewood campus and surrounding Charles Village neighborhood. The JHU campus itself sits on an idyllic 140 acres of land. Immediately off campus you’ll find a bevy of eateries as well as even more green spaces. There’s plenty of space to run and stroll through Wyman Park (tucked back in a residential area) and Wyman Park Dell which can be accessed directly off of Charles St. Grab a sandwich at the local grocery store and have an impromptu picnic. As long as you’re exploring the neighborhood find the blocks of colorful homes, or ‘Painted Ladies’ sprinkled throughout. The entire surrounding area is very walkable, student and family friendly.
For those that really like the outdoors:
Druid Hills Park- GO HERE! One of my personal favorite green spaces in the city, a beautifully well kept 745 acre park will show you a completely different side of Baltimore. Stop in to visit the Rawlings Blake Conservatory or I would suggest you take an opportunity to rent a bike at locally run biking company to fully explore Druid Hills Park and Jones Falls Trails. There are also tennis and basketball courts and a disc golf course on the grounds. Hopefully you can get a little time away from the conference to enjoy this park.
Within the park is also Maryland zoo. This zoo is one of the oldest in the country and always a favorite for the little ones. Stop by and say hi to new addition, baby giraffe, Willow!
Baltimore Museum of Art- wonderful museum with a large variety of exhibits from Antioch mosaics to contemporary art. After exploring the museum continue outside to an attached small sculpture garden and renowned restaurant Gertrude’s.
Hampden This is the place that the infamous Hairspray was based on. You are bound to hear that infamous term of endearment ‘hon’ here if nowhere else! The Avenue specifically is the place to be for a kitschy Baltimore souvenir or get in some vintage shopping. From boutique shoe shop that also sells chocolate to vintage clothing stores this is a must visit in Baltimore. Just on the edges of the neighborhood are also a lot of great restaurants as well as one of the most popular microbreweries in the area Union Craft Brewing.