Woodlawn, MD Road Trips

Google "West Baltimore," and the bulk of the hits that show up for several pages of search results are regarding crime. This is how the world sees West Baltimore, and, while yes, there is an awful amount of violent crime here, this is not fair and not even close to the whole picture of real-life in an urban area rich with culture and history. While African-American history in Baltimore begins in East Baltimore, it moved to the west at the turn of the twentieth century and stayed there. To put it in symbolic terms, Frederick Douglass was raised in East Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall in West Baltimore. African-American culture found its heart along Pennsylvania and North Avenues, earning its place as one of the East Coast's "Black Broadways," on the music and entertainment circuit between D.C., Philadelphia, and Harlem in New York. Neighborhood identities are strong throughout Baltimore, and West Baltimore has a profoundly large number of distinct neighborhoods. Good luck getting to know them all, but it's possible to go over a number of the most interesting ones for visitors: Union Square/Hollins Market, affectionately known as Sowebo (Southwest Baltimore), may well house the most beautiful of the many tree lined streets of West Baltimore rowhouses. Maybe this is because of the buildings and fountain around the square and the covered market itself, or even more likely it's because this is a wealthier area and the lovely architecture has seen better upkeep.

1 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, 901 W Pratt St, ☏ +1 410 752-2490, [email protected]. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Located in a beautiful historic railroad roundhouse is a large collection of locomotives and railcars dating back to the very earliest railroads of America. Train rides are sometimes available. Very kid friendly. Admission $18, discounts for seniors and children available. (updated Mar 2016) 2 Druid Hill Park. 3 Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, 203 Amity St. An early home of the American author of mystery and the macabre. Located on Amity Street in a rough neighborhood, surrounded by public housing. Small fee. 4 The Maryland Zoo, Druid Hill Park (From I-83, exit at Druid Park Lake Drive (exit 7)), ☏ +1 410 366-LION (5466). Daily 10AM-4PM, closed January, February, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Large zoo set in a classic Victorian-era park. If you want to go on a weekend, purchase tickets in advance over the web to get the weekday rate; if purchasing tickets at the gate, you can save a buck by finding a Maryland Zoo flyer at the visitor's center that has a $1 off coupon. Adults $11 weekdays and online ticketing, $15 weekends; discounted for seniors and children. 5 Mencken House, 1524 Hollins Strret. Free public museum dedicated to work of Henry Louis Mencken- a journalist and scholar of American English. He is known for the "American Language" a study of English in the United States. This house was where he lived from 1883 to 1956 and is a national historic landmark. Free.

1 Preakness Stakes, 5201 Park Heights (Pimlico Racetrack), ☏ +1 410 542-9400. Third Saturday of May. The second of the U.S. Triple Crown series of Thoroughbred racing is one of the single biggest horse racing events in the United States. The crowds are pretty huge, but the numbers are not driven by the family-friendly stands in the outfield, but rather the insane orgy of drunkenness in the infield. If you want a wild experience to remember and have virtually no compunctions of any sort, the infield is the place to be. The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, held the afternoon before, while not as popular as the Preakness, is an important race held for 2-year-old fillies. However, Pimlico has now closed for a complete reconstruction. All races held there, including the Preakness, have moved to Laurel Park before returning to the rebuilt Pimlico in 2027. 2 Gwynns Falls Trail. An enormous bike trail through Gwynns Falls Park from the edge of the city straight into the Inner Harbor. This is truly "underground Baltimore" at its best. If the creek is at high water Gwynns Falls is the best whitewater run in the city. Put in at the dam in Dickeyville. StoneSoul Music & Food Festival. This festival is held every August in Druid Hill Park to celebrate African-American heritage. It usually appeals to youth but has vendors, clothing and other items for sale that can be purchased by all ages. There is also a concert, usually by a younger hip-hop artist. Past performers have included J Holiday, Tiffany Evans and Mario. (updated Apr 2017)

There are some really tasty hole-in-the-walls scattered throughout West Baltimore, and you'll find some of the city's best soul food and the best Lake Trout. The two things to know, though, are that you'll need cash, not credit, and virtually all places are carryout only—of the following, only Kimmy's and Immeasurable Chicken & Waffles have dine-in service. 1 Bay Island Seafood Carryout, 1903 W Pratt St, ☏ +1 410 566-0200. This is another one of those real gems in West Baltimore, with some incredible seafood, boiled, broiled or fried. As is generally the case in this part of town, though, it is carryout only. If you've seen David Simon's The Corner, you might recognize the Sea Pride Crab House across the street (this is a really crabby intersection). DeAndre attempted to work an honest job here, but ultimately had to quit due to crab allergies! 2 Fred's Carryout (Big T's), 4708 Gwynn Oak Ave, ☏ +1 410 664-5135. M-Sa 11:30AM-7:30PM. Fred serves up some really fine chicken box, with all chicken made-to-order, ensuring the crucial layer of grease between the chicken proper and the skin fried hard. With all due respect to the NYFC around the corner, this is the place to go. Run by Koreans, naturally. $3-7. 3 Kimmy's Soul Food, 4426 Edmonson Ave, ☏ +1 410 566-4400. This much loved Soul Food buffet prices by the pound, and has especially good breakfast and vegetable dishes. Don't let the Korean ownership put you off the scent—Koreans seem to be the main purveyors of soul food in this city, and they've mastered the craft. $6-14.

1 Caton Castle, 20 S Caton Ave, ☏ +1 410 566-7086. 6PM-10PM, music is generally only on Saturdays—call or check the online calendar.. This is one of Baltimore's best, if not the best, jazz clubs, and you will not find a single other tourist given the out-of-the-way location! Kick it with the locals, hang out in the lounge, and listen to some great local players. You won't go hungry either, with large servings of traditional American/Southern food. Usually $10 cover. 2 Five Mile House, 5302 Reisterstown Rd, ☏ +1 410 578-8831. 5PM-2AM daily. If you are looking for more of an old school African American lounge, this is the biggest in the city. During slower times just the 1st floor is open, but weekends they open the 2nd floor up where a younger crowd tends to hang out. Food is available in addition to drink options. A can't miss if you want to see men wear leisure suits and women all dressed up.

With good reason, West Baltimore is not a popular overnight section of the city. Much of the area is fairly unsafe after dark, and it is far from the center, requiring a car. 1 Wilson House B&B, 2100 Mt Royal Terrace, ☏ +1 410 383-6267. Here's an exception to the above advice—Wilson House has an unorthodox location northwest of Bolton Hill, but it's a beautiful Queen-Anne mansion in a beautiful section of the Reservoir Hill neighborhood, and it's easy to park on street. The decorations, books, etc. that adorn the house are from all over the world, providing a small museum's worth of intriguing wandering around. The North Ave light rail stop is a block away, making this—surprisingly!—a convenient place to stay even for the downtown and Inner Harbor attractions. It's also probably the nicest and most convenient option for anyone visiting MICA. $100-150.

While yes, the subway goes to a few places, you really should not plan to visit West Baltimore without a car. It's the only practical way of moving around this side of the city, and it's anyway a lot safer than wandering around on foot, waiting for buses, etc. Edmonson Ave (US-40) and Liberty Heights Ave (MD-26) are the main east-west roads leading out of the city towards Baltimore County and I-70. But North Ave, Reistertown Rd, Baltimore St, Lombard St, and Pratt St are also helpful for getting around. Windsor Mill Rd and Franklintown Rd will also take you to I-70, but these are the slow scenic routes through the woods. Coming from downtown to the Maryland Zoo or to the racetrack at Pimlico is quickest via McCulloh (MD-129), which will turn into Park Heights Ave.

West Baltimore, as should be evident from any quick perusal of this guide, is home to very serious problems with violence often relating to the drug trade (which should not be a problem for visitors), but stranger robbery and assault are very much a reality when walking rougher neighborhoods on foot.