Baltimore, with ease

By Adam Pertman, Globe Staff, 06/07/98

BALTIMORE -- Coast to coast, from Los Angeles to Boston, Americans love to gripe about their cars, buses, subways, and other motorized means of getting from here to there.

Baltimoreans are no different. To hear them tell it, this charming city's six-year-old, $500 million light rail system is too slow, too geographically limited, too expensive . . . well, you get the idea.

But out-of-towners like Douglas Robinson and Renee Lacey, who periodically visit Lacey's sister here, tell a very different story. ``The light rail is our little secret,'' says Robinson.

For only $1.35 each, the couple from outside Phoenix can board one of the small, clean, above-ground cars -- they look like the newer trolleys on the Green Line in Boston -- and travel from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to a downtown hotel. A cab, by comparison, would run just over $20, including tip.

Along much of the rail route, Lacey and Robinson enjoy the view of homes and green hills instead of highways, and then take in what she calls ``the real nitty gritty'' of urban scenes as they glide quietly toward their destination.

And for train lovers, like an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy clutching their colorful pull-along suitcases, there's also clearly a thrill to the ride itself, to the occasional light screech of the train on its tracks, to the old-style whistle the driver pulls as each stop approaches.

Most important for tourists (especially those in no hurry, since the trains really don't break any speed records), the light rail system cheaply and efficiently travels to some of Baltimore's most interesting and alluring sites. Those range from the much-praised Inner Harbor development, with its multitudinous trendy shops and restaurants set along the city's lovely harbor; to the less-heralded but wonderfully funky Lexington Market; to the small cultural district, with its few but fine theaters and museums; to the Orioles' state-of-the-art stadium at Camden Yards, which is a visual wonder that's worth seeing, even if you care nothing at all about baseball.

To be sure, this isn't the way all vacationers will want to get around Baltimore. Many travelers don't want to carry bags on and off trolley cars, for instance, and there are no stops near some of the places you might want to go; moreover, some of the attractions the system advertises as being ``nearby'' require a 10- to 20-minute walk after disembarking.

One more advisory: This is an urban transportation system, with the word ``urban'' emphasized. So, even though police regularly patrol the cars, visitors may not want to ride at night, and should take any other precautions that accompany city life.

That said, it's particularly tempting to ride the rails now that two recently completed extensions are in place: to and from the airport and Pennsylvania Station -- a grand, old-style downtown train terminal that was renovated a couple of years ago to include snazzy eateries, gift stores, and the like.

And, of course, the price is right.

The $1.35 mentioned above gets you a one-way trip anywhere on the light rail system, which contains about 30 stops and runs from the airport to the south all the way to suburban Hunt Valley north of the city. A smart buy, for $3, is a pass that allows on-and-off priveleges for a full day; and if you really like the trains, spring for a weekly fare card for just $11.

The Baltimore Convention and Visitors Center at 800-282-6632 can provide lots of information about which sites are accessible via light rail (as well as by cab, car, the city's small subway system, and other public transportation). But, as a starting point, here are a few stops we made and enjoyed.

CAMDEN YARDS

After passing through several residential and industrial areas, the first gotta-see sight traveling from the airport northward is Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Conveniently enough, Camden Yards is also the name of the light rail stop.

Architecturally, the ballpark combines past and present with such flare that it started a trend in new sports arenas nationwide. And it isn't just a venue for Cal Ripken admirers; within the walls of this awesome facility are bars, restaurants, and souvenier shops.

It's so popular that since it opened in 1992, about 285,000 visitors have paid $5 each to take tours, which are available daily all year. ``It's really amazing, but it's a unique attraction,'' says Orioles spokesman Kevin Behan.

Real baseball fans will want to take a three-block walk from Camden Yards and spend another $5 to visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center. Harborplace, the inner-harbor development that instigated the transformation of Baltimore's downtown area, is also just a 10-minute stroll away.

In addition, several major hotels, including the Hyatt Regency and the Sheraton, are very near this stop. Or you can pick up a commuter train here to Washington, D.C., which is just an hour away and offers some pretty good tourism of its own.

CONVENTION CENTER

If there's nothing happening at the convention center itself (check with the Visitors Center), this is the rail stop closest to Baltimore's most-popular attraction: Harborplace and the other shops and restaurants at the Inner Harbor.

It's easy to lose yourself at this grandiose, expansive version of Quincy Market, but you should pull yourself away because there's so much else to do in the immediate area.

Explore the world-class National Aquarium or the Maryland Science Center, for instance, or take a walk along the water to the city's impressive Little Italy section, which boasts historic housing and Old World-style bakeries and restaurants that rival those in Boston's North End.

Or, if you want to continue the rail experience, head in the opposite direction -- west on Pratt Street -- and visit the fun and fascinating B&O Railroad Museum, a real treat for the kids.

There are also a host of hotels at the Convention Center stop, ranging from inexpensive ones like a Days Inn to pricier alternatives like a Marriott and the Renaissance Harborplace.

UNIVERSITY CENTER

Locals get off the trolleys here to attend classes at the University of Maryland's city campus, or to switch to a subway train headed elsewhere. But visitors are more likely to utilize this stop to drop their luggage at the Omni, Hilton, or Tremont Suites hotel or, better yet, to attend a matinee at the nearby Morris A. Mechanic Theater.

The 1998 lineup at this first-rate theater includes several dance performances -- by the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company, by an Irish group telling a passionate tale titled ``Spirit of the Dance,'' and by an Argentinian troupe of singers and dancers in a production called ``Viva El Tango'' -- as well as a monthlong run of the smash hit ``Rent.''

LEXINGTON MARKET

Hang a right at the corner a half-block from where the train lets you off, and prepare for sensory overload. Even before you enter the cavernous building that houses America's oldest continuing marketplace (begun in 1782), the scene outside -- with street vendors selling everything from plastic baseball bats to tennis shoes to religion -- captivates you. And you know, immediately, that you're in for an experience that's the antithesis of upscale, post-modern, Faneuil Hall-style entertainment.

Instead, Lexington Market is gritty-urban, some of its shops are marked by signs that you might otherwise see at an antiques store, and some purveyors run operations that have been in business here for more than a century.

Sprinkled between the soul-food sellers, butcher shops, and fresh-vegetable stands are stylized kiosks that sell video casettes, croissants, and sushi, of course. But the bulk of the establishments seem to be ones like Huber's Cookies (open since 1886, though they probably didn't sell bagels back then) and Pollock Johnny's (wickedly good sausage smothered in grilled onions and green peppers).

All in all, the sights and sounds of the place are a flashback to a time gone by -- and that's a compliment.

``It's wonderful, isn't it?'' asks Nancy Faidley Divine, the third generation of her family to run John W. Faidley Seafood.

Her carry-out/stand-up restaurant opened in 1886, and today it's the place to go for one of the best crabcakes you'll ever have the pleasure to place in your mouth. Crabcakes are a Baltimore specialty, and Faidley's sells several different kinds. The one that draws customers from all over the country, though, is the ``big-lump'' for $9.95.

It's hand-made with just the chunks of sweet meat found behind the swimming fins of Maryland blue crabs. The crabmeat is then tossed with saltines, Old Bay Seafood Seasoning, Worcester sauce, egg, black pepper, and several mustards in a perfect combination. Nothing fancy, but a very high-class act almost worth making the trip for all on its own.

CULTURAL CENTER

This is probably the last stop visitors will use headed north before arriving at Penn Station, except for those bound for the suburbs, of course.

The University of Baltimore and the acclaimed Maryland Institute College of Art are located close by, but the real attractions for tourists are theatrical and artistic.

This year's lineup at the Lyric Theater, for instance, includes a gospel musical called ``I Know I've Been Changed''; a one-woman show with Chita Rivera called ``Chita and All That Jazz''; and the blockbuster ``Riverdance.''

Among the scheduled performances at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall are ``Gershwin, By George!'' as well as ``Marvin Hamlisch's Prom Night,'' and regular performances by the well-regarded Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra is playing its last season under music director David Zinman, who took the BSO to new artistic heights; he will be succeeded by Yuri Temirkanov, the acclaimed head of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Also a short walk away are the Walter's Art Gallery, which currently features a Monet exhibit; and the Maryland Historical Society, which displays both fine artwork and artifacts.

For general information about visiting Baltimore, call the Baltimore Convention and Visitors Center at 1-800-282-6632, or visit the city's Web site at www.baltimore.com.

For information about Baltimore's light rail system, or about any other public transportation in the city, call 1-800-543-9809, or visit the Mass Transit Administration's Web site at www.mtatransit.com.