Has anyone been to the Inner Harbor (Baltimore), MD?

Christine, I actually surprised DH with a trip there in 2001! I took him to an Orioles game and we toured Camden yards, went to the aquarium and had some excellent meals! We stayed at the Renaiisance Harborplace right across (and connected via glass walkway) to the harbor and the malls..very much like S. Street seaport! The hotel is absolutely gorgeous. Everything is in walking distance. The only time we took a cab was to go to Obyricki's Crab House (oprah's favorite maryland crab house! ). Also, I highly recommend sunday brunch at The Harbor Court Hotel. Very expensive, but Truly elegant!! If you need any more specific info, I still have all my travel guides! I hope you decide to go!

We went with another couple last year around this time and it was nice, very pretty to walk around. Went to Obrycki's, I liked it, hubby didn't. My only advice would be to stay in or near the Inner Harbor because we didn't and traveled in every day and the cost of parking is outrageous! It would have been worth the more expensive hotels around the Inner Harbor and been able to walk everywhere than the cheaper hotels on the outskirts with what we paid in parking alone!

We went to the Hard Rock, which was typical, toured some navy ships, submarines, lighthouses, and shopped. We went for 2 days with travel but could have used one more day.

We went a few years ago with my friend and her boyfriend. We went to a baseball game, dinner at Legal Seafoods (before it was here in LI) went to the little shopping center. It was a lot of fun and such a beautiful town. I think it's a great idea. We didn't stay in the inner harbor but there was a train near our hotel (I think it was a Days Inn) and it was really convenient. To go home at night was like a $10 cab ride if you don't want to drive because I don't know how parking is in the city.

It will be a nice surprise!

I went to college in Baltimore so I know the area very well. I agree, it is best to stay in the Inner Harbor area. Not only because most everything you will want to see is right there, but the parking is expensive. FYI if you go to the opposite side of the harbor near Federal Hill, they have lots where you can park for $5 a day. I went to the Inner Harbor in Feb. and I got a GREAT deal on they Hyatt in the Inner Harbor on Priceline! It was only $65 a night and is in the heart of the harbor with a skywalk to the shops. We had to stay an extra night because we got snowed in and we got the same price again at priceline. Give it a try.

In the Inner Harbor there are lots of shops, a little mall, a science center with IMAX theater, the aquarium, Hard Rock, ESPN Zone, etc. Paolo's is a good restaurant to eat at. The harbor is very close to Camden Yards. If you go during baseball season, you can get $5 bleacher seats (IMO the best and most fun seats) if you go to the ticket office before the game.

Little Italy has lots of great resturants. Some that I recommend are Amicci's, Chiaparelli's, Sabatinos, and Vellegias. Parking is expensive here, but if it's nice weather you could walk or take a water taxi from the harbor. A cab ride is probably cheaper than parking.

Fells Point is the place to go for nightlife. I miss it! There are lots of great bars. My oldtime favorites are Max's on Broadway, and Hightops. If you want 25 cent bottles of beer go to 723 for happy hour! Those were the good old days! Hahaha! There are also shops and restaurants to check out in that area.

One place that I highly recommend for great food and a unique atmosphere is the Paper Moon Diner . I love that place! It is in more central Baltimore kind of close to Johns Hopkins.

If you want Maryland crabs, Obrycki's is defintiely the place to go.

If you want anymore info or have any questions, let me know.

I live in Baltimore County. I moved out of the city last year. I used to live in Federal Hill and FH lived in Canton. The Inner Harbor is awesome, but I would definitely try to venture over to Federal Hill and Canton as well. You can pretty much do the Inner Harbor in one day. And a lot of the attractions there (Espn Zone, Hard Rock, Cheesecake Factory) you can do in NY. Definitely try to catch a game at Camden Yards. I love it there - especially when the Yankees are in town!

If you want to try the best crab dip in MD, go to Looneys Pub on O'Donnell Street in Canton. For a fun time at night you can go to Vespa for dinner on S. Charles Street and then hit the Federal Hill bars. Mothers is usually less crowded than Rope Walk, or you can walk up Cross Street where there are a bunch of smaller bars and find something that looks good. Federal Hill is fun because they have any kind of place you would be looking for. Canton has some fun places to eat as well. Besides Looneys there is Claddaghs Pub, Cosmopolitan and Ricks Cafe Americane. Cosmopolitan and Ricks have excellent menus and are not too crowded earlier in the evening, but they turn into clubs at night (thats when I take off!).

I think that the beauty of Baltimore is the smaller places outside of the inner harbor. The harbor pretty much has the things you can find anywhere else, but with shopping and a nice view of the water. If you stay in the Harbor you can take the water taxi over to Canton. Federal Hill is very close to the harbor, so you will probably want to take a taxi. Actually you can walk is you have comfortable shoes and want to wander a bit. When I lived in Federal Hill I used to run to the harbor on teh weekends. There are also some pretty reasonable parking garages, but the ones you will find with the greates ease are crazy expensive.

I have to disagree with bride04 (sorry!), but I would steer clear of Fells Point. Fells has more bars than Canton and Federal Hill in one concentrated area, but it is a very young I-just-turned-twenty-one crowd. I stopped going there becuase I got tired of being in the same bars as high school kids.

I hope this is helpful and not too much information

I live in Baltimore, there are quite a hotels in walking distance from the harbor. If you go, you have to do the Sunday Jazz Brunch at Rusty Scuppers. It about $25.00 a person, but so worth it. Good luck

Thanks for all your help and info. I printed the thread out so I can look into this:)

Oh, Natasha just reminded me of brunch at Little Havana on Key Highway. Breakfast and all you an drink bloody marys or mamosas for about $10 until 3pm.

Now I am starting to miss the city