Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 1729, Baltimore is situated closer to major Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Baltimore's Inner Harbor was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States and a major manufacturing center. After a decline in manufacturing, like most other major american coastal cities, Baltimore shifted to a service-oriented economy. The city is home to the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, Harborplace and the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore's small town charm belies its vibrant downtown entertainment options. Nicknamed the “Charm City’ from a 1975 advertising campaign to promote tourism to the city’s top attractions and activities, visitors were offered a charm bracelet at the city’s tourism center. At each site, a charm was collected for the bracelet. These days, the charming setting of our Baltimore Maryland hotel offers a host of entertaining activities including Sports Legend Museum at Camden Yards, National Aquarium, Comedy Factory and Little Italy.

Historically a working-class port town, Baltimore has sometimes been dubbed a "city of neighborhoods," with 72 designated historic districts. Most notable today are three downtown areas along the port: the Inner Harbor, frequented by tourists due to its hotels, shops, and museums; Fells Point, (featured in the movie Sleepless in Seattle) and Little Italy, located between the other two, where Baltimore's Italian-American community is based. Further inland, Mt. Vernon is the traditional center of cultural and artistic life of the city; it is home to a distinctive Washington Monument, set atop a hill in a 19th century urban square, that predates the more well-known monument in Washington, D.C. by several decades.