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Downtown Baltimore City Centre | |
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Central Business District andresidential area | |
 Downtown Baltimore as seen from East Fayette Street | |
  Downtown Baltimore | |
| Coordinates:39°17′22″N76°37′00″W / 39.289444°N 76.616667°W /39.289444; -76.616667 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| City | Baltimore |
| Population | |
• Total | 4,448 |
Downtown Baltimore is thecentral business district of thecity of Baltimore traditionally bounded byMartin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to the west,Franklin Street to the north,President Street to the east and theInner Harbor area to the south.[2]
In 1904, downtown Baltimore was almost destroyed by ahuge fire with damages estimated at $150 million. Since the City of Baltimore was chartered in 1796, this downtown nucleus has been the focal point of business in theBaltimore metropolitan area. It has also increasingly become a heavily populated neighborhood with over 37,000 residents and new condominiums and apartment homes being built steadily.
City Center is the historic financial district in Baltimore that has increasingly shifted eastward and into the Inner Harbor. Hundreds of businesses are found here, and it remains the center of life in Baltimore. The area is home to the majority of Baltimore'sskyscrapers including theBank of America building, theM&T Bank Building, theTransamerica Tower, theBaltimore World Trade Center, theold IBM building, and the massiveCharles Center district. It includes historicCharles Street as well as significant avenues of commercial and cultural activity alongPratt Street, east to west, andSt. Paul Street-Calvert Street, north to south.
TheInner Harbor is the chief commercial and tourist destination in Baltimore. The Inner Harbor features a large number of restaurants, hotels, retail areas (such asHarborplace), and entertainment (such asPower Plant Live!). It was named byNational Geographic as one of the best summer trips in 2012 (along with all of Baltimore in general). The Inner Harbor is also home to a variety of museums and scientific institutions such as theMaryland Science Center, theNational Aquarium in Baltimore, theReginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, theFlag House & Star-Spangled Banner Museum,Port Discovery children's museum, and Living Classroom environmental education centers.[3] Like much of Baltimore, the area features historic, often industrial, buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that have been repurposed for modern industry and residences, including thePratt Street Power Plant which was built in 1900 and now hosts aBarnes & Noble bookstore, the BaltimoreHard Rock Cafe, and other retail tenants.
Westside Baltimore is the western portion of downtown Baltimore that includes Market Center and many of the newest developments in downtown Baltimore, including theBaltimore Convention Center. It is also home to the site of the "Superblock" project that will include hundreds of condos and apartments as well as a variety of retail and commercial space. The former home of Baltimore's many and famed department stores, Westside Baltimore is now anchored by theUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore consisting of the University of Maryland Health System,University of Maryland School of Law and the University of Maryland Biopark. The Westside is also home to several performing arts centers, including theHippodrome Theatre,CFG Bank Arena, and theEveryman Theatre.G. Krug & Son Ironworks and Museum, in its original location, is the oldest continually operating blacksmith shop in the United States as well as a museum.
The former home of famed American writerEdgar Allan Poe is located at theEdgar Allan Poe House and Museum, a few blocks northwest from his grave at the intersection of Greene and Fayette streets. Nearby is the historicLexington Market, one of the longest-running markets in the world, having been founded in 1782 and in continual operation since, selling a variety of prepared foods and groceries.
Mount Vernon, also known as the cultural district, is a high-density area just north of Downtown known for its attractivenightlife, buoyed by its large number of bars, clubs and lounges and its historic multi-story townhomes (most of which have been transformed into apartments) and traditional apartment buildings. Mount Vernon features theJoseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, home of theBaltimore Symphony Orchestra, as well as theLyric Opera House. The world-renownedPeabody Institute is also located in Mount Vernon adjacent to theWalters Art Museum. To the very north isPenn Station, which offersAmtrak service to several U.S. major cities as well asMARC service toWashington, D.C. A major north–south avenue in Mount Vernon is Cathedral Street, named for theNational Shrine of the Assumption, the first Catholic cathedral built in the United States, which is also considered the masterpiece ofBenjamin Henry Latrobe, the "father of American architecture" and famed creator of theU.S. Capitol.
Downtown Baltimore also contains Camden Yards, which includesOriole Park at Camden Yards, the home field of theBaltimore Orioles ofMajor League Baseball, andM&T Bank Stadium, home of theBaltimore Ravens of theNational Football League. Nearby are theSports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, the now-closedGeppi's Entertainment Museum, and theBabe Ruth Birthplace and Museum.
Downtown Baltimore offers many options for transportation, including subway, light rail, bus service,Amtrak,MARC Train service through Penn Station and Camden Station as well as access toI-83,I-695,I-95, 295, and395.
Places adjacent to Downtown Baltimore | |
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