January 06, 1991|By DONNA PEREMES
The Belvedere Hotel, built in 1903, offers a variety of rooms from intimate to elegant. Most of the ballrooms have crystal chandeliers and hardwood dance floors, with two boasting 50-foot ceilings. The John Eager Howard Room, decorated in high Empire style, features a fireplace and chandeliers, and the 13th floor, which can also be rented for weddings, offers a wide-ranging view of the city -- uptown and harbor. The Terrace Room and the Executive Room can be used for smaller weddings, and the Parlors -- three rooms side by side -- are also available for smaller weddings.
CHARLES LEVINE CATERERS AT SCARLETT PLACE, 250 SPresident St., 625-0900. Reserve as early as possible. The Harbor Terrace accommodates up to 400 for a cocktail reception; the ballroom, 500 for cocktail reception, 400 seated with dancing; the Scarlett Room, 250 for cocktail reception, 160 seated with dancing. Off-premises catering and valet parking available. Cost varies.
The ballroom is decorated with a custom floral carpet, gold-leaf ceiling, incandescent lighting and hand-painted columns for a European-style atmosphere. The Scarlett Room, meant for smaller parties, includes patterned carpet, luminescent draperies and custom brass and crystal sconces. The Harbor Terrace joins both rooms and provides an outside area for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres overlooking the harbor skyline.
CLOISTERS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, 10440 Falls Road, 823-2551. Reserve as early as possible. Accommodates 80 seated, 175 standing. Available 6 p.m. to midnight every day of the week. List of suggested licensed caterers available. Cost: $700 from 6 p.m. to midnight.
The Parkers built the Cloisters, which looks like a European castle, in 1930 as a private home. Objects from their collection furnish the building, whose gables and wrought-iron spiral staircase reflect a blend of Gothic and Tudor styles. The entire first floor is open to guests, including the main gallery (with an area for dancing), and the library, all of which are filled with European and American antiques. Wedding ceremonies may be performed in the Great Hall.
CROSS KEYS INN, 5100 Falls Road, 532-6900. Contact: BarbarSchofield. Reserve at least six months in advance. Accommodates 200 seated with dance floor, up to 300 for cocktail receptions. Available year-round. In-house catering only. Cost: lunches, $10 to $18; dinners, $17 to $30.
The Cross Keys Inn manages two ballrooms for receptions. The Holiday Room is a large, contemporary, glass-enclosed room with peach-colored walls, a wood floor and an outside balcony. The White Oak Ballroom, decorated in tones of taupe and mauve, features a glass-enclosed mezzanine area.
DANIELLE'S BLUECREST, 401 Reisterstown Road, 486-2100. Contact: Danielle Mosse. Accommodates up to 700 seated, up to 1200 standing. Available every day. Kosher menus are available. Shellfish will not be served. Cost: from $35.
The Ballroom features light gray walls, a green-, gray- and peach-colored carpet, crystal chandeliers and several mirrors. The smaller, more intimate Orchid Room is decorated in soft shades of off-white and pink, and features a wooden floor and crystal chandeliers. The Bluecrest also offers valet parking, a coatroom and handicapped bathrooms and ramps.
ENOCH PRATT CENTRAL LIBRARY, 400 Cathedral St.396-5429. Reserve three to six months in advance. Accommodates 400 seated, 600 standing. Available weeknights after 9 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays after 5 p.m., all day Sundays from May to October. Catering by approved firms only. Cost: approximately $2,000.
Lovers of knowledge (and large receptions) will find the Enoch Pratt ideal. Its three-story Central Hall is a flexible open space with a skylighted atrium. Paintings of American and European printers distinguish the interior.
GLASS PAVILION, Johns Hopkins University, Homewood campus, Levering Hall, 3400 N. Charles St., 338-8199. Contact: Melva Cole-Fleet. Contracts may be signed only three months before event. Available June through August. Accommodates 200 seated, 350 standing. Cost: $180 per hour. This modern, glass-enclosed cube located in a wooded area was built in 1974 as an addition to the student union. The pavilion is furnished in royal blue and jade contemporary lounge furniture and features a large space for dancing. An outdoor patio provides a spacious area for cocktails.
