The real incentive for making this stop is Hampden. It's about a six-block walk uphill to the commercial strip on 36th Street, but it's well worth the exertion. With its eclectic combination of eateries and shops, The Avenue in Hampden is one of Baltimore's best walking tours. We topped it off with a fine bowl of chili with cheese and onions at Cafe Hon, a neighborhood landmark.
But it was time to move on to Harbor East, where you're more likely to find glitz than grit.
To get there, we transferred from the light rail to the Metro at the Lexington Market station - a block east of the actual market on depressing Howard Street. The Maryland Transit Administration doesn't make switching easy with its tiny, poorly placed signage, but it can be done. (Usually, the Metro is a block and a half away on Lexington Street, but because of a station renovation project, riders must walk an extra block to Saratoga Street.)
For Cindy, the subway ride was a treat. Though she has lived in Baltimore more than 30 years, she had never been aboard the Metro. It had never occurred to her that Baltimore transit could be fast.
The hidden jewel of the Metro is its Shot Tower station, from which riders can emerge right into the heart of Market Center, with its Port Discovery children's museum and numerous restaurants. From here, it's a short walk to the Power Plant and National Aquarium and a slightly longer trek to Harbor East, where urban explorers can find chic shops, trendy restaurants and the Landmark movie theater complex - President Street's answer to the Charles. Since parking in the area can set you back $10 or more, our MTA day passes were a good investment.
We topped off our culinary tour with a late lunch at the Lebanese Taverna, where the pizza with spinach was superb. We'll be back.
We could have taken the subway back to the light rail line, but by then darkness had fallen and we weren't too eager to wander around Howard Street. The walk back to Camden Yards wasn't too strenuous, and no sooner had we arrived than the light rail rolled in to take us back to North Linthicum.
We had a good time, even though our feet were sore. It was pleasant to cut loose from the bonds of driving, and we certainly got a workout. Since we pay for these systems, it was nice to get to use them.
Most of all, we were able to see the potential for Baltimore if it musters the will to build the Red Line. An east-west light rail line, with connections to the two existing lines, would open up Fells Point, Canton and Greektown as rail destinations. Who knows what could happen in West Baltimore? Could there be an African-American answer to the draw of Little Italy? With rail, you can begin asking that question.
